Ip Man
Directed by: Wilson Yip Starring: Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Lynne Hung, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi Synopsis: A semi-autobiographical tale set prior to and during the Japanese Occupation of Fo Shan during the Sino-Japanese War , Ip Man is well known and respected as a master of Wing Chun kung fu, although he refuses to accept any students. There are plenty of martial arts schools in the town, and every time a new master arrives, they always request a chance to pit their skills against the best. Ip Man always obliges, but each fight occurs behind closed doors. Things soon change however with the arrival of a bunch of outlaws wanting to prove they are the best, swiftly followed by the invasion of the Japanese. Once a rich man, Ip Man must find manual labour to provide for his family. Fate intervenes however when a Japanese officer hires kung fu masters to spar against...
Ip Man opens with the latest in a long line of kung fu masters making their way to Ip Man’s door, to challenge him to an “exhibition match”. What is amusing about this scene is the way Ip Man treats it as if it’s an everyday occurance – although his wife isn’t particularly impressed. After a sumptuous meal and even an after-dinner smoke (!), Ip Man in very short order takes apart the visitor’s assumptions about his skills. Ip Man doesn’t even let loose – his strikes stop short, yelling “Strike!” each time. Straight away, Donnie Yen showcases his speed. The amount of blocks and strikes performed are pretty amazing. With good grace, Ip Man allows his guest to leave with his honour and pride intact. It isn’t until the arrival of the outlaws that Ip Man is pushed to use his skills to harmful effect, and even then he insists on the duel being a private affair. There are a plethora of interesting background characters, including Simon Yam as Zhou Qing Quan, owner of the local textile factory and Ip Man’s business partner. During the Japanese occupation he finds himself responsible for the lives of his workers and asks Ip Man to finally start sharing his knowledge of kung fu. There is also the local policeman, played by Lam Ka Tung, who finds himself acting as interpreter for the Japanese. Branded a traitor by his fellow countrymen, he is nevertheless torn between his new masters and doing the right thing. Then there is Ip Man’s wife, played by Lynn Hung, keenly aware that sometimes she plays second-fiddle to Ip Man’s “mistress”, the art of Wing Chun, and sometimes has to remind him that he has a son who needs his attention too. This all changes with the Occupation, as Ip Man’s assets are seized by the Japanese and he and his family are cast out on the streets. Now Ip Man forsakes his martial art training to focus purely on the survival of his family. However, this movie belongs to Donnie Yen. Donnie is one of the first Martial Arts actors I caught onto when I started getting into the Hong Kong action genre and Tiger Cage 2 remains an all-time favourite. After spending time making tv series and acting as fight choreographer for movies like The Princess Blade and Blade 2, he’s been on a bit of roll since the sublime SPL (aka Kill Zone). Here he perfectly captures the principles of humility, pride, and constant need to improve his skills. Donnie Yen embodies the personality of Ip Man as much as Jet Li embodied the role of Wong Fei Hung in Once Upon a Time in China. The Japanese occupation is obviously still a sore spot for many Chinese and the film is given a hissable villain in the form of an over-zealous Japanese officer. However the anti-Japanese vibe is tempered by the character of General Miura (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi), a highly skilled Karate-ka who is keen to test his skill and those of his men against the local kung fu masters. Miura is portrayed as a man very much like Ip Man – dedicated to his art and respectful of other martial artists. His Lieutenant on the other hand sees it as a waste of time, and treats all Chinese as vermin. He gets his come-uppance though when Ip Man catches him teasing his son with his pistol. The film has a sumptuous feel to it – especially the first half, prior to the invasion. The Martial Arts district of Fo Shan is something to behold – imagine the Las Vegas strip, but instead of casinos there were Martial Arts schools, one after the other. The vibrant streets are soon transformed though into something bleak, dusty and desolate with the arrival of the Japanese. The fight scenes are excellent throughout. The great Sammo Hung (still a great screen fighter in his own right) and Tony Leung Siu Hung have done a great job of portraying Wing Chun and Donnie Yen’s graceful, efficient moves carries it off. A little wire-work is used on occasion by other fighters (especially the Outlaws) but never with Ip Man himself. The key fight scene unfortunately isn’t the climactic battle between Miura and Ip Man, which for some is a little too brief. Instead it is the moment when Ip Man challenges 10 men at once in the Dojo, which first brings him to the attention of the General. This fight is somewhat reminiscent of Bruce Lee’s famous fight in Fist of Fury when he takes on a whole dojo (also homage by Jet Li in Kiss of the Dragon). This is the first time in the film where Ip Man is actually angry and doesn’t hold back on the power, making a devastation of the ten men. Verdict: Ip Man is a shining example of how to make a decent period kung fu film. Forsaking the current trend of “wire-fu”, Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen provide blistering fight-scenes while Wilson Yip delivers a film filled with drama incident and passion. Highly recommended. 9 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)
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