(One of several examples of King Hu’s use of motif in “A touch of Zen”) The second half of “A Touch of Zen” contains a lot more wuxia action than the slower first half. There are several decent fights culminating in an FX heavy sequence where a villain jumps to his own death after receiving… Continue reading The Second Half of: A Touch of Zen (1971)
The First Half of: A Touch of Zen (1971)
Above: Gu’s first meeting with Yang A Touch of Zen is considered one of King Hu’s cinematic masterpieces. It is noted as the inspiration for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and so I went into this film expecting something action packed and full of amazing scenery and fight sequences. But the film does not start out… Continue reading The First Half of: A Touch of Zen (1971)
Creative Editing In “Come Drink With Me” (1966)
(Pictured Above, Jade Faced Tiger and Golden Swallow face off) In 1966 “Come Drink With Me” was released in Hong Kong and began King Hu’s forays into Wuxia style films. It has some amazing action for the time and, by utilizing the grace of Chang Pei Pei’s dancing background, Hu was able to create some… Continue reading Creative Editing In “Come Drink With Me” (1966)
The Physicality of Acting in “Sons of Good Earth” (1965)
Physicality can convey so much more than just straight dialogue, and with such great body language and expression from the characters of Yu Rui and Guan San Sheng, it is easy to see how it can help strengthen both drama and comedy.
