China: Rise of Martial Arts
Kung Fu Hustle, which was directed and starred Stephen Chow, presented an unrealistic image of the Chinese martial arts. The film being set in China along with Chow’s upbringing in Hong Kong produced the expectation of the film to depict the Chinese culture in an authentic and accurate manner. Instead, the film appeared to align more with appealing to global audiences rather than portraying an accurate depiction of Chineseness and Kung Fu itself. This is shown in many scenes throughout the film where Kung Fu is depicted through fanciful action, defying the laws of human nature.
The final fighting scene between Sing and The Beast suggests the involvement of spirituality in Kung Fu, but is so saturated with special effects and superhuman feats that this message is overshadowed. The addition of these effects gave these characters’ super human attributes, presenting them as hero-like, failing to display any authentic movements. In the article Kung Fu Production and Global Consumption, Raechel Dumas describes the last scene as a battle between “the unthinkably sadistic and the divine”. The presentation of such inhumane powers, disassociates the important connection between the human body and the elegance of movement and body control that can be learned through the self-discipline of Kung Fu. Focus on creating excitement through the usage of computer generated imagery (CGI), decontextualized the historical significance of Kung Fu as a unique form of patience and energy, highly valued by Chinese society. In an attempt to match the use of CGI in Western films and appeal to global audiences, Chow recapitulates the perception held by Western audiences of martial arts as a form of pure animalistic violence.