"What you learned is garbage" - Master Pan Qing-Fu
One of the more intriguing little films I have ever encountered is "Iron & Silk" directed by Shirley Sun and written by Mark Salzman. The film appeared quietly in 1990 without much buzz or hoopla, gaining favorable notices from some critics and a mild cult following. I discovered in the Blockbuster near my parent's house in River Forest. The cover intrigued me, with it's image of a man doing what looked liked swirly kung-fu movements and the calligraphic 'Iron & Silk' title design. I didn't know what it was about, exactly, but I had to find out.
The film is based on the 1987 book of the same name by Salzman; a memoir of his time living in the People's Republic of China in 1982 working as an English teacher. Salzman (who plays himself in the movie as 'Mark Franklin') is a tall, fair-haired and slightly gangly fellow has recently graduated from Yale University where he has been studying Chinese. His arrival in China is the fulfillment of a childhood fantasy initially spurned on by watching kung-fu films on late-night TV (clips from Jet Li's debut film, the 1982 Mandarin epic "Shaolin Temple" are sprinkled liberally throughout the "Iron & Silk"), taking afterschool kung-fu classes and working in a Chinese restaurant.
A large part of the film is devoted to Salzman/Franklin's joys and trials working as an English teacher (he is assigned to a group known as the "Middle-Aged English Teachers" who are switching from Russian to English due to recent changes in government policy) and his attempts to fit into his surroundings. He has a few run-ins with anti-Americanism, receiving unwelcome comments from locals, plus unpleasant looks when he strikes up a relationship with a pro-Western Chinese student (Vivian Wu, who made her American debut in "The Last Emperor").
However, the part that captivates me the most, and should any martial artist, is the parts of the film depicting Salzman's training in Chinese martial arts. By chance, Salzman's assignment placed him in the same town as Master Pan Qing-Fu, a legendary fighter (by some accounts he single-handedly rounded up scores of criminals on the behalf of the police) and a coach for the national Wushu team ("Wushu" is the Chinese national sport - a codified system of athletic exercises and competition drawing from various traditional martial arts traditions). In a wonderful twist of fate, Master Pan actually plays himself in the movie (This wasn't his only foray into filmmaking. Master Pan was actually one of the villains and fight choreographer for "Shaolin Temple"). And so we get to see how Salzman embarked upon a rigorous path of training in the Chinese martial arts.
The film isn't particularly original or insightful. Although based on his own experiences, Salzman's experiences mirror the arc of many martial arts films (funny enough): the young, impetuous student, seeking out the old master, who initially spurns him as unworthy (in a Yoda-like turn of events). Eventually Salzman's persistence pays off, gaining access to Master Pan's instruction, and ultimately, his respect. The only thing missing is Pan getting killed by the evil master and Salzman having to take arms in revenge.
Yet there is something very poignant here. Very few of the big martial arts films are ever truly about what training is supposed to be, or what you are suppose to be learning. Sure, there's some lip-service paid to honor, loyalty or maybe even some spiritual aspect. But most films are about, well, the fastest way to get to the ass-kicking scenes.
"Iron & Silk" actually attempts to give the viewer an idea what the so-called 'path' of studying martial arts is supposed to be in traditional Asian culture. That it is very much about learning to respect what others do, to value the knowledge that is transmitted and that all-in-all, that there is a great level of responsibility to fulfill. And luckily, without the cheezy soundtrack or final tournament scene like "The Karate Kid."
Viewers are also treated to some excellent displays of Chinese Wushu forms, performed by Master Pan and his students, and later (to some surprise) by Salzman himself, who displays an impressive level of accomplishment.
Check it out.
-Dwight
No comments:
Post a Comment