Drunken Master is in many ways a myth in itself. Its immense popularity consolidated Jackie Chan's superstardom both locally and globally, not to mention playing a big part in putting Hong Kong cinema on the map. The film, one of the first films to depict the legendary martial artist Wong Fei-hung in his youth, reinvigorates the long-running but exhausted franchise of Master Wong films with an exuberance that characterizes 1970s Hong Kong. The Master-in-the-making embodies the charm of Hong Kong youth -- hyperactive, loyal to friends, sympathy for the underdog, but not above trickeries, sophomoric wiles and cheeky exploits driven by libido. Director Yuen Woo-ping, with his mastery of storytelling and action choreography, anchors the newly emerging subgenre of kung fu comedy with reverence, projecting kung fu cinema's state of intoxicated ecstasy with spirited staging of the drunken fist. (This film is part of the "Once Upon a Hero: The Wong Fei-hung Saga" programme)

7/4

(Sat)

7:00pm *

Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive

15/4

(Sun)

2:00pm #

Broadway Cinematheque

* Post-screening talk with Thomas Shin
# Post-screening talk with Matthew Cheng