Jia Zhangke’s A Touch of Sin: A Modern Wuxia Tale
I had the pleasure of giving a talking at Genesis Cinema when A Touch of Sin came out in the U.K. Over decade later, for the Jia Zhangke season at the Garden Cinema this year, I return to take a look at the director’s expression of Wuxia stylistics in the setting of contemporary China.
Posted in Articles, Events and tagged A Touch of Sin, cinema, come drink with me, film, Jia Zhangke, king hu, opera, Wuxia
The Woo-Xia in The Killer: John Woo’s Modern Cinematic Wuxia
On the release of the 40th anniversary ultimate collection’s edition of John Woo’s The Killer, I take a look at the director’s creation of modern cinematic Wuxia storytelling.
Posted in Articles, Events and tagged action, essay, film, john woo, last hurrah to chivalry, the killer, Wuxia
The Odyssey of Sinophone Cinema Opens with Four Trails
I first met Dr Hiu Man Chan, the Director of UK China Film Collab, as a fellow panellist at the BFI, and have admired their project and goals ever since, so was delighted this week, to have the pleasure of attending the opening of one the NGO’s projects, the Odyssey Film Festival.
Posted in Events and tagged cinema, film, Sinophone, trail running
The Legend of Mando part 2: the Way of Jianghu
In the first of this two-parter, I’ve explored how Din Djarin is the very model of a Xia, and how his quests mirror so many wuxia tales, but there’s much more to the series, and the universe of Star Wars that aligns with the Chinese genre.
Posted in Articles and tagged Chinese, fantasy, fiction, film, novel, Star Wars, The Mandalorian, Wuxia
Blades of the Guardians: Heroes for Hire
An amazing piece of Wuxia cinema that lends hope not just for a sequel, but for the future of the genre as a whole…
Posted in Articles, Events and tagged action, blades of the guardians, bounty hunter, choreography, cinema, film, manhua, preview, Wuxia, yuen woo-ping
Frankenstein’s Podcast 113: Spirits, Demons and Jiangshi From a Chinese Ghost Story and its Remake
Without Kalid, Joe takes on solo hosting duties and is joined by author, translator and speaker Xueting C. Ni to talk Chinese genre fiction and the myths, legends and creatures behind the 1987 film, A Chinese Ghost Story (directed by Ching Siu-tung) and its subsequent sequels and remakes, including the more recent The Enchanting Phantom. Listen to it here *Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music here, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work here! *Thank you to Jim Tandberg for the Frankenstein’s Podcast artwork! *Shoutout to their Patreon Producer(s), Luke Johnson, Andy Groth, Jake Kohl & Joe Mischo! Support them on Patreon!
Posted in Events and tagged Chinese Ghost Story, demons, enchanted phantom, film, ghosts, jiangshi, occult, podcast, spirits, storytelling
In to Mortal World: a New Evolution of the Cowherd and the Weaver Myth
Today is Qixi Festival, which falls on the 7th of the seventh lunar month. Whereas Valentine’s Day is also now celebrated in China, as is Lantern Festival for first romances, Qixi is the occasion to celebrate enduring love. And as arts and commerce increasingly turn their focus on it, more couples in China are choosing tie to knot on this day. The origins of this festival, is of course, associated with the story of Niulang and Zhinüng, the mortal Cowherd and the Weaver goddess, China’s story of star-crossed lovers and one of its four greatest legends, which you can read out in my book Chinese Myths. If you’re interested in the supreme goddess who played a key role in the tale, read my guide to Chinese deities). For the traditions and customs, read my article. This year, I wanted to write about a brilliant continuation of the myth by the donghua film Into the Mortal World (落凡尘, 2024), which I managed to catch on the plane on a recent trip.
Posted in Articles, Events and tagged animation, Cantonese, china, Chinese, Cowherd and Weaver, donghua, film, Guangdong, Guangzhou, myth
The Phenomenal Popularity of Ne Zha 2
Ne Zha 2 hit the cinema screens this Spring Festival to phenomenal domestic success. This has been attributed to many things, including some secret technophile organisation of allegedly nationalistic Chinese entrepreneurs spreading their hidden agenda. The actual reasons are probably a mix of high production quality, the right place, the right time and as often is the case, cultural appeal. Nothing less than an icon in China, the legendary figure of Ne Zha has always enjoyed much love throughout the history of his cultural evolution. In this article I guide you through this development and explore the factors behind the immense appeal of his latest reincarnation. Nezha entered the Chinese pantheons during the Tang Dynasty with the spread of Buddhism, introduced into China in the previous centuries. Chinese Buddhist tales portray him as a deity sent to the mortal world to protect it against the rising number of yao. His legend evolved from the Song Dynasty, a tale of rage fights, heavenly judgements and gruelling atonement. Temples venerating him were found as late as the 1940s (if you’d like to learn more, you can read my book). In the contemporary times, he has been reborn in the modern temples of home and pocket entertainment. Most people in China will remember this figure from the 1979 Shanghai Animation classic Nezha Conquers the Dragon King (recently re-released), created in the style of the art of Dunhuang, a fitting tribute to the murals that his image first graced. Here he is the undaunted Continue Reading →
Posted in Articles and tagged china, Chinese, culture, film, mythology, pop culture
Wandering Earth 2 and the New Global Order
It was a pleasure being on a panel hosted by L.S.E. with fellow authors and scholars to discuss recent Chinese sci-fi blockbuster, The Wandering Earth II (Frant Gwo) Cinema plays a major role in furthering cultural understanding, and there is definitely more to both Chinese science fiction and this movie than some have considered them, as mere “tools for soft power”. We each spoke a little on the work before entering the discussion, here is the short talk I presented. Like Wandering Earth 1, this second film also depicts a geopolitical landscape that places China at the top of global political power. This is shown through the made-in-China technology that operates the Wandering Earth Project, the diplomatic influence the country exerts over international disagreements, and the decision making that affects the fate of the entire planet. I saw this film for the first time at the cinema in London, when it came out last year. Whilst I had also watched and written about the first film around its release, this was the one that made me to want to read Liu Cixin’s short story and see how its original creator envisioned an epic tale that involves a fundamental alteration to humanity’s existence. The world presented in the original short story is one of international co-operation. It quietly happens because it is taken as a given. In this global order, China holds as much of a stake as others in the running of this earth-moving operation, which I find far more interesting, Continue Reading →
Posted in Events and tagged blockbuster, china, Chinese, cinema, culture, film, Liu Cixin, movie, panel, science fiction, Scifi, society, The Wandering Earth 2
The Tang Dynasty Mystery
A type of Cdrama and film that has been very popular over the last decade, is the Tang Dynasty mystery, tales of detection, court intrigue and crime solving adapted from novels by well-known writers of the 21st century, yet set in ancient China. One reason for the current focus on Tang Dynasty culture, is that China is once again at an economic and cultural peak, recalling its greatest gold age in history. One key figure that immortalised this perfect combination of the Tang setting and tale of mystery, is Di Renjie.
Posted in Articles and tagged china, Chinese, crime fiction, culture, detective fiction, Di Renjie, fiction, film, Gong An, Judge Dee, novels, Robert Van Gulik