Ip Man is a newly developed theme in Hong Kong martial arts movies. It has never been shown in Hong Kong movies before, but it suddenly became popular after 2008. The earliest appearance of Ye Wen's material can be traced back to 2002, when Wong Kar-wai's Zedong Film Company announced the start of filming "Ip Man's Biography - The Grand Master", which showed the legendary experience of Bruce Lee's master, and Liang Chaowei was going to be the leading actor. However, after Wong Kar-wai held the opening ceremony, the film has not progressed substantially. As a result, Huang Baiming's Oriental Film Company, which has a keen response to the mainland film market, took the lead and also started shooting similar films. At the end of 2008, "Ip Man", directed by Yip Weixin and starring Donnie Yen, produced by the Oriental Film Company set a box office record of over 100 million. Relying on the good reputation and market response of "Ip Man", it was also cast by Huang Baiming's Oriental Film Company. At the end of April 2010, "Ip Man 2: The Legend of the Grandmaster" was released, and the box office exceeded 230 million. With this achievement, "Ip Man 2" Among the top ten ranks of the best scores in Chinese film history.
Under the strong brand appeal of "Ip Man" and "Ip Man 2", a small and medium-cost "Ip Man Prequel", which was cast by Xian Guolin, one of the investors of the first two films of "Ip Man", was also released in June 2010. Released this month, the film was directed by another well-known Hong Kong director, Qiu Litao, starring Du Yuhang. It also achieved box office results of about 20 million yuan in the highly competitive summer season. In addition to this "Ip Man Trilogy", there are also Wong Kar-wai's "The Grand Master", "Wing Chun" and many other film works that are related to the themes of Ip Man and Wing Chun. For a while, Ye Wen became popular on the screen.
Hong Kong martial arts movies have always had a tradition of series of films with fixed characters as the protagonists, especially the martial arts characters in the south. Before that, there were series of films with Huang Feihong, Fang Shiyu, Hong Xiguan, Su Qier and other characters as the protagonists. Among them, Huang Feihong, Fang Shiyu, Hong Xiguan, Su Qier, etc. Feihong series is regarded as one of the classic brands of Hong Kong martial arts films. Among the northern characters are Huo Yuanjia and his fabricated apprentice Chen Zhen. Hong Kong filmmakers developed the theme of Ip Man, which enriched the character series in Hong Kong martial arts films, and its innovation received a good response in the market.
If we go beyond the scope of the "Ip Man" film itself, from the perspective of the film industry, some facts can also arouse our interest. Ip Man, as the theme of a newly developed Hong Kong martial arts film, has attracted such attention from the Hong Kong film industry in a short period of time and achieved extensive box office results, which is really exciting and encouraging. After all, the advent of new themes, even if only in one genre, can reinvigorate the existing market. Interestingly, when we mention Ye Wen, we can't help but think of one of his fellow villagers, Huang Feihong, who is also from Foshan, Guangdong. When the first "Once Upon a Time" (also known as "The Whip of the Wind and the Candle") was born in 1949, perhaps no one would have thought that the Huang Feihong series of films would be shot repeatedly over the span of nearly half a century. As of "Once Upon a Time in the Western Regions", about 100 films featuring Wong Fei-hung as the protagonist have been filmed in Hong Kong, setting a world record for a single-character-based film series in the world. Then, the question can naturally be asked, can Ye Wen’s material perform enough like Huang Feihong to become an important member of the martial arts movie character material library and an inexhaustible source of themes for Hong Kong and even the mainland film industry?
A careful comparison reveals that the two themes have many similarities. Wong Fei-hung was born in 1847 and died in 1925. The first "Once Upon a Time" was released in 1949, and there was a gap of 24 years between the death of the character and the release of the film. Ip Man was born in 1893 and died in 1972. "Ip Man" was released in 2008, about 36 years apart. The decades between the two films made this character both unfamiliar and familiar to the audience at that time, and people with considerable interest were convenient for processing and performance. Both of them were known to a wider audience through the huge dissemination influence of the film. Neither Huang Feihong nor Ip Man had such great popularity and influence before the movie was reflected. The two life periods overlapped. The chaotic world at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China and the first civil revolutionary war, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and the War of Liberation that Ye Wen experienced later brought full imagination space for the presentation of his themes. The two represent the two major schools of Nanquan: Hong Quan and Wing Chun. In addition to this, leaf issue material has its own unique elements. For example, Ip Man is the master of the famous martial arts superstar Bruce Lee. With Bruce Lee's international influence, Ip Man will have a considerable potential audience.
But at the same time, Ye Wen's material creation also faces some unfavorable factors. For example, there is the active intervention of Ye Wen's descendants and others who have direct and realistic consideration for Ye Wen's material. Too much emphasis on the true biographical color of the characters may result in a different Ip Man work, but as a member of the characters in Hong Kong martial arts films, Ip Man should provide more creative soil and vast world for Hong Kong filmmakers to imagine freely. Whether Ye Wen can truly become a subject like Huang Feihong, there are still creative ideological problems to be solved. Xian Guolin, the investor of "The Prequel of Ip Man", stated that the purpose of the filming of "The Prequel of Ip Man" was because "Ip Man" had more fictional elements, and he wanted to restore a real Ip Man. Ye Zhun, the son of Ip Man, also said that "Ip Man 2" is fake except for the name. The "Ip Man Prequel", which was created to promote Wing Chun and reflect the real Ip Man, was not well received by all parties. In terms of narrative mode, Weixin Ye's two "Ip Man" have entered the routine of showing Ip Man in the face of ethnic conflicts, and the audience will inevitably get tired if they continue.
How to deal with leaf problem materials, the creation of Huang Feihong series can provide reference. From the late 1940s to the late 1960s, all Cantonese martial arts films reached the peak of Wong Fei-hung's creation in the 1990s, marked by "Once Upon a Time" directed by Tsui Hark in the 1970s. Different directors and actors have different styles and focuses on this theme in different periods. As mentioned above, Ip Man, like Huang Feihong, has a lot of room for imagination. The problem that needs to be addressed is that as a martial arts movie character that needs to be copied many times, his image must be rewritten and displayed multiple times, so that Ye Wen can make Ye The problem material has enough ductility and richer expression space. We look forward to Ye Wencai becoming another remarkable Wong Fei-hung in Hong Kong and Chinese film history.
However, in any case, "Ip Man", as a character martial arts kung fu film, has successfully taken the first step after all. An important aspect of its success is that it pays more attention to the shaping of characters. The image of Ip Man is different from the simple and pure patriotic temperament and image of Huo Yuanjia, Chen Zhen and Huang Feihong in the past, and focuses on the three-dimensional aspect of the character's character and the transformation process of the character, as well as its reflection on the theme value level. The transformation from individual ethics to national spirit. In other words, Ye Wen's success lies in the delicate and vivid story of how a warrior who acted according to individual logic gradually became a national hero with a strong sense of individual and national dignity. "Ip Man" surpasses the Hong Kong Wong Fei-hung series of films represented by Tsui Hark's "Once Upon a Time" in terms of the portrayal of characters, the seriousness and clarity of the theme.
As a martial arts kung fu film, the film gradually develops and deepens the shaping of the main characters to achieve a more three-dimensional and plump character image. The narrow grievances and grievances in traditional martial arts films have been replaced by the oppression and humiliation of aliens, highlighting the transformation process of characters under threat of family and country, making the film realize the arousing of the audience's national consciousness and the main body of national ideology at the theme level. discourse expression.
The film uses a linear narrative structure for storytelling. The appearance of the main character Ye Wen was brought out by the head of Liao Jiaquan. Ye Wen lived in an independent southern courtyard, where he lived a prosperous and leisurely life. He is not tall, thin and elegant, gentle and polite to others. Master Liao refused to leave, preferring to wait for Ye Wen to have dinner before discussing. This time the discussion has become the first demonstration of the character's identity and the main points of the Kung Fu movie. Master Liao was full of confidence, and the director used a relaxed way to show it. The film highlights Master Liao's overconfidence and Ye Wen's humility under his absolute strength with slightly relaxed and witty music and Madam Ye's dissatisfied look, juxtaposing the two to form a comedic show. Then the director returned to the theme of the paragraph: learning from each other. The relationship between the characters was instantly reversed in the hard bridge and hard horse competition. Master Liao lost to Ye Wen, and the gap in strength was huge. Even after gaining the upper hand, Ye Wen remains humble, which shows that the protagonist upholds the good moral cultivation of Confucianism in treating others with respect, humility and courtesy. Although Ye Wen is superior in force, he has a gentle personality and excellent martial arts. The competition with Master Liao is always on point. When he sees Master Liao getting hurt, he asks with concern whether it is in the way, which highlights the character's Confucian virtues. The appearance of the characters made the audience see an image of a martial arts master with oriental charm, and the image of a generation of martial arts masters with unfathomable martial arts and exemplary morality and conduct was initially formed. At the same time, the leisurely life has also created Ye Wen's indifference to the world, a conservative attitude towards life that is content with his personal family, and a self-assertion of individual life. This film is embodied by the spatial image of a single-family building and the ritualized scene of eating, which is quite an oriental family. External events cannot interfere with the original meaning of family life, and the ritual of eating cannot be blocked. Let's talk about big things after dinner.
Then, the film continues to show the fullness of the character through the details of the characters. A scene in the teahouse made Ip Man's character more three-dimensional. Sha Danyuan spread widely about Ip Man's defeat of the head of Liao Jiaquan in the teahouse, which provoked Master Liao to come to the theory, and the two quarreled in front of Ip Man. Silence embodies the Confucian ethic of speaking with confidence. The police leader Li Zhao appeared and pulled out his pistol to show off his power. Ip Man held the gun with one hand, sealed the trigger and bounced the runner. Li Zhao was immediately convinced. In the evening, Ye Wen lent money to Zhou Qingquan to open a cotton factory. As a cutscene in the play, the contradictions and conflicts are not intense, and the main point is to introduce the other two main characters in the film: Zhou Qingquan and Li Zhao, and at the same time, Ip Man's character of reconciliation, loyalty and wealth, affection and righteousness The characteristics and unfathomable martial arts skills are displayed again. The characters are further improved and fuller.
The appearance of Jinshanzhao is an important plot point and the first small climax of the film. After Jinshan found and kicked two martial arts gyms, Wu Chilin went to report to Ip Man. The scene was carried out in the way of two people talking on both sides of the iron railing, and the image modeling method hinted and emphasized that Ip Man was only willing to be a family peacefully. the guardian of the unwilling to strive to be the best. It was not until Jinshan came to the door, and he kicked open the iron gate as a family protection line. Ye Wen provoked one after another in Jinshan, carried out personality insults, and was forced to take action with the consent of his wife. In this plot paragraph, Ye Wen's quiet and peaceful spiritual pursuit and conservative attitude towards life are fully revealed. He will act in self-defense only when the pressure from outside is so great that it may destroy the tranquility of the family and the dignity of the individual. The film does not forget to portray the characters at any time in the middle of the fighting paragraphs. Ye Wen gave in repeatedly, until Xiao Ye Zhun came out on a stroller and told his mother what he meant before he let go and punished Jin Shanzhao. The action design of the feather duster as a weapon makes the meaning of "punishment" in this scene very strong. As Ye Wen's feather duster fell on Jin Shanzhao's ass, Ye Wen also played the role of a traditional moral mentor and punished Jin Shanzhao, who was deviant and fierce. When dealing with this paragraph, the director showed great grace and style, with clear layers, tepid and eloquent, which better reflects the traditional moral cultivation of the protagonist Ye Wen's rationality, calmness, self-restraint, and self-restraint, and shows his good rhythm control. ability. So far, the image of Ip Man in the film has been initially fully displayed. Jinshan finds a strong kick to get started, and the plot design of Ye Wen being forced to fight and the subsequent Japanese invasion constitute two similar but different performance situations, which test Ye Wen's bottom line of endurance and bring out the depth of the performance of the characters.
When the Anti-Japanese War broke out, Ye Wen's family life was in trouble, so he declined Zhou Qingquan's kind invitation and went to work in a coal factory. When Li Zhao came to the coal mine to find someone to compete with the Japanese, Ip Man tried to stop Wu Chilin and others who were eager to try, and asked them to "don't cause trouble". Under the severe social turmoil, he can only protect himself and his relatives and friends by himself. Ip Man's conservative attitude towards life is once again portrayed and displayed.
Wu Chilin disappeared mysteriously, and Ye Wen came to the Japanese dojo to find out the truth. This plot point is the second climax of the film and a key point in the evolution of the characters. Seeing that Master Liao was shot and killed by the Japanese, Ip Man was angry. Just as Ye Wen questioned Li Zhao later, "Do you have dignity when you see your compatriots being beaten to death?" Personal dignity directly refers to national dignity. If it is said that the last contest with Jinshanzhao was because Jinshanzhao’s arrogance broke his personal dignity and family peace, then seeing his compatriots bleeding to death at the dojo has made Ye Wen’s sense of national dignity and sense of homeland grow rapidly. . According to the original fixed individual thinking of the character, he should endure it and devote himself to protecting himself, because his own dignity has not been violated. But in order to maintain the dignity of the nation, a gentle, respectful and thrifty Chinese martial artist changed completely when he saw the blood of the Chinese people in front of him. He no longer prayed for self-preservation in troubled times, and challenged ten Japanese samurai to attack him. After defeating ten samurai and leaving, answer Sanpo's question with "I'm just a Chinese". So far, we can fully see the transformation of Ye Wen's understanding of the inviolability of national dignity and the gradual and profound presentation of the character's character.
No longer fighting for personal dignity, but for the dignity of the oppressed Chinese, Ip Man becomes a substitute implementer of the national self-esteem and sense of dignity that every Chinese audience holds, when the audience empathizes with the characters in the play , the film achieves communication with the audience to the greatest extent and attracts the attention of the audience.
This concern culminated in Ip Man's contest with the Japanese general. In order to prevent the factory workers from being implicated, Ip Man turned himself in to the Japanese army despite Li Zhao's dissuasion. In the face of the pressure of life and death, the firm choice of the characters deeply reflects the character's characteristics and shapes the image of the martial arts master and national hero of Ip Man's generation. Faced with the death threat of being executed for winning, Ip Man did not hesitate to use his Wing Chun stunt to smash Sanpu, uttering the righteous roar of an oppressed nation. After winning the victory and Sanpu seriously injured and unable to fight, Ip Man did not strike the last fatal move to Sanpu's throat. It shows the audience the image of a national hero of a martial arts master who is morally cultivated and who upholds the magnanimity and loyalty of the Chinese nation.
The effort in character characterization in "Ip Man" makes the image of Ip Man credible, specific and layered. By paying attention to the protagonist of the film, the audience can arouse their own sense of national dignity. In a kung fu film, such a spiritual cleansing effect has not been expected by many audiences, resulting in a good reputation and brand effect. Ip Man" is on its way to success.
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