jonathan on a path: videos: Shaw Brothers classics (and a few others)

i've become pretty leery of kung fu movies over the years in terms of their accuracy in portraying actual kung fu practice.

i'm sure that there is some kernel of truth in what they show. i mean, much like myths and legends, they have to base their stories on some element of truth, even if they do surround it with distortions and fabrications.

a lot of it, however, is just not real. some of the things you see are very fanciful, and are often unbelievable. flying people, climbing walls, standing upside down from ceilings, bulletproof bodies, immortal characters...these are things out of superhero comics. kung fu masters may have had skills that seemed supernatural, but i seriously doubt they did all the things kung fu cinema shows them doing.

moreover, much of it is not real because cinema, by its nature, has to modify kung fu to tell stories. this means choreography, artistry, and showmanship. fights are not spontaneous, but designed and rehearsed to follow the instructions of the director and cinematographer to create a better image that can be shot and reshot over multiple takes to tell a complete story. this changes kung fu from fighting style to presentation art.

which is why i sometimes cringe at the thought of kung fu movies, particularly when i think of how they've influenced people's perception of kung fu over the years (reference my previous post: commentary: the dork factor).

having said that, i do have to admit there is a certain sense of nostalgia for the cheesy chintzy past, and all the cheesy chintzy kung fu movies that inspired kids like me to try cheesy chintzy kung fu moves in our backyards--no doubt to the great amusement of our parents, neighbors, and friends.

Kieun reminded me of this, when we went off on a tangent during class and started reminiscing about the kung fu memories of youth. especially Shaw Brothers cinema, which were (and still are) utter classics of cheesy chintzy kung fu movies. i mean, come on, old masters with long white beards and bushy eyebrows? heroes fighting while standing sideways on walls? fighters yelling out the names of techniques as they attack each other? horrific english overdubs completely out of synch with the original Cantonese? how can anybody NOT love them? god bless their cheesy chinzty little hearts!

feeling some nostalgia for the cheesy chintzy past, i decided to do a search on YouTube for old kung fu movies, particularly Shaw Brothers classics.

lo and behold, it appears there are other people in the world that share the same feeling. i present some of the movie samples i've found. tell me if you recognize them: