Finally watched part 1 tonight! I really loved that intro on the beach and that song is just so good. I really liked seeing Jet Li in an earlier role and in one that I didn't realize was so famous. I had never heard of this series until Criterion announced it and just the amount of supplements on this disc alone I think this may be a high contender for one of the best releases this year by Criterion. I loved the fight sequences especially the ladder part. I noticed sort of the same setbacks as I do with most of these martial arts films from China which is the dialogue and the "slower" parts of the movie. It's not bad or anything it's just... awkward I think??? I was fascinated by the restoration on this disc (first time watching this film) and the colors really popped. I did notice the different audio options and ended up going with the stereo one I believe? It's the one that sounds a bit more natural than the first audio option. I was not digging the first one and when I switched over to the other one the dialogue seemed to sync much better with the actors' lines. Watching the dynamic between Jet Li's character and 13th Aunt I thought was fun and I'm curious to see where this series goes next. Great video as always and you really helped me to grasp the contexts around this film as I know nothing about this historical figure or this time period in China. Come to think of it, I noticed there's a documentary about the real life figure and I wanted to see what your thoughts are on watching that before continuing onto the series? I really enjoyed the movie as an action film but felt lost during many portions due to not knowing this figure.
@@daninbox thank you! I actually did a review of the set’s films on my channel and if you wanted to check out what I think of the other films too :) ruclips.net/video/ZhFEyXApx7M/видео.html
Excited to hear your continuing thoughts on the series. It's a really great start to the series, you can't deny the excellent action choreography and direction going on here, I love Harks use of very wide anamorphic lenses, but it is those political and philosophical themes you talked about that run throughout that made this film especially interesting when I first saw it last year.
Hello Jamie Ryan and thank you very much for the comment. And yes, the kind of social and political context, as well as the reflection on the philosophical and how it relates to the mind and body in terms of the martial arts, and how that is linked to the action sequences, these are the hallmarks that I think the set stresses when it makes the case for the series in terms that include IV and V (as well as VI). Well done my friend.
How does one relate to the story of Wong Fei-Hung in terms of his legend and his impact on China? What social issues are going on in China at the time and how do they relate to the climate at that time? And what to make of the connections with Wong and his disciples, the people he cares about and his martial arts in a China that is on the verge of big changes? These are a few questions one might ponder as they watch a lot of action (with occasional bouts of humor) in Tsui Hark's well known martial arts film Once Upon a Time in China which is a bit more than a typical martial arts film in terms of story and historical background even if it is a bit fictionalized. The basis of the story is about Wong Fei-Hung (Jet Li in the role that would make him a big star) who has three apprentices named Butcher Lam Sai-wing (sometimes called "Porky" in certain translations), So Sai-man (sometimes called "Bucktooth So") and Ling Wan-kai (or simply "Kai) and a "close" relationship with Yee Siu-kwan ("13th Aunt" played by Rosamund Kwan) and how he manages his medical clinic Po-chi-lam. We get to see him meet Leung Foon who takes a liking to 13th Aunt and as the story progresses we get to see Wong have a rivalry with another martial artist named "Iron Vest" Yim as well as run ins with the Shaho Gang and an American official named Jackson who is doing some sinister things behind the scenes... One thing I would like to bring up is Wong Fei-Hung himself. He has been played by numerous actors throughout the history of cinema which Daisuke mentioned (I still remember Jackie Chan's rendition of Legend of Drunken Master personally) and has been built up to be a folk hero. It is true that Wong did practice the martial arts but he was more about his medical practice. It is also fascinating that they chose a younger performer to play Wong himself when at that time the real Wong was much older (late 40s-early 50s depending on the setting of this film). Still they took some of the similar aspects and events from Wong's life to bring a certain essence to the character and make him larger than life. Another aspect of the story is how China is slowly having a struggle with itself due to trying to keep their traditional ways and being "invaded" by Western culture. This comes into play more in future films in the series but it is evident from the large amount of foreigners coming in from other countries. This happened during the Qing empire which was one of the last traditional empires in the country and China itself had to deal with "unequal treaties" which led to more freedom and in a sense more power from Western forces with regards to ports and tariffs. There's more to this story but this is just one aspect of the Once Upon a Time in China going forward. And to keep with this theme we see advancements when it comes to Western clothing in various aspects worn by various people, technology like cameras and guns and even education (13th Aunt being educated in the West). And yet traditional values like Chinese celebrations, medicine and life try to continue. Yet one can't help but see that industrialization and Westernization are around the corner which is a battle of old vs. new. Like I mentioned before with each installment in the franchise this will continue to be seen more and more as we see the influences of Western culture on the country and on the people themselves. But one big aspect of the plot I keep coming back to after watching the film a couple of times is something that hits hard especially with the aspects of history. It has to do with the character Jackson and a certain thing he is doing in terms of slavery on the side. It involves human trafficking by sending Chinese women to America to work as sex slaves. The whole concept reminds me of the slave trade that happened so long ago. That part of the story made me think about how it drew parallels from the slave trade and has me question about how often it happened and can still happen in certain countries in today's world. Once Upon a Time in China is a fantastic movie that has a little something for everyone. There's action every step of the way for sure but there is a bit of history infused within the movie from history. From my experience it remains one of the finest martial arts movies and it helped inspire loads of movies in the genre during the 1990s (especially the sequels). It also made Wong Fei-Hung more accessible to a younger generation and increased his legend in the process. But most of all it showed China in an ever-changing time frame which would result in the foreign influence that left an impression on the country. Beyond that it is a solid action film and one of many in the set!
Never seen any of these films, but it’s cool to hear your thoughts on them Daisuke. They sound interesting, I’ll see if any of them are on the Criterion Channel. I think there may be some, if not all, so I’ll see about checking them out. Have a great day and take care!
This 1991 film lacks a consistent storyline to support the main theme of "tradition versus change." For example, Chinese traditions such as martial arts are suppressed by the government restricted by foreign occupation, but this loses weight with the subplots that are added in the middle of the film: The protagonist must not only avoid fighting and take care of the wounded , but also must defend his school from the newly arrived martial master and take on human traffickers while rescuing his aunt. The movie did not convince me, so I appreciate you giving it context, good video.
Thank you very much for your comment and compliment and observation and critique. I appreciate these very much. While I read your point about "The protagonist must not only avoid fighting and take care of the wounded , but also must defend his school from the newly arrived martial master and take on human traffickers while rescuing his aunt." and while I do not necessarily see this as an inherent contradiction or flaw itself, still I can understand what you are saying. I appreciate it very much. Cheers.
I have the Eureka version and wasn’t planning to double-dip. But hearing your giddy endorsement of the Vincent Zhao films (which I had been apprehensive to watch because it’s hard for me to imagine anyone else in Jet Li’s most iconic role) I now have to reconsider that stance. 😂
Thank you so much, and if you do end up getting this set, please let me know. I have been falling a bit behind with my upload schedule due to work, so I have not yet uploaded the discussions on IV and V. But they are really really great and this set helps to show me how well they fit into this universe of films.
I have mentioned a little bit about this in the video. I think that it is not necessary to double dip unless you really love the series. Also, the Eureka set does NOT have IV and V, which are really great and really deserve more attention (they feature Vincent Zhao as Wong Fei-hung). But if you love the series and also want to be complete, it may be worth it to have both sets. But again, not necessary unless you know you really love the series.
Just watched this on Amazon Prime. I wanted to stream it first rather than blind buy the box set. Amazon's transfer source looks really drab though. Naturally Criterion will have a much better presentation along with subtitle translation. I've seen Fist of Legend, Tai-Chi Master, Iron Monkey etc. So I'm very familiar with Yuen Woo Ping's spectacular choreography. I enjoyed it!
Saw the first film a few days ago The action was really impressive, felt like a mix of wuxia and Jackie Chan, which I didnt come up with but read somewhere and it felt like the perfect description Although it had the same "problem" for me that a lot of Chinese cinema has, which is the writing, and especially comedy. that dragged it down a bit for me
Hello leo and thank you so much for sharing this reaction!! And in any case I am so glad to hear that you saw the film and gave it a chance. And if you are entertained by the action here, I can also recommend the other films in the series. I hope you are well and cheers.
Hello Daisuke! Be laconic please! All information in every 12-15 minutes of your too verbose talk could be compressed in 1 minute. Could you discipline yourself with a rule that a review should not exceed 7 minutes? Life is too short, leave us more time to watch movies. Happy New Year!
Very fair point. Thank you for the criticism and also for saying it so kindly. If I could respond, let me say that my videos are not reviews and they are my ways of engaging with films as well. I never talk about films elsewhere so this is my place for me to do it. I want to say what I want to say and so this is my way of doing it. To borrow your phrase life is short so I want to say what I feel about a work before I no longer am able to. So in that way I make these discussions for me and they are not reviews I do not think that it is for all people and I know many do not like it but that is something I can accept and I don’t get offended if someone like you expresses that You don’t have to watch the video because there are so many things to do with your time as you point out Do what you like with your time which is precious and that is great 😊 and also let me too enjoy my time too in the way I want, and I choose to spend part of my time with these discussions in this manner.
Just watched this movie and was blown away by its excellence. I needed to hear more on the movie, and this was a great video for that!
Another brilliant review. Bought it during the last Criterion sale. Can’t wait to dig in.
Thank you so much my friend. I hope you enjoy the set.
Finally watched part 1 tonight! I really loved that intro on the beach and that song is just so good. I really liked seeing Jet Li in an earlier role and in one that I didn't realize was so famous. I had never heard of this series until Criterion announced it and just the amount of supplements on this disc alone I think this may be a high contender for one of the best releases this year by Criterion. I loved the fight sequences especially the ladder part. I noticed sort of the same setbacks as I do with most of these martial arts films from China which is the dialogue and the "slower" parts of the movie. It's not bad or anything it's just... awkward I think???
I was fascinated by the restoration on this disc (first time watching this film) and the colors really popped. I did notice the different audio options and ended up going with the stereo one I believe? It's the one that sounds a bit more natural than the first audio option. I was not digging the first one and when I switched over to the other one the dialogue seemed to sync much better with the actors' lines. Watching the dynamic between Jet Li's character and 13th Aunt I thought was fun and I'm curious to see where this series goes next.
Great video as always and you really helped me to grasp the contexts around this film as I know nothing about this historical figure or this time period in China. Come to think of it, I noticed there's a documentary about the real life figure and I wanted to see what your thoughts are on watching that before continuing onto the series? I really enjoyed the movie as an action film but felt lost during many portions due to not knowing this figure.
Much appreciated my dear dear friend!!! This is really wonderful!!
Great comments Christian.
@@daninbox thank you! I actually did a review of the set’s films on my channel and if you wanted to check out what I think of the other films too :)
ruclips.net/video/ZhFEyXApx7M/видео.html
Excited to hear your continuing thoughts on the series. It's a really great start to the series, you can't deny the excellent action choreography and direction going on here, I love Harks use of very wide anamorphic lenses, but it is those political and philosophical themes you talked about that run throughout that made this film especially interesting when I first saw it last year.
Hello Jamie Ryan and thank you very much for the comment. And yes, the kind of social and political context, as well as the reflection on the philosophical and how it relates to the mind and body in terms of the martial arts, and how that is linked to the action sequences, these are the hallmarks that I think the set stresses when it makes the case for the series in terms that include IV and V (as well as VI). Well done my friend.
How does one relate to the story of Wong Fei-Hung in terms of his legend and his impact on China? What social issues
are going on in China at the time and how do they relate to the climate at that time? And what to make of the connections
with Wong and his disciples, the people he cares about and his martial arts in a China that is on the verge of big
changes? These are a few questions one might ponder as they watch a lot of action (with occasional bouts of humor) in
Tsui Hark's well known martial arts film Once Upon a Time in China which is a bit more than a typical martial arts
film in terms of story and historical background even if it is a bit fictionalized.
The basis of the story is about Wong Fei-Hung (Jet Li in the role that would make him a big star) who has three apprentices
named Butcher Lam Sai-wing (sometimes called "Porky" in certain translations), So Sai-man (sometimes called "Bucktooth So")
and Ling Wan-kai (or simply "Kai) and a "close" relationship with Yee Siu-kwan ("13th Aunt" played by Rosamund Kwan) and
how he manages his medical clinic Po-chi-lam. We get to see him meet Leung Foon who takes a liking to 13th Aunt and as
the story progresses we get to see Wong have a rivalry with another martial artist named "Iron Vest" Yim as well as run ins
with the Shaho Gang and an American official named Jackson who is doing some sinister things behind the scenes...
One thing I would like to bring up is Wong Fei-Hung himself. He has been played by numerous actors throughout the history
of cinema which Daisuke mentioned (I still remember Jackie Chan's rendition of Legend of Drunken Master personally) and
has been built up to be a folk hero. It is true that Wong did practice the martial arts but he was more about his medical
practice. It is also fascinating that they chose a younger performer to play Wong himself when at that time the real
Wong was much older (late 40s-early 50s depending on the setting of this film). Still they took some of the similar
aspects and events from Wong's life to bring a certain essence to the character and make him larger than life.
Another aspect of the story is how China is slowly having a struggle with itself due to trying to keep their traditional
ways and being "invaded" by Western culture. This comes into play more in future films in the series but it is evident
from the large amount of foreigners coming in from other countries. This happened during the Qing empire which was one of
the last traditional empires in the country and China itself had to deal with "unequal treaties" which led to more freedom
and in a sense more power from Western forces with regards to ports and tariffs. There's more to this story but this is
just one aspect of the Once Upon a Time in China going forward.
And to keep with this theme we see advancements when it comes to Western clothing in various aspects worn by various people,
technology like cameras and guns and even education (13th Aunt being educated in the West). And yet traditional values
like Chinese celebrations, medicine and life try to continue. Yet one can't help but see that industrialization and
Westernization are around the corner which is a battle of old vs. new. Like I mentioned before with each installment in the
franchise this will continue to be seen more and more as we see the influences of Western culture on the country and on the
people themselves.
But one big aspect of the plot I keep coming back to after watching the film a couple of times is something that hits hard
especially with the aspects of history. It has to do with the character Jackson and a certain thing he is doing in terms of
slavery on the side. It involves human trafficking by sending Chinese women to America to work as sex slaves. The whole
concept reminds me of the slave trade that happened so long ago. That part of the story made me think about how it drew
parallels from the slave trade and has me question about how often it happened and can still happen in certain countries
in today's world.
Once Upon a Time in China is a fantastic movie that has a little something for everyone. There's action every step of the
way for sure but there is a bit of history infused within the movie from history. From my experience it remains one of the
finest martial arts movies and it helped inspire loads of movies in the genre during the 1990s (especially the sequels).
It also made Wong Fei-Hung more accessible to a younger generation and increased his legend in the process. But most of
all it showed China in an ever-changing time frame which would result in the foreign influence that left an impression on
the country. Beyond that it is a solid action film and one of many in the set!
Stealhborn!!! My dear friend, thank you so much for this!!!
Never seen any of these films, but it’s cool to hear your thoughts on them Daisuke. They sound interesting, I’ll see if any of them are on the Criterion Channel. I think there may be some, if not all, so I’ll see about checking them out. Have a great day and take care!
Unfortunately none of them are currently available on the channel :(. But hopefully they will be in the near future
I hope you are able to see these films one day Jared. I can strongly recommend them.
@@84paratize good to know. Thank you!
Did you double dip on Mulholland Dr. 4K release?
Hello and yes. I hope to have the video discussion about the 4K release up in a couple days.
This 1991 film lacks a consistent storyline to support the main theme of "tradition versus change." For example, Chinese traditions such as martial arts are suppressed by the government restricted by foreign occupation, but this loses weight with the subplots that are added in the middle of the film: The protagonist must not only avoid fighting and take care of the wounded , but also must defend his school from the newly arrived martial master and take on human traffickers while rescuing his aunt. The movie did not convince me, so I appreciate you giving it context, good video.
Thank you very much for your comment and compliment and observation and critique. I appreciate these very much. While I read your point about "The protagonist must not only avoid fighting and take care of the wounded , but also must defend his school from the newly arrived martial master and take on human traffickers while rescuing his aunt." and while I do not necessarily see this as an inherent contradiction or flaw itself, still I can understand what you are saying. I appreciate it very much. Cheers.
I have the Eureka version and wasn’t planning to double-dip. But hearing your giddy endorsement of the Vincent Zhao films (which I had been apprehensive to watch because it’s hard for me to imagine anyone else in Jet Li’s most iconic role) I now have to reconsider that stance. 😂
Thank you so much, and if you do end up getting this set, please let me know. I have been falling a bit behind with my upload schedule due to work, so I have not yet uploaded the discussions on IV and V. But they are really really great and this set helps to show me how well they fit into this universe of films.
hello Daisuke, hope all is well. Which release boxset for the Exorcist do you have on your shelf in the background?
Thank you! It is the Japanese blu ray release, but with the theatrical release version and the "version you've never seen" cut as well.
I have the eureka release should i double dip?
I heard the subtitles done by Eureka are better (maybe to each his own) but this Criterion set has 5 films
I have mentioned a little bit about this in the video.
I think that it is not necessary to double dip unless you really love the series. Also, the Eureka set does NOT have IV and V, which are really great and really deserve more attention (they feature Vincent Zhao as Wong Fei-hung). But if you love the series and also want to be complete, it may be worth it to have both sets. But again, not necessary unless you know you really love the series.
I heard that as well about the subtitles.
Just watched this on Amazon Prime. I wanted to stream it first rather than blind buy the box set. Amazon's transfer source looks really drab though. Naturally Criterion will have a much better presentation along with subtitle translation. I've seen Fist of Legend, Tai-Chi Master, Iron Monkey etc. So I'm very familiar with Yuen Woo Ping's spectacular choreography. I enjoyed it!
Hello Matt Attack and thank you so much!! Cheers and warmest regards.
Saw the first film a few days ago
The action was really impressive, felt like a mix of wuxia and Jackie Chan, which I didnt come up with but read somewhere and it felt like the perfect description
Although it had the same "problem" for me that a lot of Chinese cinema has, which is the writing, and especially comedy. that dragged it down a bit for me
Hello leo and thank you so much for sharing this reaction!!
And in any case I am so glad to hear that you saw the film and gave it a chance. And if you are entertained by the action here, I can also recommend the other films in the series. I hope you are well and cheers.
Hello Daisuke! Be laconic please! All information in every 12-15 minutes of your too verbose talk could be compressed in 1 minute. Could you discipline yourself with a rule that a review should not exceed 7 minutes? Life is too short, leave us more time to watch movies.
Happy New Year!
Very fair point. Thank you for the criticism and also for saying it so kindly.
If I could respond, let me say that my videos are not reviews and they are my ways of engaging with films as well. I never talk about films elsewhere so this is my place for me to do it. I want to say what I want to say and so this is my way of doing it. To borrow your phrase life is short so I want to say what I feel about a work before I no longer am able to.
So in that way I make these discussions for me and they are not reviews
I do not think that it is for all people and I know many do not like it but that is something I can accept and I don’t get offended if someone like you expresses that
You don’t have to watch the video because there are so many things to do with your time as you point out
Do what you like with your time which is precious and that is great 😊 and also let me too enjoy my time too in the way I want, and I choose to spend part of my time with these discussions in this manner.