Hi Patrons! Remember to head to Patreon.com/AccentedCinema and vote for your prefer topic for next month! The choice is between Ip Man 4, Godzilla, or John Woo. Also, during the Jinan incident, in which the Japanese occupation forces killed over 6000 Chinese civilians and soldiers, Xu Qin-fang managed to sneak into the scene, all while hiding a camera inside her baggy pants. She later made a documentary with her smuggled footage. Never doubt her abilities to be a complete badass.
When I was younger, HK martial arts shows and movies was basically the vast majority of what I liked watching. I remember seeing a whole bunch of women kick serious ass, even if they're not the main characters. Women kicking ass just wasn't anything out-of-place or strange to me. One of my favorites was a comedy about Fong Sai Yuk, where the main male lead was a martial arts badass, but his mom was always able to kick his ass any day. I also read the Condor Heroes series, where the main character Yang Guo had a female master Xiao Long Nu. So imagine my surprise when I came to America and female-led action movies were some sort of "new" and "controversial" thing. Though I never knew that Sammo Hung (one of the martial arts stars of my time) had heritage from the first Da Nu.
Yeah as an Asian I also find it very weird that in the US they make such a big deal about movies like Wonder Woman. I think part of the reason why female action protagonists were accepted so naturally in China is that the very idea of martial art implies an underdog narrative: you don't have to born strong, you don't have to have giant muscle, strength can be cultivated through delicate mastery of you body. That's why you can see all sort of people kicking asses in kung fu movies: old people, thin people, fat people, etc. Kung fu is branded as an equaliser. And I guess this idea gets particularly popular after the imperialist invasion from the West. Under the oppression of superior forces, Chinese men might have found it easier to identify themselves with an oppressed, underdog heroine who finds a way to overcome her disadvantage. (Incidentally the colonial propaganda often portrayed Asian as effeminate.) While in the West, the entire colonialist idea of the "white men's burden" is that other races are just like women and children: they can't take care of themselves, so they need a master. White men imagines themselves as protector, provider, and saviour, rather than a person of the oppressed who stand up. I guess that is why white men finds it hard to identify themselves with women protagonists, because if a protector, a saviour is not needed when everyone can stand up on their own, then what are they to the rest of the world? The powerful villain in other people's story? The West needs this protector-protectee narrative to see themselves in a good light, and that is exactly the narrative that legitimises patriarchy. (Incidentally, a strong female figure is all over the place in 50s and 60s Chinese communist cinema. Women were leaders, workers, and fighters in those films. It really surprises me to see how many American media think they are the global pioneer on gender issue!)
Well, nowadays you have hardly any female led chinese action movies anymore. The few existing ones are mostly trashy and sexualized, like Naked Soldier or Special Female Force. Compare that to the late 80s and early 90s when dozens of action movies with Stars like Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Khan (Yeung), Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima or Sibelle Hu were released every year.
@@cheungch1990 Look at the number one complaint about *modern* "fighting females" in cinema. It's not even "Waif-fu" anymore, the term used is "Extremely Accommodating Stuntmen"... Cheng Pei Pei gets her moves, and sells her moves, by being a professional dancer *first.* Modern Hollywood actresses? Most barely move like they could hold down a job as your local Zumba instructor. The other side of this coin is, media needs you to think that *everything* is new, just so you'll buy it. Anyone attempting to push the disastrous 2016 Ghostbusters, or Birds of Prey, or Charlies Angels 2019 needs you not only to forget, but to never have known about the cast of Xena: Warrior Princess, Cynthia Rothrock career in HK, and so on. Over in the #PulpRev we joke about never reading anything written after 1980, but it's insane how the myth of patriarchal sexism that even perpetuates Accented Cinema's video gets exploded by reading and watching older stuff.
@@cheungch1990 Grettings, I just wanted to say that your comment has been equally enlightening and inspiring for me, and that it has made me think quite a lot about the common tropes and issues with my own culture. Thanks a lot!!
This is brilliant! I'm a femle martial arist myself- though I'm nowhere near as skilled as any of these awsome women- and I still hear all my life that I will never be as strong or skilled because of my gender, and that I have to compensate for being a woman. It just annoys me when it's from someone with no clue what their talking about, but it can really hurt when I hear it from fellow martial artists. Thankyou for spreading awareness of these women, and their movies! Thankyou for treating their history with the care and attention it deserves and putting into context the immense presure they were under to keep working and to prove successfull.
That's the thing, where you can be limited by strength skill is all that matters and you can improve it everyday regardless of who or what you are. Skill is something you can always build upon. So, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
@@MoldyOog Dude, do you seriously think women are "weaker" than men even if they put effort into becoming stronger and that they should just focus on "skill"? I mean, sure, skill is important but do you seriously think women can BIOLOGICALLY NOT be stronger than men even if they try to? You do realize that's a misogynistic assumption right?
That is BS. Perhaps not statistically likely to be as strong is a valid argument. But skill??? Haha. As a bonus, skill can theoretically outweigh inherent differences in strength so there's that. Keep doing what you are doing :)
@@safs4929 but....men are biologically stronger than women, they have bigger muscles and stronger bone density. If a man and a woman worked out everyday, the man would be stronger because he has more muscle. thats just fact
I agree with you concerning the 1930's view of women in Hollywood movies as usually damsels in distress but we have to remember that this is due to the impact of the conservative Hays code. Before that you had movies such as The Perils of Pauline, The Exploits of Elaine and The Black Book.
Thank you for introducing me to the amazing history of Cheng Pei-pei, wow, what a woman. I saw her in Crouching Tiger, but I had no idea of the legend she truly is.
This video should have at least 100 mil views. I love your video essays SO MUCH! and this series really empowers me to be PROUD of my ambition and not hide it. Thank you so much!
Love your content! Saw one little mistake from when you introduced Jet Li in the beginning where the movie was supposed to be "Once Upon a TIme in China". I just want to make sure people who saw him can find that specific movie and watch the movie I saw as a kid , which made me a huge fan of Kung Fu movies from that point on!
Wow, this went so much deeper then I was expecting from the title. Amazing job. Turns out I was a fan of Cheng Pei-Pei and didn't even know it. She's in so many movies I like! I need to track down Golden Swallow now; Come Drink With Me is very good.
You, my dear sir, have managed to make a hell of video, I almost cried, you video really touched me; thank you so much for this and the rest of your work. I can wait for the next.
Great content. Growing up with HK action cinema in the 80's as kicking female action stars were always the norm for me. I remember having the biggest crushes on Moon Lee, and Cara Hui.
You're joking, right? Walt Disney owns a near monopolistic majority share of Hollywood and has, literally, more money than god. They'll most likely delay Mulan's release to later in the year.
The best thing to come across after being imprisoned at home. Really enjoyed this video essay on Kung Fu Heroines. And I learned the proper pronunciation of names.
Im really glad he included Master Z i feel like its a really underrated movie and swordfight scene between the traid leader and Chueng Tin Chi was one of my fav scenes
I love watching your videos because they introduce me to so many wonderful movies I'd never heard of before. I always make a list of all the films I see on screen and make a point to watch as many as possible
The badassery of fighting women :) I grew up watching Asian movies with my dad. I loved their presence and impact there. And thank you for mentioning their real life contributions in arms. So the first Chinese action star was a swords-woman. That’s amazing!
Outstanding job! Kung Fu Heroines are so under-appreciated in action cinema! I always liked the balance they struck in these films by acknowledging their character's femininity yet keeping true to their ass kickin' nature.
What's hilarious is that there are many critical people today who claim that action cinema is being ruined by female characters beating men b/c it's "unrealistic". As if such a concept is anything new and was never beloved back in the latter half of 20th century when even children could be given such a portrayal.
The problem is not that women beating men is unrealistic, but movies and TV shows sometimes portray it unrealistically, as in a tiny woman would beat a man twice her weight, by fighting like a man in hand-to-hand combat. An example I can remember is from Batwoman, a woman with no muscle can one punch KO a man. Unless the woman have super strength or actual muscles, like Wonder Woman, that's unrealistic. Compare that to Black Widow in the MCU movies where she relies on quick moves, leverage and also wit to outmatch the men. This is also true if it were a small man against a bigger man.
@@clementj You only read my 1st sentence, read the 2nd sentence before replying. For even Short Round in Temple of Doom was portrayed to be able to knockout grown men w/ one hit.
@@jp3813 you're comparing comedic action to serious action. Comedies can get away with anything, but there's a certain realism expected from pure action movies. You can't expect the kids in 3 Ninjas to survive in, say, Diehard.
@@clementj You can say it was lighthearted, but not comedic. No woman in the Indiana Jones franchise was portrayed to be capable of such a feat against multiple foes. With the likes of Cynthia Rothrock, Michelle Yeoh, Yukari Oshima, Moon Lee, Linda Hamilton, etc... kicking men's asses back in the 80s & 90s, Die Hard could've easily starred a woman especially due to the fact that it was mostly a shoot 'em up movie.
Honestly Accented Cinema, I had goosebumps watching this video, quality yt channels like yours are quite rare and I’m looking foreword to watch the rest. Never been this interested in Chinese culture! So thank you so much for the effort you’ve put into producing such a gem❤️
Swordsman II is so good. I'm surprised they haven't remade it as a movie. I know it's based on a Louis Cha novel and it's been TV shows but the HK movie only used the novel as inspiration.
The novel adaptation is being made into TV shows so often, I think Chinese audience is really tired of it. Maybe in a few more years someone will try it again.
@@AccentedCinema Or Chinese gov will censor the movie given the subject matter of the movie. The love story between Linghu Chong and Bubai isn't in the novel (I don't think) or the TV shows.
HK Cinema: *Showing bad-ass woman since the beginning of it's history and still Epic!* US Cinema: *Shows one woman who can punch decently, and suddenly it's a HUGE controversy!* I'm american, ya'll! Don't kill me ...! XD
The first wuxia films I saw were a double feature of Trilogy of Swordsmanship and Lady of Steel, at the Shaw Theatre in Vancouver’s Chinatown in the early 70s. Thanks so much for this look back at the early swordswomen, who woke me up to Chinese heroines and martial arts, both of which I still love.
These women must have such great courage- A courage not inflamed by the impulse to kill, But at das most dangerous moment A courage to withstand a prolong wound and agony.
Incredibly inspiring women. Revolutionaries. I can’t begin to picture how many obstacles, discrimination, and road blocks these incredible women faced along their road to changing the world.
Lady Hermit is my favourite film of Chang Pei Pei's. Violent and fun, but also grounded and not as bonkers as some others. I like this kind of series! Are you going to mention Pearl Chang Ling in a future episode? (she's somewhat obscure, but did a whole bunch of cult classic movies in the 70s and 80s. Wolf Devil Woman and Dark Lady of Kung Fu are probably her most famous films.)
This is really quality content. Can't believe I haven't seen you in my recommendations before. You got a sub out of me 2 minutes in. Looking forward to the next part and to checking out the rest of your videos!
I want to give you a million likes. This is a perfect ode to kungfu in general and kungfu heroines in particular. What an enlightening experience to watch this video😍😍😍 x infinity. Thanks!!!
Ah man, thanks for the shoutout to Wu Yen!! For the longest time I was convinced I had a fever dream and this movie didn't actually exist. I'm so glad to see other people know it too.
This would make a really cool video! I love how Accented Cinema provides historical background information in his videos too, so if he does a video on Thunderbolt I'd really love seeing information on glove puppetry, how it's been maintained/preserved/still enjoyed in Taiwan, and Taiwan/Japan (vs China/Japan) relations (basically how Thunderbolt is able to come to fruition). As a Chinese American who grew up loving anime, I've always been interested and curious about how the general public opinion in PRC and Taiwan differed about Japan - from hatred to loving acceptance. And it's really interesting to see how these distinct cultures (yes I would consider Taiwanese culture as a whole different than mainland China, because a lot of older cultural arts and institutions were changed or eradicated by the CCP) interact and influence each other. And how we come to get something like Thunderbolt. (sorry for my ted talk)
@@littlegreenclementine people like you are the most insufferable kind. "cultural arts and institutions eradicated by the ccp" name me any form of Chinese national cultural heritage, 99% of the time it's better preserved and more popular on mainland China than it is in taiwan. from traditional music, to arts to operas, to martial arts to literally everything Chinese. your statement is not only erroneous, it's an insult to all mainland Chinese.
Bless you Accented Cinema. You are shining a light on a hugely important facet of Asian cinema. I grew up in the Nineties amidst the Tarantino influenced pop cultural obsession with Hong Kong and Japanese cinema that spawned a lot of reference books and film sites. Yet weirdly all the information they put out there seems to have receded from the public consciousness. Anyway, your videos do a stellar job schooling newbs about these amazing films. I can't wait for part 2!
I only saw Zheng peipei’s work she made when she’s older. I only know her as a comedian. I didn’t know she started her career so early. Boy she was so pretty and cool. I have to find her early movies.
Get you a girl who can kick your ass... but chooses not to because she has better uses for you when you're not bruised. Fantastic video as always. I was surprised it didn't connect to Mulan at all. I hope we get to hear your thoughts on that when it finally releases too.
DongHua Reviews I think my preference lies on the girl who can handle her own. She better be able to keep up my pace and force me to do something that I couldn’t do on my own. On the other hand, I suppose it is awkward.
Originally it went way back into the past and talk about old folk heroines. But the script got really out of hand and I had to chop it. Still a bit frustrated I had to cut the joke about Mulan having a four digit kill count, though.
@@NoirLouisStream might be the fact that they are so rare. I dont find it awkward at all or offputting if a woman can beat me in a fight xD. That's just damn impressive to me and sexy as all hell. Having said that I'm not a fighter so I'm sure it's more awkward for men who can actually fight.
@@AccentedCinema that would have been a great edition! But yes I understand the video is already quite long. Another whole chapter could have been painful =/. Can already imagine a nice moment of pointing out that Mulan is more deadly than any other Disney character xD
Have you made a video about Farewell my concubine? I love this movie but it seems like still so few people know about thí masterpiece. My dad used to be an opera actor so that's why the movie is close to my heart. Oh, btw, I love watching your videos.
Being born outside of the mainland, I am always amazed at how many epic stories china has in its ancient history. So many amazing stories are in Chinese literature. I feel like there is no drought of amazing stories that chinese films can focus around. the writing is already there, it just needs to be translated into movie form. I feel this is such an advantage for chinese cinema. I hope this tradition does not wane, that traditional/wuxia movies never leave the cinemas.
Pei Pei is so amazing, I did not realize that hilarious lady in flirting scholar was such a beauty at her young age. A true beauty, with amazing talent!
I didn't even know that about her. I always referred to her as Nai Nai because I was introduced to her via Chinese Paladin before I saw the other works she was in. She's still my favorite.
Hi! I absolutely love your content, great work shining a light on Asian cinema. I was wondering how hard it is to get hold of these films. I'm working on a martial arts film myself and need all the inspiration and help I can get, if you have any ideas please let me know. There is an martial artist actress that I hold dear by the name Zhang Xiao Yan do you happen to know any of her films, I would love to see them one day. Keep up the amazing work and thank you!
Most men give women roses for women’s day,ignoring the true meaning of the day, being a day created so society would be forced reflect about sexism,where men should try to put themselves in a women’s shoes, try to change their mindset and help the women in their lives. Accented Cinema made this video for International Day For Women’s Rights, this is the only women’s day gift I’ll ever be thankful for, thank you.
...so you're telling me that Disney cast Cheng Pei Pei, action legend, in Mulan 2020 but they made her the MATCHMAKER? I'm sorry Disney, but what the fuck?
This is a much needed feature!! I hate it when martial arts Cdramas back then and especially now introduce a powerful female warrior, hype her up to be really powerful, then end up growing weaker and weaker throughout the rest of the series and needing the male protagonist to save her from her troubles.
![Quando Rondo - Grow Up [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8zFnCg3BO4Q/mqdefault.jpg)
Hi Patrons! Remember to head to Patreon.com/AccentedCinema and vote for your prefer topic for next month! The choice is between Ip Man 4, Godzilla, or John Woo.
Also, during the Jinan incident, in which the Japanese occupation forces killed over 6000 Chinese civilians and soldiers, Xu Qin-fang managed to sneak into the scene, all while hiding a camera inside her baggy pants. She later made a documentary with her smuggled footage.
Never doubt her abilities to be a complete badass.
Please give us sweet sweet John Woo
YEY YA BOY GETTING SPONSORS
IP MAN 4 PLEASE
Going for John Woo - we were going to get a screening of The Killer in Portland, OR with a Q&A with Woo, but that got canceled due to The Plague.
JOHN WOO PLEASE
"She can still kick higher than I can punch"
That's the best compliment you can give to a martial artist, goddamn
Beautiful video as always brother!
Oh hey look, a Shaolin ;)
Rantoni Pepperoni
aka Megalodoni
RANTON!
RANTONI!
"The live action Mulan is coming out soon"
Well that aged like milk
When I was younger, HK martial arts shows and movies was basically the vast majority of what I liked watching. I remember seeing a whole bunch of women kick serious ass, even if they're not the main characters. Women kicking ass just wasn't anything out-of-place or strange to me. One of my favorites was a comedy about Fong Sai Yuk, where the main male lead was a martial arts badass, but his mom was always able to kick his ass any day. I also read the Condor Heroes series, where the main character Yang Guo had a female master Xiao Long Nu.
So imagine my surprise when I came to America and female-led action movies were some sort of "new" and "controversial" thing. Though I never knew that Sammo Hung (one of the martial arts stars of my time) had heritage from the first Da Nu.
Yeah as an Asian I also find it very weird that in the US they make such a big deal about movies like Wonder Woman. I think part of the reason why female action protagonists were accepted so naturally in China is that the very idea of martial art implies an underdog narrative: you don't have to born strong, you don't have to have giant muscle, strength can be cultivated through delicate mastery of you body. That's why you can see all sort of people kicking asses in kung fu movies: old people, thin people, fat people, etc. Kung fu is branded as an equaliser. And I guess this idea gets particularly popular after the imperialist invasion from the West. Under the oppression of superior forces, Chinese men might have found it easier to identify themselves with an oppressed, underdog heroine who finds a way to overcome her disadvantage. (Incidentally the colonial propaganda often portrayed Asian as effeminate.) While in the West, the entire colonialist idea of the "white men's burden" is that other races are just like women and children: they can't take care of themselves, so they need a master. White men imagines themselves as protector, provider, and saviour, rather than a person of the oppressed who stand up. I guess that is why white men finds it hard to identify themselves with women protagonists, because if a protector, a saviour is not needed when everyone can stand up on their own, then what are they to the rest of the world? The powerful villain in other people's story? The West needs this protector-protectee narrative to see themselves in a good light, and that is exactly the narrative that legitimises patriarchy.
(Incidentally, a strong female figure is all over the place in 50s and 60s Chinese communist cinema. Women were leaders, workers, and fighters in those films. It really surprises me to see how many American media think they are the global pioneer on gender issue!)
Well, nowadays you have hardly any female led chinese action movies anymore. The few existing ones are mostly trashy and sexualized, like Naked Soldier or Special Female Force. Compare that to the late 80s and early 90s when dozens of action movies with Stars like Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Khan (Yeung), Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima or Sibelle Hu were released every year.
@@cheungch1990 Look at the number one complaint about *modern* "fighting females" in cinema. It's not even "Waif-fu" anymore, the term used is "Extremely Accommodating Stuntmen"... Cheng Pei Pei gets her moves, and sells her moves, by being a professional dancer *first.* Modern Hollywood actresses? Most barely move like they could hold down a job as your local Zumba instructor.
The other side of this coin is, media needs you to think that *everything* is new, just so you'll buy it. Anyone attempting to push the disastrous 2016 Ghostbusters, or Birds of Prey, or Charlies Angels 2019 needs you not only to forget, but to never have known about the cast of Xena: Warrior Princess, Cynthia Rothrock career in HK, and so on.
Over in the #PulpRev we joke about never reading anything written after 1980, but it's insane how the myth of patriarchal sexism that even perpetuates Accented Cinema's video gets exploded by reading and watching older stuff.
Michelle Yeoh put women on the map for me in terms of heroines. She was just so badass and she sells it.
@@cheungch1990 Grettings, I just wanted to say that your comment has been equally enlightening and inspiring for me, and that it has made me think quite a lot about the common tropes and issues with my own culture. Thanks a lot!!
This is brilliant! I'm a femle martial arist myself- though I'm nowhere near as skilled as any of these awsome women- and I still hear all my life that I will never be as strong or skilled because of my gender, and that I have to compensate for being a woman. It just annoys me when it's from someone with no clue what their talking about, but it can really hurt when I hear it from fellow martial artists. Thankyou for spreading awareness of these women, and their movies! Thankyou for treating their history with the care and attention it deserves and putting into context the immense presure they were under to keep working and to prove successfull.
That's the thing, where you can be limited by strength skill is all that matters and you can improve it everyday regardless of who or what you are. Skill is something you can always build upon. So, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
I know some women i've sparred with who can completely kick my arse, so never doubt your abilities because of your gender :P
@@MoldyOog
Dude, do you seriously think women are "weaker" than men even if they put effort into becoming stronger and that they should just focus on "skill"?
I mean, sure, skill is important but do you seriously think women can BIOLOGICALLY NOT be stronger than men even if they try to?
You do realize that's a misogynistic assumption right?
That is BS. Perhaps not statistically likely to be as strong is a valid argument. But skill??? Haha. As a bonus, skill can theoretically outweigh inherent differences in strength so there's that. Keep doing what you are doing :)
@@safs4929 but....men are biologically stronger than women, they have bigger muscles and stronger bone density. If a man and a woman worked out everyday, the man would be stronger because he has more muscle. thats just fact
I appreciate your existence Accented Cinema
"i appreciate ur existence" i like that xD
Don't we all.
The RUclips algorithm needs to recommend this video to more people!
AnonymousCoward3000 seriously! I’m so glad I found this channel, more people need to see it!
this will be a great day. this channel gets better everytime!
@Prince of Wrath Awwww...
@Prince of Wrath yes, it gets better even thou it's perfect
Like fine wine..
Whenever Accented Cinema uploads
You know its gonna be a great video
One of the most Underrated Channels on RUclips
0:48 Menacing eye stares, the pose, and that glove readjustment, oh man, those are perfect!
I agree with you concerning the 1930's view of women in Hollywood movies as usually damsels in distress but we have to remember that this is due to the impact of the conservative Hays code. Before that you had movies such as The Perils of Pauline, The Exploits of Elaine and The Black Book.
great point!
Thank you for introducing me to the amazing history of Cheng Pei-pei, wow, what a woman. I saw her in Crouching Tiger, but I had no idea of the legend she truly is.
I will answer a question you didn't ask,
My favorite Da Nu is the landlady from Kung Fu Hussle xD i thought she was pretty fun to watch
Aquielleoz Jon Godinez The same actress is in the Bond movie “The Man With The Golden Gun”
Yeah, she was a badass!
I love your stuff, man. You've given me a deeper appreciation for Asian cinema.
This video should have at least 100 mil views. I love your video essays SO MUCH! and this series really empowers me to be PROUD of my ambition and not hide it. Thank you so much!
I still think the fight between the two ladies in crouching tiger hidden dragon was epic. One of the best weapons fight I’ve seen in movies.
As someone who trains in martial arts, I want to thank you for posting this video! I'll be sending this to my female teammates!
Love your content! Saw one little mistake from when you introduced Jet Li in the beginning where the movie was supposed to be "Once Upon a TIme in China". I just want to make sure people who saw him can find that specific movie and watch the movie I saw as a kid , which made me a huge fan of Kung Fu movies from that point on!
Wow, this went so much deeper then I was expecting from the title. Amazing job.
Turns out I was a fan of Cheng Pei-Pei and didn't even know it. She's in so many movies I like! I need to track down Golden Swallow now; Come Drink With Me is very good.
You, my dear sir, have managed to make a hell of video, I almost cried, you video really touched me; thank you so much for this and the rest of your work. I can wait for the next.
Great content. Growing up with HK action cinema in the 80's as kicking female action stars were always the norm for me.
I remember having the biggest crushes on Moon Lee, and Cara Hui.
why not Cynthia rothrock
"The live action remake of Mulan is coming out soon"
Coronavirus: "Imma ruin this company's whole career..."
You're joking, right? Walt Disney owns a near monopolistic majority share of Hollywood and has, literally, more money than god. They'll most likely delay Mulan's release to later in the year.
Nero Wolfe are you dense? Or are you genuinely unsure if someone is joking or not when they use a format of a meme.
there is a live action one from 2009 that isn't disney
The best thing to come across after being imprisoned at home. Really enjoyed this video essay on Kung Fu Heroines. And I learned the proper pronunciation of names.
Im really glad he included Master Z i feel like its a really underrated movie and swordfight scene between the traid leader and Chueng Tin Chi was one of my fav scenes
10:20 "What's up with this guy?" LOL
I love watching your videos because they introduce me to so many wonderful movies I'd never heard of before. I always make a list of all the films I see on screen and make a point to watch as many as possible
The badassery of fighting women :) I grew up watching Asian movies with my dad. I loved their presence and impact there. And thank you for mentioning their real life contributions in arms.
So the first Chinese action star was a swords-woman. That’s amazing!
Outstanding job! Kung Fu Heroines are so under-appreciated in action cinema! I always liked the balance they struck in these films by acknowledging their character's femininity yet keeping true to their ass kickin' nature.
What's hilarious is that there are many critical people today who claim that action cinema is being ruined by female characters beating men b/c it's "unrealistic". As if such a concept is anything new and was never beloved back in the latter half of 20th century when even children could be given such a portrayal.
The problem is not that women beating men is unrealistic, but movies and TV shows sometimes portray it unrealistically, as in a tiny woman would beat a man twice her weight, by fighting like a man in hand-to-hand combat. An example I can remember is from Batwoman, a woman with no muscle can one punch KO a man. Unless the woman have super strength or actual muscles, like Wonder Woman, that's unrealistic. Compare that to Black Widow in the MCU movies where she relies on quick moves, leverage and also wit to outmatch the men. This is also true if it were a small man against a bigger man.
@@clementj You only read my 1st sentence, read the 2nd sentence before replying. For even Short Round in Temple of Doom was portrayed to be able to knockout grown men w/ one hit.
@@jp3813 you're comparing comedic action to serious action. Comedies can get away with anything, but there's a certain realism expected from pure action movies. You can't expect the kids in 3 Ninjas to survive in, say, Diehard.
@@clementj You can say it was lighthearted, but not comedic. No woman in the Indiana Jones franchise was portrayed to be capable of such a feat against multiple foes. With the likes of Cynthia Rothrock, Michelle Yeoh, Yukari Oshima, Moon Lee, Linda Hamilton, etc... kicking men's asses back in the 80s & 90s, Die Hard could've easily starred a woman especially due to the fact that it was mostly a shoot 'em up movie.
@@clementj If Die Hard was a serious martial arts movie, I would not even be surprised if 10-year-old Mo Tse saved the day.
Honestly Accented Cinema, I had goosebumps watching this video, quality yt channels like yours are quite rare and I’m looking foreword to watch the rest. Never been this interested in Chinese culture! So thank you so much for the effort you’ve put into producing such a gem❤️
Swordsman II is so good. I'm surprised they haven't remade it as a movie. I know it's based on a Louis Cha novel and it's been TV shows but the HK movie only used the novel as inspiration.
The novel adaptation is being made into TV shows so often, I think Chinese audience is really tired of it. Maybe in a few more years someone will try it again.
@@AccentedCinema Or Chinese gov will censor the movie given the subject matter of the movie. The love story between Linghu Chong and Bubai isn't in the novel (I don't think) or the TV shows.
Your videos are always layered with perspectives. Thank you.
This is incredible. Brings back so many memories from my childhood. Watching my young auntie with my father
HK Cinema: *Showing bad-ass woman since the beginning of it's history and still Epic!*
US Cinema: *Shows one woman who can punch decently, and suddenly it's a HUGE controversy!*
I'm american, ya'll! Don't kill me ...! XD
Fantastic video essay! Can't wait for the next part! Thanks for highlighting such inspirational figures of history!
Love this. Haven’t heard of most of these - now I have a good list of movies to watch :-)
Thanks again. I think your videos are among the best on youtube.
Thank you for this fantastic history lesson! I hope all of today's martial arts actors and actresses know about your channel.
The first wuxia films I saw were a double feature of Trilogy of Swordsmanship and Lady of Steel, at the Shaw Theatre in Vancouver’s Chinatown in the early 70s. Thanks so much for this look back at the early swordswomen, who woke me up to Chinese heroines and martial arts, both of which I still love.
I'm only a few minutes in and your intro made my heart so warm🤧💞
Great video! Some incredible biographies you're showing here. I love how you've connected these women through to the modern cinema.
These women must have such great courage-
A courage not inflamed by the impulse to kill,
But at das most dangerous moment
A courage to withstand a prolong wound and agony.
We are happy you're back! Hope you've enjoyed your vacations. Thanks for this awesome video
Wow! So glad I watched this. I'm now going to see Mulan and rewatch CTHD
Your extended discussion of 徐琴芳 is excellent. So much to learn that I never knew.
Oh wow, thank you for teaching me about these women! Imagine watching the new Mulan and not knowing Cheng's history.
come drink with me 1966
Incredibly inspiring women. Revolutionaries. I can’t begin to picture how many obstacles, discrimination, and road blocks these incredible women faced along their road to changing the world.
I was reminded of a HK film recently. It was called So Close and showed Shu Qi, Karen Mok and Zhao Wei kicking ass.
Already over ... Just getting into the movie ... hope part 2 comes soon ... thx for your effort
Love it! Come drink with me is one of my all time favorites
It is such a great movie.
Cheng Pei-Pei is an absolute LEGEND. I can't wait to see her old Taiwanese films. She was so beautiful back then.
Johannes P I don’t think she ever entered Taiwan filmdom although she did film on location there for romantic drama Lovers Rock.back in the 60s
That was brilliant, thanks for the info.
@Accented Cinema, I thought you should mention 红侠 (Hong Xia), Red Heroine, a silent film made in Shanghai!
Easily my favorite channel
Lady Hermit is my favourite film of Chang Pei Pei's. Violent and fun, but also grounded and not as bonkers as some others.
I like this kind of series!
Are you going to mention Pearl Chang Ling in a future episode? (she's somewhat obscure, but did a whole bunch of cult classic movies in the 70s and 80s. Wolf Devil Woman and Dark Lady of Kung Fu are probably her most famous films.)
come drink with me 1966
This is really quality content. Can't believe I haven't seen you in my recommendations before. You got a sub out of me 2 minutes in. Looking forward to the next part and to checking out the rest of your videos!
14:07
WHOLLY SHIT! SHE FUCKIN DROP-KICKED THAT DUDE
I want to give you a million likes. This is a perfect ode to kungfu in general and kungfu heroines in particular. What an enlightening experience to watch this video😍😍😍 x infinity. Thanks!!!
Ah man, thanks for the shoutout to Wu Yen!! For the longest time I was convinced I had a fever dream and this movie didn't actually exist. I'm so glad to see other people know it too.
Amazing! I get a bit of Chinese political and film history and I'm enthralled. I love your channel!
Any thoughts on checking out Thunderbolt Fantasy?
It's a recent wuxia from Taiwan with really fun writing and action.
An extremely fresh genre for new fans and can easily turn to a whole video with the studio's prior works
I love it!
This would make a really cool video! I love how Accented Cinema provides historical background information in his videos too, so if he does a video on Thunderbolt I'd really love seeing information on glove puppetry, how it's been maintained/preserved/still enjoyed in Taiwan, and Taiwan/Japan (vs China/Japan) relations (basically how Thunderbolt is able to come to fruition). As a Chinese American who grew up loving anime, I've always been interested and curious about how the general public opinion in PRC and Taiwan differed about Japan - from hatred to loving acceptance. And it's really interesting to see how these distinct cultures (yes I would consider Taiwanese culture as a whole different than mainland China, because a lot of older cultural arts and institutions were changed or eradicated by the CCP) interact and influence each other. And how we come to get something like Thunderbolt. (sorry for my ted talk)
@@littlegreenclementine people like you are the most insufferable kind. "cultural arts and institutions eradicated by the ccp"
name me any form of Chinese national cultural heritage, 99% of the time it's better preserved and more popular on mainland China than it is in taiwan.
from traditional music, to arts to operas, to martial arts to literally everything Chinese.
your statement is not only erroneous, it's an insult to all mainland Chinese.
Bless you Accented Cinema. You are shining a light on a hugely important facet of Asian cinema. I grew up in the Nineties amidst the Tarantino influenced pop cultural obsession with Hong Kong and Japanese cinema that spawned a lot of reference books and film sites. Yet weirdly all the information they put out there seems to have receded from the public consciousness. Anyway, your videos do a stellar job schooling newbs about these amazing films. I can't wait for part 2!
I only saw Zheng peipei’s work she made when she’s older. I only know her as a comedian. I didn’t know she started her career so early. Boy she was so pretty and cool. I have to find her early movies.
If Mulan live action inspired you to make this video, it's already the best thing that movie had to offer
Get you a girl who can kick your ass... but chooses not to because she has better uses for you when you're not bruised.
Fantastic video as always. I was surprised it didn't connect to Mulan at all. I hope we get to hear your thoughts on that when it finally releases too.
DongHua Reviews I think my preference lies on the girl who can handle her own. She better be able to keep up my pace and force me to do something that I couldn’t do on my own. On the other hand, I suppose it is awkward.
Originally it went way back into the past and talk about old folk heroines. But the script got really out of hand and I had to chop it.
Still a bit frustrated I had to cut the joke about Mulan having a four digit kill count, though.
@@NoirLouisStream might be the fact that they are so rare. I dont find it awkward at all or offputting if a woman can beat me in a fight xD. That's just damn impressive to me and sexy as all hell. Having said that I'm not a fighter so I'm sure it's more awkward for men who can actually fight.
@@AccentedCinema that would have been a great edition! But yes I understand the video is already quite long. Another whole chapter could have been painful =/. Can already imagine a nice moment of pointing out that Mulan is more deadly than any other Disney character xD
Cuck comment, go simp elsewhere.
Great Video!
Thanks for sharing!
Knowing better about the life of Cheng Pei-pei, the gags in 《Flirting Scholar》 become more funny.
come drink with me 1966
Have you made a video about Farewell my concubine? I love this movie but it seems like still so few people know about thí masterpiece. My dad used to be an opera actor so that's why the movie is close to my heart. Oh, btw, I love watching your videos.
Dancer Starlight That film classic is mentioned A LOT!
I need to watch all these movies!!! Wow! Thank you for sharing :)
Being born outside of the mainland, I am always amazed at how many epic stories china has in its ancient history. So many amazing stories are in Chinese literature. I feel like there is no drought of amazing stories that chinese films can focus around. the writing is already there, it just needs to be translated into movie form. I feel this is such an advantage for chinese cinema. I hope this tradition does not wane, that traditional/wuxia movies never leave the cinemas.
10:16 “what’s up with this guy” had me rolling 😂😃😂😂😅
Your video essays are awesome! I am a fan now.
Kung fu is action, dance and philsophy! It has help to create heroes for women across the world.
I really like how well this videos are !! U are good !!
Your history lessons are awesome. Now I have a list of movies to watch.
Pei Pei is so amazing, I did not realize that hilarious lady in flirting scholar was such a beauty at her young age. A true beauty, with amazing talent!
These videos are so good, thanks for all the effort.
Dude I love your videos! Thanks for making them!
I didn't even know that about her. I always referred to her as Nai Nai because I was introduced to her via Chinese Paladin before I saw the other works she was in. She's still my favorite.
Thankyou for this video... finally someone appreciates the fighting women
I love this! Instant subscription!
Hi!
I absolutely love your content, great work shining a light on Asian cinema.
I was wondering how hard it is to get hold of these films.
I'm working on a martial arts film myself and need all the inspiration and help I can get, if you have any ideas please let me know.
There is an martial artist actress that I hold dear by the name Zhang Xiao Yan do you happen to know any of her films, I would love to see them one day.
Keep up the amazing work and thank you!
I love your video essay... Keep the good work....
Most men give women roses for women’s day,ignoring the true meaning of the day, being a day created so society would be forced reflect about sexism,where men should try to put themselves in a women’s shoes, try to change their mindset and help the women in their lives. Accented Cinema made this video for International Day For Women’s Rights, this is the only women’s day gift I’ll ever be thankful for, thank you.
Great video, and much needed, thanks.
I cryed... Great video
Love your videos man. Thank you for exposing me to Chinese cinema and a more Eastern perspective of Western cinema! :)
Yes! Amazing video!
really love your videos! Nice and elaborated material
Thank you so much for making these!!
10:13 "what's up with this guy?" 😂
That extra wanted to grab as much screentime as possible lol
love this video!!! keep up the good job!
I love your channel and content, keep it up bro!!!
Young Master was my first martial arts film, Lily Li was incredible!
I'm so sad this video isn't getting enough views. Great work! I'm glad women are getting some attention!
...so you're telling me that Disney cast Cheng Pei Pei, action legend, in Mulan 2020 but they made her the MATCHMAKER? I'm sorry Disney, but what the fuck?
This is a much needed feature!! I hate it when martial arts Cdramas back then and especially now introduce a powerful female warrior, hype her up to be really powerful, then end up growing weaker and weaker throughout the rest of the series and needing the male protagonist to save her from her troubles.
I love, love this channel.
Thank you for this. Keep up the good content. :)
Your videos never fail to impress!