Heroes can be anyone from a fictional character like Superman to someone we admire and look up to. My hero is Ip Man from the 2008 film “Ip Man”. In the film, Ip Man is one of the best martial artists in Foshan, Guangdong before the start of World War II. After his city is taken over by the Japanese, he is forced to give up his practice of martial arts and work in the mines to support his family. During this time, he witnesses the murder of his friends and the destruction of his city. However, he also becomes a national hero, and gives hope and cultural pride to the Chinese when all seems lost.
When comparing the film to the structure presented in Campell’s “The Hero’s Journey”, many trends become clear. Ip man is the clear-cut hero in the film. His “call to adventure” happens before the war but he initially refuses it. Only after the war starts does he finally realize the importance of his role as a martial artist and accepts his “call to adventure.” Along the way, Ip Man finds not only allies but also the support of every Chinese person in Foshan. His adversaries are the Japanese who try to claim superiority over the Chinese. By the end of the film, Ip Man succeeds in protecting the cultural pride of his people.
As a kid I was obsessed with this movie and watched it several times every week. It had such an appeal on me partly because of the action scenes and also the heroism Ip Man displays. His morals and cultural pride represented the true essence of Chinese culture. With my heritage being partly Chinese, I was able to learn more about my cultural background through this film. In terms of action scenes, this movie has it all: Ip Man duels against more than 10 people in several occasions during the movie. Although not historically accurate, the combination of Ip Man’s heroic journey and brilliant action scenes makes for an entertaining movie.
I loved those martial art movies when I was younger (mostly because of the action sequences). In each of those movies, you can usually see the main character fit with the Campbell's hero. A noticeable trend is that each character often faces a huge setback (death of family, committing a terrible deed, etc.) and on their journey home, they grow and develop. At the end of the movie, they're wiser and more mature.
ReplyDeleteI really like when there's lots of character development in stories as well. Getting to watch a hero grow and develop, realizing that they have to be the one to save the day is always interesting. Also getting to learn about a culture which is important to you while watching a fun movie is a plus.
ReplyDeleteI had never realized how much the Martial Arts movies I watched growing up followed Campbell's Hero's Journey until you pointed it out and I thought about it. Lots of the tropes in Campbell's Hero's Journey are actually quite apparent in your typical Martial Arts movie. Like you said, I really only watched "Kung Fu" movies because of the exciting and amazing fight scenes they often had. I highly recommend just about any Bruce Lee movie out there if you're looking for amazing fight sequences and action.
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