Month: June 2010

There was a short scene in Jackie Chan’s Little Big Soldier that most likely the audiences missed its interpretation. A short after the Liang soldier (Jackie Chan) captured the Wei general (Wang LeeHom), they encountered a singing maiden (Lin Peng) inside an abandoned inn during their journey back to the State of Liang. In this particular scene, the singing maiden drugged their wine, loosened her clothes and sang “Fox with a New Coat of Fur” from the Book of Songs.

The Book of Songs is a compilation of three hundred and five poems by Confucius (551 – 479 BCE). The origin of these poems was written sometimes between 1100 BCE to 600 BCE which was well before Confucius era. Confucius would refer to the Book of Songs in the Analects and it was part of the curriculum of his disciples. It contained folksongs, ballads, court songs and sacrificial songs. Continue reading “A Small Perspective in Little Big Soldier”

Bodyguards and Assassins revolved around the returning of an exiled Chinese revolutionary leader, Sun Yat Sen (Zhang HanYu), to the City of Victoria or modern day Hong Kong which was then a British colony. His intention was to meet with the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance leaders from 13 provinces in China about the upcoming plans of insurrection against the crumbling and corrupted Qing Imperial Court or Dynasty (清朝). The date was October, 1905 and 4 years earlier, Yang QuYun (Jacky Cheung) who was the leader of Revive China Society was gunned down in front of his students by a Qing Imperial Court’s assassin. The Empress Dowager in the Forbidden City had been actively tried to suppress anti-Manchu movements by campaigning political assassinations. Next on their list was Sun Yat Sen.
Continue reading “Bodyguards and Assassins”

The highest grossing Chinese action movie this year directed by Wilson Yip and choreographed by Sammo Hung, Ip Man 2, will be available in Blu-ray on June 25, 2010. Ip Man 2 starred Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Shi Xiao Long, Fan Siu Wong, Huang Xiao Ming, Darren Shahlavi, Lunn Hung, and Kent Cheng. In more than the usual martial art oriented action movies, the sequel featured Donnie Yen against with Sammo Hung in some of the most exciting martial arts sequences in the recent years.

The movie is a biopic of legendary Chinese social philosopher Kong Qiu (Chow Yun Fat) otherwise known as Confucius (551 – 479 BCE). It focused on Confucius’ life between the ages of fifty one to seventy three years old during the waning of Spring and Autumn Period (770 – 476 BCE). This was the age of the feudal system era where States controlled by powerful clans waged countless wars against smaller and weaker States. One such powerful State was the State of Lu reigned by Lord Lu Jun (Yao Lu). Kong Qiu was born in the State of Lu where Lord Lu Jun ruled in the name only as the real power had devolved to the three most powerful local noble clans.
Continue reading “Confucius”

The story took place in 227 BCE toward the end of Warring States Period after an all night bloody battle between State of Liang and State of Wei at Phoenix Hill. The army from the State of Wei was ambushed and both sides were completely annihilated. A middle aged foot soldier from State of Liang (Jackie Chan) and a young wounded general (Wang LeeHom) from State of Wei were the remaining survivors out of the three thousand casualties. The Liang soldier feigned his death at the beginning of the battle as he pragmatically believed staying alive was far more important than fighting in battles. He was a farmer conscripted into the Liang army to battle against the Wei, Qin, Qi, or other States that were a threat to State of Liang. Meanwhile the wounded Wei general was a crown prince from the State of Wei. He was knocked unconscious after proudly defended to upright the State of Wei flag.
Continue reading “Little Big Soldier”

A new martial art comedy, Choy Li Fut, began filming in Guanzhou early this month. The movie is starring former Shaolin disciple Wang Bao Qiang and directed by Cheng Dong. Other leading casts are Michelle Ye Xuan, Ng Man Tat, Xie Miao, Kara Hui, Xiong Nai Jin, Wong Yat Fei, Liu Han, and Sanda champion Liu Hai Long.

Choy Li Fut will be Wang Bao Qiang martial art flick feature debut and once again will be collaborated with Michelle Ye Xuan since Fire of Conscience. In Choy Li Fut, Michelle Ye Xuan will be Wang Bao Qiang’s love interest and Ng Man Tat will play Wang Bao Qiang’s father. In the movie, Wang Bao Qiang will play as American Born Chinese youth Hai Gui who returns to China to succeed a Choy Li Fut martial art school. Choy Li Fut is scheduled for release at the end of 2010.

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Opening theme of CCTV’s the Legend of the Arching Heroes which aired in 2003 starring Li Ya Peng and Zhou Xun.

Song: Heaven and Earth All Lie in My Heart
Theme: The Legend of the Arching Heroes 2003
Artist: Qiu Ye

Supremacy of a thousand years, victory of a hundred battles
From all four directions arises the howling wind
One horse gallops forth, pulling bowstring shooting eagles
Heaven and earth all lie in my heart
Sandstorm road of a thousand miles, hazy moon over the mountain pass
Lonely heroes disappear in a flash.
Who to share my heart with, who to live and die with
When facing grave event charge forward, open up the heart
One horse gallops forth, pulling bowstring shooting eagles,
Heaven and Earth all lie in my heart

The Warrior and the Wolf was set during the Qin Dynasty (221 – 206 BCE) in the remote northwest frontier at the foothill of Mount Kunlun. The fierce nomadic tribes in this region had long been battling the army of the Qin Imperial Court. Thousands of soldiers were dispatched to fight and conquer the barbarian hordes. The soldiers encountered many adversities and brutal challenge of survival during this warfare campaign. They fought only in the spring and summer season. In the winter, the soldiers would return home and the warfare would begin again in the following spring bringing with them new recruits.
Continue reading “The Warrior and the Wolf”