Once Upon a Time in China: Tsui Hark

While watching Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China, I jokingly tweeted: "Wow...'Once Upon a Time in China' is a fantastic film! Great martial arts with just a touch of delightful racism and xenophobia. Good stuff."  Having finished the film, I feel a bit embarrassed by my little joke.  Not about my comment concerning the martial arts, mind you.  The martial arts and fight choreography is exactly what fans of Tsui Hark's work have come to expect.  It's the part about the racism and xenophobia that gives me pause.  The film is about Wong Fei-hung, a Chinese cultural hero who was both a doctor and a skilled martial artist who fought back against foreign invaders at the start of the 20th century.  The film's plot is simple: foreigners (of British and American origin) have begun to show up in Foshan, a city in southern China.  Wong Fei-hung, along with an eclectic group of followers, must stop a sinister plot by foreigners wherein they capture Chinese women and sell them as prostitutes in America.  Oh, sure, there are subplots concerning a pretty woman and gangs of Chinese criminals who work for the foreigners.  But at it's core, Once Upon a Time in China is a story of us vs. them, of China vs. outsiders.  At first, this may seem disconcerting.  But pay attention.  Yes, foreigners are depicted as bad guys.  But as a history major who extensively studied Chinese history, I can say that their crimes have historical basis.  I mean, we have no problem depicting Japanese, Vietnamese, and Germans as the villains in our various war films.  Why should we expect anything different from Chinese cinema?  But notice how the characters come to the conclusion that the West does have things to offer, that China can benefit from peaceful trade and cultural friendship with outsiders.  It is a remarkably fair film in this regard.  As a martial arts film, it's phenomenal.  As a piece of cultural anthropology, it's crucial to understanding China's evolving views towards foreigners and the outside world at the turn of the 21st century.

8/10