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Film Style and Performance: Comedy and Kung Fu From Hong
- Source: Asian Cinema, Volume 10, Issue 1, Sep 1998, p. 42 - 50
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- 01 Sep 1998
Abstract
As a fan of Hong Kong movies, I've known for several years that no other films can pack the punches or the bullets that a Hong Kong film can; no other cinema delivers such stunning moments of intense physical combat, comic hijinx, and melodramatic irony--all in the same 10-minute final segment of a film. I've struggled to understand another culture and its films; what makes the film industry and its product work the way they do, what distinguishes the industry from Hollywood and popular European cinemas. As a teacher, I've struggled again to articulate my excitement about these films to students who are often fans like me, and who sometimes have had more exposure to Hong Kong and China than I have: they've seen more films, know the culture, speak the language. So I consider myself anything but an expert; a mix of fan and academic who is quite happy to have found a cinema which offers intellectual stimulation and a few visceral whollops in every film.