Martial arts film

The first ever martial arts film was a Chinese film released in 1928, The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple (also translated as "The Burning of the Red Lotus Monastery"), a silent film directed by Chinese film director Zhang Shichuan and produced by the Mingxing Film Company.{{cite web | last=Havis | first=Richard James | title=The martial arts choreographers who brought fight scenes to life in wuxia and kung fu films | website=South China Morning Post | date=2021-03-07 | url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3124213/martial-arts-choreographers-who-brought-fight-scenes-life}} The film pioneered the martial arts film genre, and was the first kung fu action film ever created. The film is based on the popular Chinese novel "The Romance of the Red Lotus Temple", which is set in the Qing Dynasty and tells the story of a group of martial artists who band together to defend their temple from raiders. The film is notable for its action sequences and fight scenes, which were groundbreaking for the time and helped establish the martial arts film genre.{{Cite book |first=Ying |last=Zhu |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1347092643 |title=Hollywood in China : behind the scenes of the world's largest movie market |date=2022 |publisher=New Press |isbn=978-1-62097-218-2 |oclc=1347092643}}

Beginning in 1950 with Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon, starring Toshiro Mifune, Japanese cinema produced a number of samurai films.Corcoran, p. 68. These films influenced the subsequent Hong Kong kung fu films of Bruce Lee.

Asian films are known to have a more minimalist approach to film based on their culture. Some martial arts films have only a minimal plot and amount of character development and focus almost exclusively on the action, while others have more creative and complex plots and characters along with action scenes.{{cite news|title= FILM; Martial-Arts Movies Find a Home In South Africa |newspaper= New York Times|date=1992-02-23|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/23/movies/film-martial-arts-movies-find-a-home-in-south-africa.html?scp=2&sq=american%20ninja&st=cse&pagewanted=2|access-date=2010-12-05 | first=Celia | last=Wren}} Films of the latter type are generally considered to be artistically superior films, but many films of the former type are commercially successful and well received by fans of the genre.{{cite web |url= http://www.newsweek.com/1999/04/19/maximizing-the-matrix.html#|title= Maximizing The Matrix |access-date=2010-07-04 |work= Newsweek|date= 18 April 1999 }}{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/filmgenre2000new00dixo|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/filmgenre2000new00dixo/page/80 80]|quote=martin riggs martial arts.|title=Film genre 2000: new critical essays|publisher=SUNY Press|access-date=2011-09-08|isbn=9780791445143|last1=Dixon|first1=Wheeler W|date=2000-02-24}} One of the earliest Hollywood movies to employ the use of martial arts was the 1955 film Bad Day at Black Rock, though the scenes of Spencer Tracy performed barely any realistic fight sequences, but composed mostly of soft knifehand strikes.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qW8rAUX6yvIC&q=Bad+Day+at+Black+Rock+martial+arts&pg=PR11 |title=The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies - Bill Palmer - Google Books |isbn=9780810830271 |access-date=2015-03-10|last1=Palmer |first1=Bill |last2=Palmer |first2=Karen |last3=Meyers |first3=Richard |year=1995 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield }}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dgzACTHIAcsC&q=Bad+Day+at+Black+Rock+martial+arts&pg=PA81 |title=Film Genre 2000: New Critical Essays - Google Books |date=2000-02-24 |isbn=9780791445143 |access-date=2015-03-10|last1=Dixon |first1=Wheeler W. |publisher=SUNY Press }}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3r0yDJcHYtYC&q=Bad+Day+at+Black+Rock+martial+arts&pg=PA24 |title=The American Martial Arts Film - M. Ray Lott - Google Books |date= January 2004|isbn=9780786418367 |access-date=2015-03-10|last1=Ray Lott |first1=M. |publisher=McFarland }}{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/296104 |title=Behind the Camera - Bad Day at Black Rock |publisher=Turner Classic Movies |access-date=2015-03-10}}

Martial arts films contain many characters who are martial artists and these roles are often played by actors who are real martial artists. If not, actors frequently train in preparation for their roles or the action director may rely more on stylized action or film making tricks like camera angles, editing, doubles, undercranking, wire work and computer-generated imagery. Trampolines and springboards used to be used to increase the height of jumps. The minimalist style employs smaller sets and little space for improvised but explosive fight scenes, as seen by Jackie Chan's films.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=36vMAQPlPRoC&q=minimalist+jackie+chan+kung+fu&pg=PA106|title=Kung Fu Cult Masters|last=Hunt|first=Leon|year=2003|publisher=Wallflower Press |isbn=9781903364635|access-date=2020-04-15}} These techniques are sometimes used by real martial artists as well, depending on the style of action in the film.

According to The New York Times, in the 1960s Jimmy Wang Yu was "the biggest star of Asian martial arts cinema until the emergence of Bruce Lee."{{Cite news |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |date=2022-04-21 |title=Jimmy Wang Yu, Seminal Figure in Kung Fu Films, Dies at 79 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/movies/jimmy-wang-yu-dead.html |access-date=2022-10-09 |issn=0362-4331}}

During the 1970s and 1980s, the most visible presence of martial arts films was the hundreds of English-dubbed kung fu and ninja films produced by the Shaw Brothers, Godfrey Ho and other Hong Kong producers. These films were widely broadcast on North American television on weekend timeslots that were often colloquially known as Kung Fu Theater, Black Belt Theater or variations thereof. Inclusive in this list of films are commercial classics like The Big Boss (1971), Drunken Master (1978) and One Armed Boxer (1972). Those films had a large impact on the spread of practice of Traditional Chinese and Japanese Martial Arts in English-speaking countries.{{cite book|last=Bluestein|first=Jonathan|author-link=Jonathan Bluestein|year=2024|title=Martial Arts Politics Explained|publisher=Amazon Digital Services LLC - KDP|isbn=979-8335564984}}{{self-published?|date=April 2025}}

Martial arts films have been produced all over the world, but the genre has been dominated by Hong Kong action cinema, peaking from 1971 with the rise of Bruce Lee until the mid-1990s with a general decline in the industry, until it was revived close to the 2000s.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/23/sports/23karate.html|title=Contender Shores Up Karate's Reputation Among U.F.C. Fans |access-date=2010-01-30 |work= The New York Times |date= 2009-05-23| first=R. M. | last=Schneiderman}}

Other notable figures in the genre include Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Donnie Yen, and Hwang Jang-lee.

Sonny Chiba, Etsuko Shihomi, and Hiroyuki Sanada starred in numerous karate and jidaigeki films from Japan during the 1970s and early 1980s. Hollywood has also participated in the genre with actors such as Chuck Norris, Sho Kosugi, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Brandon Lee (son of Bruce Lee), Wesley Snipes, Gary Daniels, Mark Dacascos, and Jason Statham.{{cite news|title= Revenge of kungfu Martial arts films are socking away the dough|newspaper= Chicago Tribune|date=1992-11-15|url= http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-11-15/entertainment/9204130690_1_martial-arts-kung-fu-tv-series-bruce-lee|archive-url= https://archive.today/20120708114022/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-11-15/entertainment/9204130690_1_martial-arts-kung-fu-tv-series-bruce-lee|url-status= dead|archive-date= July 8, 2012|access-date=2010-12-15|first=Lewis|last=Beale}}

According to the American Film Institute, the success of Bloodsport (1988), starring Van Damme, helped the resurgence of the martial arts film genre in the United States.{{cite web | url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/60095-BLOODSPORT?cxt=filmography | title=AFI|Catalog }} According to Van Damme, the film "helped give the martial arts genre a boost but also foretold certain things like the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the idea of pitting different styles against each other."{{cite web | url=https://www.blackbeltmag.com/jean-claude-van-damme-on-bloodsport-2 | title=Jean-Claude van Damme on Bloodsport 2 | date=March 18, 2011 }}

In the 2000s, Thailand's film industry became an international force in the genre with the films of Tony Jaa{{cite magazine|last=Perrin|first=Andrew|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,725168,00.html|title=Hitting the Big Time|date=2004-10-18|magazine=Time|access-date=2010-12-15|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817060501/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,725168,00.html|archive-date=August 17, 2013}} and the cinema of Vietnam followed suit with The Rebel (2007) and Clash (2009). In more recent years, the Indonesian film industry has offered Merantau (2009){{cite news|title= Gareth Evans and Iko Uwais talk Merantau|work= Twitch Film|url= http://twitchfilm.com/interviews/2009/02/gareth-evans-and-iko-uwais-talk-merantau.php|access-date= 2011-03-21|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120309052649/http://twitchfilm.com/interviews/2009/02/gareth-evans-and-iko-uwais-talk-merantau.php|archive-date= 2012-03-09}}{{cite web|url=http://www.aintitcool.com/?q=node/42562|title=Jury Winners & Audience Winner at FAantastic Fest 2009 Announced!|publisher=Ain't It Cool News|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004014051/http://www.aintitcool.com/?q=node%2F42562|archive-date=October 4, 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://twitchfilm.net/news/2010/04/undisputed-3-14-blades-and-merantau-win-at-action-fest-2010-chuck-norris-declines-lifetime-acheiveme.php|title=UNDISPUTED 3, 14 BLADES and MERANTAU Win At Action Fest 2010. Chuck Norris Declines Lifetime Achievement Award!|first=Todd|last=Brown|publisher=Twitch|access-date=2011-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616093737/http://twitchfilm.net/news/2010/04/undisputed-3-14-blades-and-merantau-win-at-action-fest-2010-chuck-norris-declines-lifetime-acheiveme.php|archive-date=2010-06-16|url-status=dead}} and The Raid: Redemption (2011).

The Middle East has also participated in the genre with actors such as Youssef Mansour who became famous in the 1990s for his Egyptian films that relied on martial arts.{{Cite web|url=https://elcinema.com/en/person/1029757/|title=Youssef Mansour - Actor Filmography، photos، Video|website=elCinema.com}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.mafhoum.com/press5/148S63.htm|title=Cairo Times|website=www.mafhoum.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.masrawy.com/arts/zoom/details/2023/9/30/2474934/%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AF-15-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%88%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7-%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%81-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%8A%D9%81%D8%AC%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%A3%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AA%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%85?amp|title=بعد 15 عامًا على وفاتها.. يوسف منصور يفجر مفاجأة عن سوزان تميم|website=www.masrawy.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://cairoscene.com/buzz/stallone-star-in-youssef-mansour-new-movie|title=Sylvester Stallone to Star in Egyptian film with Youssef Mansour|website=CairoScene}}{{Cite web|url=https://scoopempire.com/american-film-chosen-guard-shot-egypt-featuring-youssef-mansour/|title=American Film 'The Chosen Guard' to Be Shot in Egypt Featuring Youssef Mansour|first=Scoop|last=Team|date=February 12, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://stepfeed.com/hollywood-film-to-be-shot-in-egypt-with-an-egyptian-cast-0167|title=Hollywood film to be shot in Egypt with an Egyptian cast|first=Rayana|last=Khalaf|date=February 14, 2017|website=StepFeed}}{{cite web | url=https://al-ain.com/article/yousef-mansour-profile | title=يوسف منصور: بطل عالمي بدأ حياته من «صندوق قمامة» (بروفايل) | date=16 April 2024 }}{{cite web | url=https://m.elwatannews.com/news/details/4113954 | title=فيديو| يوسف منصور.. لاعب "الكونغ فو" عاشق السينما | date=16 April 2019 }}

Women have also played key roles in the genre, including such actresses as Cheng Pei-pei, Michelle Yeoh, Angela Mao, Zhang Ziyi, Josephine Siao, Cynthia Rothrock, and Kuo Hsiao-Chuang.{{cite web | url=https://www.starsinsider.com/movies/542613/the-silver-screens-greatest-martial-arts-stars | title=The silver screen's greatest martial arts stars | date=26 August 2024 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.stormtaekwondo.com/what-style-did-josephine-siao-study-martial-arts | title=What Style Did Josephine Siao Study Martial Arts? }}{{cite news|title= TELEVISION; The Biggest Star You Never Heard Of|work= The New York Times|date=1994-07-03|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/03/movies/television-the-biggest-star-you-never-heard-of.html?scp=5&sq=steven%20seagal%20karate&st=cse|access-date=2010-12-15 | first=Andy | last=Meisler}}{{cite news|last=Lynch|first=Stephen|url=http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1998-08-14/lifestyle/9808130558_1_kung-fu-jian-wang-martial|title=Hollywood is on a martial arts kick masters of ancient ways break into pop mainstream|date=August 14, 1998|newspaper=Orlando Sentinel|access-date=2010-12-21|archive-date=2012-09-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915015324/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1998-08-14/lifestyle/9808130558_1_kung-fu-jian-wang-martial|url-status=dead}}{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XOGdnCPJSOMC&dq=Kuo+Hsiao-Chuang+%7C%C2%A0Wan-ku+liu-fang&pg=PA284 | title=Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women | isbn=978-0-7656-0798-0 | last1=Lee | first1=Lily Xiao Hong | last2=Stefanowska | first2=A. D. | last3=Wiles | first3=Sue | last4=Ho | first4=Clara Wing-Chung | date=1998 | publisher=M.E. Sharpe }} In addition, western animation has ventured into the genre with the most successful effort being the internationally hailed DreamWorks Animation film franchise, Kung Fu Panda, starring Jack Black and Angelina Jolie.

The Matrix (1999), whose fight scenes were choreographed by Hong Kong fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, is considered revolutionary in American cinema for raising the standard of fight scenes in Western cinema.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/02/neo-stunt-double-on-how-the-matrix-changed-action-forever.html|title=Neo's Stunt Double Chad Stahelski on How The Matrix Changed Movie Action Forever|first=Bilge|last=Ebiri|date=February 4, 2019|website=Vulture}}

In the Chinese-speaking world, martial arts films are commonly divided into two subcategories: the wuxia period films (武俠片), and the more modern kung fu films (功夫片, best epitomized in the films of Bruce Lee).{{cite news|last=Azula|first=Alfredo|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/everybody-kung-fu-fighting-wbna6612102|title=Everybody is kung fu fighting|date=November 29, 2004|access-date=2010-12-17|publisher=Today.com}} However, according to Hong Kong film director, producer, and movie writer Ronny Yu, wuxia movies are not to be confused with martial arts movies.{{Cite web|url=https://chud.com/7686/exclusive-interview-ronny-yu-fearless/|title=EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: RONNY YU (FEARLESS) | CHUD.com}}

Kung fu films are a significant movie genre in themselves. Like westerns for Americans, they have become an identity of Chinese cinema. As the most prestigious movie type in Chinese film history, kung fu movies were among the first Chinese films produced and the wuxia period films (武俠片) are the original form of Chinese kung fu films. The wuxia period films came into vogue due to the thousands of years popularity of wuxia novels (武俠小說). For example, the wuxia novels of Jin Yong{{cite news|url=http://hkfilms.150m.com/Chinese/jinyong.htm|title=Jin Yong and Chinese Martial Arts Novels|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714121543/http://hkfilms.150m.com/Chinese/jinyong.htm|archive-date=July 14, 2015|publisher=Hong Kong Films Free Web}} and Gu Long{{cite news|title= Kung Fu (Wuxia) Novels Translation|publisher= Lannyland|url= http://www.lannyland.com/translations.shtml}} directly led to the prevalence of wuxia period films. Outside of the Chinese speaking world the most famous wuxia film made was the Ang Lee film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), which was based on the Wang Dulu series of wuxia novels: it earned four Academy Awards, including one for Best Foreign Film.

Martial arts westerns are usually American films inexpensively filmed in Southwestern United States locations, transposing martial arts themes into an "old west" setting; e.g., Red Sun with Charles Bronson and Toshiro Mifune.

• List of martial arts films
• List of mixed martial arts films
• Action fiction
• Combat in film
• Orange Sky Golden Harvest
• Samurai cinema
• Professional Wrestling
• Wuxia

{{Reflist}}

• Corcoran, John (1992). The Martial Arts Companion: Culture, History, and Enlightenment. Mallard Press. ISBN 0-7924-5762-5.

• [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/browser.php?movietype=3&genre=200001&subgenre=200268&tomatometer=&avgrating=&numreviews=&mpaa=&decade=&video_format= Martial Arts subgenre] at Rotten Tomatoes
• [https://www.imdb.com/keyword/martial-arts/ martial arts] at IMDb
• [https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/total-recall-the-20-greatest-fights-scenes-ever/ The 20 Greatest Fights Scenes Ever] at Rotten Tomatoes
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090816191301/http://progressiveboink.com/archive/fightscenes/50-26.html The 50 Greatest Fight Scenes of Film] at Progressiveboink.com
• [http://www.esquire.com/the-side/video/lunchbreak111607 The Five Best Fight Scenes Ever Filmed] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215161411/http://www.esquire.com/the-side/video/lunchbreak111607 |date=2014-12-15 }} at Esquire.com

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