Experts discuss Jackie Chan’s film achievements and discuss the future trend of China action movies.
1905 movie network news The main activity of the 4th Jackie Chan International Action Film Week, the 40-year Jackie Chan Film Phenomenon Seminar, was held in Datong, Shanxi on July 19th. Jackie Chan, the founder and actor of Jackie Chan International Action Film Week, Wei Li, chairman of 1905 Film Network, Chen Hang, editor-in-chief of China Screen, Lv Xin, secretary of the Party branch of Datong Library, and other leaders and guests Wen Juan, Rao Shuguang, Yin Hong and Jia Leilei came to speak and interpret the artistic status and achievements of Jackie Chan and his film works.
In the round-table forum held in the afternoon, more than 40 experts and scholars in the industry conducted in-depth discussions and exchanges on three topics: Jackie Chan’s Chinese cultural brand and the formation and development of its international influence; the leading role of Kung Fu movies in China’s going abroad; and the promoting role of Kung Fu movies in the artistic prosperity and industry development of China movies.
Jackie Chan sincerely shared his film experience and revealed that he would publish a book for all his films.
As one of the organizers of Jackie Chan International Action Film Week, Chairman Wei Li of 1905 Film Network first delivered a speech at the seminar on behalf of the Film Channel Program Center and 1905 Film Network, explaining the significance of our concern, research and discussion on Jackie Chan’s film phenomenon today: "If Jackie Chan’s film works use pure, direct and unique action special effects, they show the heroic spirit of the people, express optimism and enterprising, and stick to their own attitude towards life, Then the phenomenon of Jackie Chan’s movies is to overcome language barriers and cultural barriers through the extreme spirit of action movies, and conquer the world with the high-spirited spirit of Chinese. I hope that in the future, more China films can form their own unique brands and spread China culture. "
Huang Cenli, member of the Standing Committee of Datong Municipal Committee and director of the United Front Work Department, affirmed Jackie Chan’s exemplary strength in his speech: "Mr. Jackie Chan is enthusiastic about public welfare and never forgets to give back to the society. He regards charity as a responsibility to help those in need as much as possible, and his feelings for the country and love for the society have influenced others, demonstrating the feelings of film and television artists about their home country and won good reputation and honor. Looking back at Mr. Jackie Chan’s acting career, behind every success, there are countless sweats, pains and hardships, which are admirable. I pay tribute to Mr. Jackie Chan and pay tribute to the action actors. "
Later, Jackie Chan took the stage to share his feelings. First of all, he said modestly that seeing so many scholars discussing his films made him nervous and a little shy: "In fact, I am very simple. If people help me, I will help others. The film has made me, and I want to make a film. The original intention of this action movie week is to let everyone know all the behind-the-scenes action filmmakers. "Jackie Chan bluntly said that he has always been doing things with a grateful heart." I just did what a filmmaker or a person should do. "
In his early years, he made his debut in Hong Kong, and then he went abroad to work hard. Jackie Chan deeply understood the contempt that Chinese had received. Therefore, he is more eager to help the whole industry and even the whole country through his own efforts. "I don’t love my country and my family now. I have been paying attention to such a theme in my early works. Jackie Chan is very small and the country is very big. Thank you for giving me the opportunity. "
On the same day, Jackie Chan also donated an autographed autobiography "Jackie Chan: Getting Old Before Growing Up" to Datong Library. On the spot, he revealed that he hoped to donate more books to more libraries in the next few years. "I have been preparing for five or six years, hoping to make all my films into books, including the split lens of each shot. Now I have made about 12 books. After all of them are done, I will give them to libraries all over the world."
Experts discuss the status and achievements of Jackie Chan’s movies and discuss the future development trend of China action movies.
The 40-year concept of "Dragon" film originated from Jackie Chan’s reliance on two films in 1978, and it has been 40 years since this year. During these 40 years, Jackie Chan not only brought countless excellent works to the audience, but also formed and developed his Chinese cultural brand and international influence. This seminar and roundtable forum on Jackie Chan’s film phenomenon also took this as a starting point, inviting many experts and scholars in the industry to discuss Jackie Chan’s film phenomenon, its status and achievements from the academic level of film, and to explore the future trend of China’s action movies, so as to bring new horizons and new ideas to the inheritance and development of action movies, promote the new development of film culture industry, and make China’s action movies more confident and steady in the future.
Guests attending the roundtable discussion on that day included Jia Leilei, Yin Hong, Wen Juan, Zhang Yiwu, Zhang Wei, Suo Yabin, Zhao Weifang, Yang Junlei, Ni Jun, Ye Hang, Hu Yajie, Chen Gang, Cheng Bo, Huang Yong, Li Xingwen, Hao Chuntao, Zhang Jihu, Zhong Dafeng, Chen Hang, Wang Haizhou, Ishikawa, Huang Haikun and Gao Xiaoli.
Experts and scholars have insightful opinions and incisive sentences. It is reported that the contents and achievements in this forum will be compiled into books and published, so stay tuned!
【The following are excerpts from the speeches of some experts and scholars in the Roundtable Forum.】
Topic 1: The formation and development of Jackie Chan’s Chinese cultural brand and international influence.
Zhang Yiwu, Vice President and Professor of China Film Criticism Society |
The early Jackie Chan movies happened to be close to the historical node of China’s reform and opening up, in the late 1970s. In fact, his 40-year film history has a very subtle, complex and organic dialogue relationship with the great changes in China, which is of great significance to Jackie Chan’s films, China’s films and Chinese films.
First of all, he returned to China with overseas Chinese’s cultural imagination, for example, how China’s imagination crossed the border and became global, so I think Jackie Chan led the cultural return of overseas Chinese films. At the same time, he used his own strength to apply the standard of film industrialization to the creation of Chinese films, and at the same time opened up the connection between domestic and foreign film markets. Thirdly, retell the story of China with China as the main body. This is the core of Jackie Chan’s creation in recent ten years, and his works have established the firmest, closest and most imaginative connection with local audiences in China.
Jackie Chan’s movies confirm an old saying that everyone has been arguing, the more national it is, the more cosmopolitan it is. This is his greatest and most important inspiration to China filmmakers.
Zhang Wei, Executive Vice President and Researcher of China Film Criticism Society |
The formation of the so-called Chinese cultural brand and international influence of Jackie Chan’s films is first recognized by audiences all over the world. There are five aspects to achieve such influence. First, the action of Jackie Chan’s movies must be world-class action level; Second, Jackie Chan comes from China martial arts culture. The culture of China Wushu combines wisdom and ingenuity, producing aesthetic feeling. The exquisiteness and performance of routines are the third thing that can’t be seen in western movements, and the grass-roots nature of movements. Action movies used to be "heroes", belonging to Schwarzenegger, a group of American action superstars, and Jackie Chan appeared as a grassroots in his works, which also created a precedent. The fourth is the comedy of action, which is unique in the world. The last aspect is his values, punishing evil and promoting good, fairness and justice, and advocating peace.
Jia Leilei, former vice president of China Academy of Art |
For half a century, Jackie Chan’s films have played an important role in the external communication of China culture. Jackie Chan conveyed the positive energy of society in an action, comedy and entertainment way, which reflected the positive value of the country. Jackie Chan’s screen image and public image together constitute a dream come true China story. The theme of this story includes not only the core connotation of hard work and continuous success, but also the humanitarian spirit of helping the crisis and all beings.
Compared with Hollywood action movies, Jackie Chan’s movies have a unique aesthetic style, which is not to use violence, but not to abuse it, to laugh but not to be indecent, to act but not to be cruel, and to be called an ethical model of violent action. Jackie Chan is good at using dance performances and dramatic programs to reduce the cruelty of violence. It influences and changes the violent presentation of world movies with its own performance methods.
Topic 2: The leading role of Kung Fu movies in China’s film going out.
Rao Shuguang, Secretary General of China Film Association |
There are obvious differences and differences between western movies, especially American movies and Jackie Chan’s action movies. It can be said that most western action movies are "hard action movies" and "hard action movies", while Jackie Chan’s action movies are "soft action movies" and "soft action movies". Hard action can be said to be "knife knife blood", of course, also has a unique charm. Foreign Stallone and Schwarzenegger, American action movies are tough guy action movies, and the kind of movies that have no defense and you punch me are also enduring in Hollywood. In the 1980s, Hollywood action movies, to a great extent, were not human actions, but were realized by technology, such as flying cars and house blasting. They sold not manual work, but technical work, such as Batman, Rocky and the first drop of blood.
However, China audiences are more willing to watch soft moves; Moreover, there are more audiences in the west who are willing to watch soft moves. Today, Jackie Chan doesn’t just belong to China. Jackie Chan broke the barrier between Chinese and Western cultures with his China Kung Fu, and found a balanced context between Chinese and Western cultures with his unique performance style, which had an important impact on carrying forward the spirit of China and spreading Chinese culture. In August 2017, Jackie Chan, 62, felt when he won the Oscar Lifetime Achievement Award: after 56 years of working, he made more than 200 films and broke many bones, and finally got this little golden statuette. Jackie Chan is not only a name, but also a symbol. He is the representative of China Kung Fu and China action movies.
Professor Liang Ming of China Communication University |
Today, Jackie Chan also said that many actors are "full substitutes" nowadays, and their shoulders, hands and feet have to be "replaced". How can such actors compare with Jackie Chan? Is there something wrong with our education?
We should reflect on how to train our actors, and whether we can hold a special training like Jackie Chan, and recruit some small martial arts stars for special training, so that China’s kung fu movies can continue and have an heir.
Gao Xiaoli, Director of the Art Review Department of Wenyi Bao |
There are many reasons why our current kung fu films are actually weakening. First, the grounding gas of kung fu films is not enough. How to keep realistic care and realistic care in Jackie Chan’s films more in line with the aesthetics of the people is the way out for our future kung fu films.
Second, the emergence of high technology, while promoting the development of the film industry, will also bring the problem of homogenization of kung fu movies, which is gradually drifting away from the personalized kung fu in Jackie Chan’s movies.
Third, if China films want China’s Kung Fu electric industry to go global, they should be based on China culture. Kung Fu movies have a strong genetic advantage. At the same time, they are in perfect harmony with China’s oriental Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. They embody the harmony between man and nature in oriental philosophy and have a natural and unique appeal to the world audience. This is also the direction of the future development of kung fu movies.
Screenwriter, Director and Producer Wen Juan |
With the series opened in 1994 and 1998, Jackie Chan gradually knocked on the door of Hollywood, and let Hollywood really realize the market value of Jackie Chan’s films. If Kung Fu movies want to go abroad, they must be based on China culture, so that our contemporary China stories can go out.
Chen Hang, editor-in-chief of China Screen.|
Compared with tragedy, comedy is actually a language that is easier to get through different national cultures.
Jackie Chan created a series of civilian heroes through action comedy, which was deeply rooted in people’s hearts. Western audiences saw the mental outlook and emotional way of ordinary people in China through kung fu, and successfully integrated Chinese and Western cultures into the image of civilians with kung fu, bringing their emotions to audiences with different cultural backgrounds, which is an important reason for Jackie Chan’s films to gain world influence.
Topic 3: The role of Kung Fu movies in promoting the artistic prosperity and industry development of China movies.
Professor Yin Hong from Tsinghua University |
Kung Fu action movies are a unique landscape of China film culture. For Chinese, everyone has a dream of kung fu and martial arts, which reflects Chinese’s self-release and imagination in the complex traditional culture. Kung fu action movies have a unique position in movies. The word "China Kung Fu" is actually widely used all over the world, because a group of filmmakers like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan spread the word "China Kung Fu" to all countries in the world, which plays an important role in spreading China culture.
The most recognized genre of China movies in the world is still Kung Fu action movies. Since 1990s, almost half of the annual box office winners in China are Kung Fu action movies, and this feature is even more obvious in international communication. Among the top ten Chinese movies in the North American film market, eight are Kung Fu action movies.
Jackie Chan’s kung fu action movies have a very unique innovation mechanism among all the kung fu action movies, constantly seeking a mixture of space, time, genre and style to seek new breakthroughs. Of course, we should also realize that today’s kung fu action movies are facing many new challenges. These new challenges can be summed up in four aspects: first, how to match modern people’s values and sexy communication, second, the new breakthrough of narrative, third, how to make martial arts movements and scenes film, and finally, how to combine the current star idol mechanism with the martial arts actors mentioned by Mr. Jackie Chan.
Song Ziwen, Editor-in-Chief of China Film Report |
Kung Fu movies have promoted the prosperity of China film art and the development of the whole industry, and the real promotion has always been produced. The popularity of the classic kung fu movies Shaolin Temple and Mysterious Buddha in China has activated the enthusiasm of the whole market and the whole people to watch movies. Now, the film market in China has entered a new round of peak, which is also to carry forward this element, and to use kung fu as a kindling, firmly embedded in the film types with military themes.
Why do kung fu movies always face so much controversy? Because their cultural status is not high. Although Kung Fu movies are the mainstay of the whole market in Hong Kong, we can see that they are looked down upon by the awards, film critics and public opinion. By the late 1990s, it was said that Kung Fu movies had died out and martial arts movies were going to die out. Obviously this is the real cultural wealth of China films, but we would rather discard it. Some people say that we want to compete with Hollywood, fight for capital and technology, but have these people succeeded? It is the traditional kung fu action movies that really re-explode this market, which makes China movies see more possibilities in the future. This is the most important promotion for our China movies from artistic prosperity and industry development.
This Jackie Chan Kung Fu Action Movie Week, what we really want to mention is whether the whole industry can give more respect to our Kung Fu filmmakers, Kung Fu movies and action movies. Although we don’t have a high douban score like art films, which makes many young artists fall for it, we can prove that kung fu films are as tenacious as art films. Let’s watch Jackie Chan’s movies 40 years ago. It’s still exciting and full of tears. This is the power of movies, and this is also the charm of movie art.
Film critic Zhou Liming |
When China’s Kung Fu movies are compared with Hollywood action movies and superhero movies, we will think: First, the development of science and technology and the development of digital technology make it possible to complete actions that are difficult to shoot before and require high demands on actors, even actions that human beings can’t complete. So how should the movements in our traditional China Kung Fu movies develop at this time? Because now the audience is watching movies from all over the world, not Jackie Chan movies or Hong Kong movies 30 years ago. To give the audience a sense of satisfaction, Jackie Chan must constantly increase his creativity, deepen his difficulty and improve himself. But no matter how good an action actor is, it is impossible to go beyond the limits of human beings. What should we do next?
Second, aesthetic angle, aesthetic angle. There are already some superhero elements in kung fu movies, such as flying in the movies. However, we will find that the boundary between heroes and superheroes has become increasingly blurred in recent years. Take last week’s example, most of the scenes in it are realistic, but Black Lee’s role can dodge bullets and climb over the wall, and these two functions are exaggerated. In today’s literary and artistic environment, what breakthrough should we make in the aesthetics of traditional kung fu movies?
Third, from the talent. A teacher said that it would be nice if there were 100 Jackie Chan. In fact, if we look back, there are not many action stars at Jackie Chan level on the China screen, and even one hand can count them. Before Jackie Chan, it was Bruce Lee, and later it was Jet Li, Donnie Yen and Chiu Man-Cheuk. There are many uncontrollable factors. For example, there have been nine generations in the adult class, and there are excellent martial arts performers, but not everyone in it may be able to become the next Jackie Chan.
Fourthly, as a genre, Kung Fu movies may develop in the future, what are their origins, what nutrients they will absorb, and what else can we learn? After learning something, we need to consider how to turn it into our own and let our kung fu films take a higher step. All excellent movies, no matter which country they are from, can be our nourishment. Our aim is to make our own China action movies better and go global. Going to the world should not put the cart before the horse, saying that the purpose of making a movie is to go to the world. Making a movie is definitely to impress the audience, and the success related to it will naturally go to the world.