For my first kung fu movie, Kung Fu Hustle had a lot going on visually that was exciting to watch as well as many elements that seemed familiar. There were lots of very clever moments in the film such as when Sing is running from Landlady and uses the knives stuck in his arms as rear view mirrors. I also thought all the extra lurking it the back of scenes with their pants half way down their butts’ was so funny.
I looked up Wuxia to see how this would apply to the film. An interesting thing that I read is that in this genre concerning the adventures of martial arts, is that the heroes are often of a lower class. Sing seems to be somewhat of a loser and it is unexpected that he is “the one.” Wuxia stresses Buddhist ideals of forgiveness and compassion. This can be reflected in the final fight with Sing and The Beast in which Sign doesn’t kill but offers to teach The Beast. Set in ancient China, Wuxia works promote ideals of honor, upholding justice, and helping the poor are promoted.
Kung Fu Hustle seems to exist in this genre but as purely a mode of entertainment and not so much a means of promoting ancient Chinese culture and ideals. It seems to imitate this genre more so than fully follow the recipe for a Wuxia film. Kung Fu Hustle points out how the ideals of chivalry and honor no longer exist. The scene when the kids pee on the young beaten up Sing made me cringe; who would do that to a young kid! (or really anyone I guess) In the beginning when Brother Sum shots the women was also really surprising because it broke that male chivalry of gun slinging westerns that spared the pretty little ladies.
By incorporating elements from other genres of film, and other films themselves, Kung Fu Hustle was insanely amusing to watch with so many badass scenes. References to movies other than Kung Fu movies allow it to leak out of the Kung Fu universe for the sake of entertainment. A moment of this that stands out for me is the Hulk like freak out inside the streetlight, pounding on the metal leaving huge handprints. But the references, is postmodern tradition, do not add up to a greater understanding of ancient Chinese culture or even a deeper meaning. The parody leaves behind tradition by referencing American films, and containing imagery I’m sure older kung fu movies would never include (young men walking around with their asses exposed) to create a stylistically interesting film.
