There are some things we (Westerners) should tolerate about other cultures. What is polite to talk about. Political views. Marital and family customs. However, it is insulting to not object to a film as hypocritical and antagonistic as Legend of a Grandmaster: It not only knows it is bigoted, it has the audacity to then tack on a (fake) message about why bigotry is wrong.
A limited release in the United States, the second installment in the Ip Man saga was a big-budget and very successful Chinese blockbuster. The
choice in protagonist was an interesting decision, seeing as the real life Ip Man (a champion of martial arts and Asian culture who trained movie legend Bruce Lee) moved to Hong Kong due to his unpopularity and distrust of
communism. The movie centers around a fictional battle between Ip Man (Donnie Yen from Legend of the Fist) and British boxer Twister (a fictional character named after a Lethal Combat character who is played by the same actor, Darren Shahlavi) as well his rivalry with martial arts training tycoon (Sammo Hung) and father-son relationship with a hot-tempered pupil (Huang Xiaoming as real life street fighter Wong Leung).
Wilson Yip (Flash Point) has a nice camera style, and the picture has excellent action sequences, though they tend to deteriorate in quality and originality as the film progresses. The cinematography is well done (there are nice bright colors), with the exception of a ridiculous quantity of glaringly obvious orange-and-teal color scheme moments. The story (by Edmond Wong, who also did the original Ip Man movie) is terrible however, and Yip should be ashamed of the bigotry he displays.
There is a difference between celebrating nationalism (something less impressive in Hong Kong, where the
government has a huge influence in filmmaking) and deliberately slandering an entire race. The film divides its good guy-bad guy line solely based on skin color, with every British character a cheating, evil, abusive, and corrupt barbarian. There is no doubt the film is targeting all westerners—the vilification applies to the whole race, and there is no depth or motivation to the white people’s villainy. Yip even goes so far as to have the Union Jack prominently displayed to stress the point that the film is not just attacking an allegedly corrupt police force but an entire nation. Then, the movie goes the extra step and shows Ip Man (the character, I am not judging the actual person) giving a speech that he only wants the East and West to “respect” each other when the past 90 minutes have been as disrespectful as it gets.
Few people have dared to speak out against such racism for fear of seeming bigoted themselves. I perceive this as hypocritical—should Chinese films not be held to the same moral standard American ones are? I think they should, especially when they go out of their way to pick a fight. A 92% on Rotten Tomatoes! This is patronizing—everyone pretends that just because China made a film we are impressed. We should really treat people as equals and treat other cultures with the respect and interest we treat our own, not ignore their statements as mere rambling of a “different” race that is implicitly too stupid or irrational to know what polite or reasonable behavior is.
Further problems with the film are an inexplicably harsh rating, an acceptance of risking one’s life in a life-threatening and barbaric glory match instead of helping one’s family (Ip Man has two children and knows there is a good chance he will die in these combats), the fact that violence should be a way to defend one’s nations honor, and celebration of smoking as a form of coolness. I want to point out there is a law in Hong Kong banning public smoking, so I can say with certainty that Chinese (specifically Hong Kong) culture does not see this behavior differently.
Legend of a Grandmaster manages to not only be racist, but hypocritical as well. We would be the same if we tolerate this
obscenity.
A limited release in the United States, the second installment in the Ip Man saga was a big-budget and very successful Chinese blockbuster. The
choice in protagonist was an interesting decision, seeing as the real life Ip Man (a champion of martial arts and Asian culture who trained movie legend Bruce Lee) moved to Hong Kong due to his unpopularity and distrust of
communism. The movie centers around a fictional battle between Ip Man (Donnie Yen from Legend of the Fist) and British boxer Twister (a fictional character named after a Lethal Combat character who is played by the same actor, Darren Shahlavi) as well his rivalry with martial arts training tycoon (Sammo Hung) and father-son relationship with a hot-tempered pupil (Huang Xiaoming as real life street fighter Wong Leung).
Wilson Yip (Flash Point) has a nice camera style, and the picture has excellent action sequences, though they tend to deteriorate in quality and originality as the film progresses. The cinematography is well done (there are nice bright colors), with the exception of a ridiculous quantity of glaringly obvious orange-and-teal color scheme moments. The story (by Edmond Wong, who also did the original Ip Man movie) is terrible however, and Yip should be ashamed of the bigotry he displays.
There is a difference between celebrating nationalism (something less impressive in Hong Kong, where the
government has a huge influence in filmmaking) and deliberately slandering an entire race. The film divides its good guy-bad guy line solely based on skin color, with every British character a cheating, evil, abusive, and corrupt barbarian. There is no doubt the film is targeting all westerners—the vilification applies to the whole race, and there is no depth or motivation to the white people’s villainy. Yip even goes so far as to have the Union Jack prominently displayed to stress the point that the film is not just attacking an allegedly corrupt police force but an entire nation. Then, the movie goes the extra step and shows Ip Man (the character, I am not judging the actual person) giving a speech that he only wants the East and West to “respect” each other when the past 90 minutes have been as disrespectful as it gets.
Few people have dared to speak out against such racism for fear of seeming bigoted themselves. I perceive this as hypocritical—should Chinese films not be held to the same moral standard American ones are? I think they should, especially when they go out of their way to pick a fight. A 92% on Rotten Tomatoes! This is patronizing—everyone pretends that just because China made a film we are impressed. We should really treat people as equals and treat other cultures with the respect and interest we treat our own, not ignore their statements as mere rambling of a “different” race that is implicitly too stupid or irrational to know what polite or reasonable behavior is.
Further problems with the film are an inexplicably harsh rating, an acceptance of risking one’s life in a life-threatening and barbaric glory match instead of helping one’s family (Ip Man has two children and knows there is a good chance he will die in these combats), the fact that violence should be a way to defend one’s nations honor, and celebration of smoking as a form of coolness. I want to point out there is a law in Hong Kong banning public smoking, so I can say with certainty that Chinese (specifically Hong Kong) culture does not see this behavior differently.
Legend of a Grandmaster manages to not only be racist, but hypocritical as well. We would be the same if we tolerate this
obscenity.
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