Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kong
(Docurama)

Produced for the Independent Film Channel, filmmaker Ian Taylor examines the history of the martial arts film and the evolution of Hong Kong cinema from Bejing Opera and Shaolin monks to the present day. We are introduced to Wong Fei Hung, the genre’s first real action hero and later to Bruce Lee, who single-handedly took the martial arts film to a new level with his athletic and authentic style of kung fu.

For the novice, there’s much to learn about the role that Chinese culture plays in the telling of these fables and of the motivations of the hero, who is generally bound by honor and not driven by greed. Other highlights include a segment explaining the economical in-camera editing techniques, an overview of some of the weaponry used in the fight scenes and anecdotes from many of the industry’s most revered directors.- David Bassin