Kung Fu Hustle

Kung Fu Hustle (Chinese 功夫, Gongfu) is a 2004 action comedy directed by Stephen Chow, who also played the lead role. The film was a Chinese-Hong Kong co-production involving Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia, Star Overseas, Beijing Film Studio, China Film Group and others. According to sources, Chow was inspired by the martial arts films of his childhood and his childhood wish to become a martial artist. The story is set in Shanghai, which is ruled by the brutal Axe Gang. Only the poorest districts are spared its rampage, among them Pigsty Alley, whose setting is based on the Shaw Brothers film The House of 72 Tenants (1973). A small-time swindler, Sing, goes to the district to extort the residents, pretending to belong to the gang, and sets off a clash in which hidden masters turn out to be living among the tenants. The residents of the district fight with real Chinese styles: the tailor, played by Chiu Chi-ling, with the Iron Wire Fist (Tie Xian Quan) of the Hung Gar school, the porter, played by Xing Yu, with Tan Tui kicks. They face techniques taken from wuxia, which the film exaggerates with computer effects. The cast includes many veterans of Hong Kong action cinema: Yuen Wah, a former stunt double of Bruce Lee trained in Peking opera, Yuen Qiu, a student of Yu Jim-yuen, and Leung Siu-lung, nicknamed Third Dragon. At the Hong Kong Film Awards 2005, Yuen Woo-ping won the award for best action choreography; Stephen Chow was honoured for directing at the Golden Horse Awards.

Martial arts in this work

Fight choreography

Sammo Hung was originally in charge of the fights. After two months of shooting he left; the reasons were illness, demanding location conditions, interest in another project and disagreements with the crew. Yuen Woo-ping took over the choreography. Two thirds of the shooting time were devoted to the fight scenes. The fights combine wire work and computer effects: a high-resolution visual effects team erased the wires and added effects, but in the scene against hundreds of gangsters with axes, real people stood in front of the camera. Among the performers are practitioners too: Chiu Chi-ling is, according to sources, a specialist in the Iron Wire Fist of the Hung Gar school and Dong Zhihua a master of the Eight Trigrams staff.

Fact and fiction

Of the styles that appear in the film, the Iron Wire Fist of the Hung Gar school, Tan Tui kicks and the Lion's Roar associated with the Lama Pai style are real; the film, however, exaggerates the latter to supernatural proportions. The landlord character, played by Yuen Wah, is associated with tai-chi. Besides that, Yuen Woo-ping drew on older wuxia styles such as Deadly Melody and Buddha's Palm. These are legendary techniques from wuxia novels, which the film exaggerates with computer effects; where the real style ends and literary fiction begins in the case of Buddha's Palm, we have not been able to establish reliably. In the climax, the film pays homage to Bruce Lee with a costume from Enter the Dragon and his fighting style. The scene with many opponents also references Matrix Reloaded.

People and martial arts

• Stephen ChowDirector
• Yuen Woo-pingAction director
• Sammo HungFight choreographer
• Stephen ChowActor — as Sing· Kung Fu (portrays the art on screen)
• Chiu Chi-lingActor — as Tailor· Hung Gar (real practitioner)
• Yuen WahActor — as Landlord· Tai Chi (portrays the art on screen)
• Yuen QiuActor — as Landlady· Kung Fu (portrays the art on screen)
• Xing YuActor — as Coolie· Kung Fu (portrays the art on screen)
• Dong ZhihuaActor — as Donut· Kung Fu (real practitioner)
• Leung Siu-lungActor — as The Beast· Kung Fu (portrays the art on screen)

Awards

• Won · Hong Kong Film Awards, Nejlepší akční choreografie (2005) — Yuen Woo-ping
• Won · Golden Horse Awards, Nejlepší režie (Stephen Chow)