The Virtues of a Hero in Drunken Master 2 - Movie Review Example

The virtues of a hero in Drunken Master 2 The Chinese hero in popular kung fu films embodies the characteristics of a gentleman who is aware of his strength and his skills in martial arts but still yields to the demands of good social behavior and his obligations to his family. Jackie Chan as Wong Fei-hung in Drunken Master 2 (Jui Kuen II) shows the typical Chinese hero who is faced with the predicament of having to choose between defending his honor and protecting the culture of his country or upholding his father’s wishes to keep out of trouble and stay away from the Drunken Boxing style of kung fu. Fei-hun demonstrates that heroism could come in a rather unusual form that could simultaneously be humorous and exciting to watch. The beginning of the film shows the social divide between the wealthy Chinese and the even wealthier foreigners against the backdrop of the Chinese masses. The well-off patrons of the train had to get on first comfortably before anyone else could get in. Fei-hung and his father Wong Kei-ying together with Tsang had to get in as fast as they can to secure a seat. While on board, someone tried to steal Kei-ying’s wallet which he was able to quickly retrieve. Fei-hung ran after the thief but was stopped by his father. His father gives him regular advice that was to create the conflict in his choices in the future. Kei-ying tells his son, “A hero lives but a few seconds. A master holds onto his life” (Drunken Master 2). This shows his father’s position of instilling in his son the need to be cautious over being courageous in his dealings in his life. The inner struggle that had been a persuasive conflict in the theme of the film is shown as an innate part of the wu masculinity in Chinese films. The emergence of Bruce Lee in the film industry showed a new kind of Chinese hero who was not preoccupied with romance and the necessity to sweep a love interest off of her feet. There are more pressing obligations for him that he must be able to fulfill that includes fundamentally social duties. “These obligations involve displaying extreme loyalty to his teachers, avenging family and mate, and remaining untainted both morally and sexually. Such righteousness and incorruptibility makes him more prudish than the European knights and the Three Musketeers” (Louie, 2002, p.147). These characteristics were displayed by Fei-hung in the movie. His father was his teacher which made things more difficult for him. Upholding his honor and his reputation in society was a major concern that often led him to be at odds with his father who always taught him the value of forgiveness and shying away from battle as much as possible. “The point is, the stronger man knows... It’s more important to forgive than it is to fight” (Drunken Master 2). His father’s place in society is also one that demands more from his family to live by a virtuous life. As a healer and teacher for generations, he has the responsibility of ensuring that not only is he beyond refute but also his family. This was something that Fei-hung had inadvertently failed at because of his involvement in retrieving the jade seal of the emperor that the British ambassador wants at all cost. The encouragement of his stepmother was also a way for him to go through with his outrageous plans. When his honor had been compromised as he got drunk and the Chinese mercenaries sent by the Englishmen hung him naked in the center of town, Fei-hung vowed to refrain from consuming alcohol just as his father wanted. But this was not for long. As the antagonists blackmailed his father to sell their land, Fei-hung and his friends fought back to avenge their reputation and to protect the heritage of the Chinese culture from the foreigners. The final battle between them and the Englishmen, fought mostly for them by their Chinese cronies, showed much of the idealized Chinese hero in popular films. Fei-hung and friends storm the steel factory where workers are staging a strike against the inhumane treatment of their superiors. Immediately they were surrounded by heavily armed men who had guns where they only had knives and fists. This description of Jackie Chan in Chinese films, although much less of the masculine figure than his predecessor Bruce lee, nevertheless shows him as an attractive and moral figure. “They would still derive pleasure from a spectacle, but instead of flattening an army of men with his nanchaku, the hero now had to know his limitations and to ease the audience’s anxieties by making them laugh” (Louie, 2002, p.150). Fei-hung faced his biggest battles and had to overcome his opponents without drinking alcohol, his primary source of boosted strength and the entire idea behind his style of Drunken Boxing. But consistent to the words of wisdom in Chinese saying that his father imparts, “A boat can float in water, but also sink in it,” he learns that the right amount is the most potent (Drunken Master 2). During the scene in the literally blazing factory, Fei-hung upheld being the honorable character. When they were able to overwhelm the guards on the gate and they took hold of their guns, he ordered them that they were not to use any guns. This was an understandable position especially since Master Fu Wen-Chi died of a gunshot. This was portrayed almost like treachery to use guns when everyone else was just relying on their kung fu in their encounters. This contrasted the common Chinese folks who were not akin to violence except to protect their rights and their community against others who are to usurp their lands and their cultural treasures. When his friend was about to smash a barrel on the muscled man with chains they were fighting, Fei-hung grabbed the latter by the ankles to save him and ordered his crew to find the jade instead. He was left on his own and with nothing but a fan on his hand, he faces a gang of hoodlums who were in connivance with the foreigners. At one point he was set on fire by his enemy then one of the gang members was hit by his own boss. Instead of immediately running after his adversary, he helps the guy on fire and tells one of the other men to help him out. This show of virtue in the face of adversities is the typical demonstration of the hero in kung fu films that emphasize the need to put others first rather than prioritizing one’s own welfare. Another equally interesting attribution to a hero that is less underscored in the film is the romance aspect that is an essential feature of most Western action film. In Drunken Master 2, it could not be said that the love angle of the movie has been fully explored. But the scene on the market between Fei-hung and Chang Tsan for the attention of Fo Sang was an interesting display of the down-to-earth attitude that a hero must possess. Chang, who has his eyes on Fo, Challenges Fei-hung to a duel. Evidently the better martial artist between the two, Fei-hung never fully showed that he was winning the exhibition match. Despite Chang belittling the Drunken Boxing style over his Choy Li Fu, Fei-hung consistently refused his wager of free fish and everything else he wanted. But the match did continue to ensue. Instead of bragging on his power over Chang, Fei-hung announces that the battle was a draw. After that fight, he earned not only his keep of the fish but also the loyalty of Chang who was later to join him unconditionally in his challenging battles. The ideal hero of Chinese films is someone who exudes integrity despite the odds. He is someone who is able to show goodness in the face of hardship and overcomes shame to uphold his family’s reputation. Wong Fei-hung is able to show that he can conquer anyone and anything without losing his own value so that he will be able to defend the value of patriotism that was fought for by Fu Wen-Chi for the honor of China. Similarly, he was able to go beyond his father’s shadows to do what he thinks is right for the future of his own heritage. Jackie Chan in movies like the Drunken Master 2 brings a whole new dimension to the kung fu hero made popular by Bruce Lee. He is able to show a more sensitive and comical hero that is just as effective in provoking laughs as well as awe in his martial arts. He is a more vulnerable type of hero who is just as engaging as he is astonishing. References Liu, Chia-Liang (Director). (1994). Drunken Master 2. [DVD]. Hong Kong: Golden Harvest Company. Louie, K. (2002). Theorising Chinese masculinity: Society and gender in China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More