It
was reported in the Independent on March 17, 2020 that a White House official
referred to COVID-19 pandemonium as “kung
flu”. As a movie fan, I strongly believe that Kung Fu flicks occupy its well-deserved canto in the global entertainment scene. Such xenophobic slur is an
admission that Chinese kung fu indeed has great cultural influence in the American society.
The
present enhanced quarantine period imposed by the Philippine government made us
glued to classic martial art motion pictures courtesy of Celestial Movies
Pinoy, a 24/7 Tagalized movie channel which offers, among other presentations,
classic and blockbuster kung fu movies.
Watching
kung fu shows with my 15 year-old daughter Sophia in this lock-up seems an
endless happy bonding moment between us, father and daughter.
While
every father-daughter bond is inimitable, there are things that solidifies us
especially in turbulent and anxious times like this in the middle of
coronavirus. In me and my youngest child’s case, it is also something that
originates from China (actually Hong Kong): Kung Fu movies. Allow me to share
you one of our favorite films from this genre.
The
King Boxer was released in 1972 and directed by Chang-Hwa Jeong. The movie has
a historical significance since this is the first kung fu movie to receive wide
distribution or showing in America. According to some movie historians, this
movie perfected the formula of the Shaw Brothers that captured like virus the
imagination of the moviegoers. The movie is a revenge drama, it’s a story about
two competing martial arts schools, it’s a tournament film, and it’s also a
patriotic film about heroic Chinese kung fu fighters resisting dishonorable and
murderous Japanese karate experts. This Lo Lieh-starred film’s other title is
Five Fingers of Death. It inspired the creator of Marvel’s comic book series
Iron Fist and later became a Netflix series.
This
and a couple of dozens more kung fu movies bonded us together during this
lock-up but we are still looking forward for a movie she already seen without
me by her side.
It
is titled Come Drink with Me which is according to what I’ve read is not
actually, in strict sense of the word, a kung fu movie but an epic wuxia (sword
play) masterpiece directed by King Hu released 6 years before the King Boxer.
Come Drink with Me is greatly considered by many as one of the greatest Hong
Kong films ever made. Set during the Ming Dynasty, the movie stars Cheng
Pei-pei and Yueh Hua as warriors. Celestial Movies Pinoy will surely play the
movie again, hopefully towards the end of this period of quarantine or in one
weekend in the future. She loved it because the lead actor there is a woman.
When
all of these subside, when this pandemic is over, after a year or so, may this
daughter and father tandem be able to visit Avenue of Stars along the Victoria
Harbour waterfront in Hong Kong. The world's showcase of kung fu artifacts and memorabilias.
Our
fathers are our ultimate heroes. The ones
who always guide us. Kung fu movies were part of my childhood and by
introducing them to her, I gave her a portion of my existence as a human being.
There is something special in a father-daughter relationship, whether we
believe it or not.
For
they will seek a part of us in every special man they will meet along the way
in the future…
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Photo: Kung Fu Kingdom. com
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