1905 movie network news The 4th Jackie Chan International Action Film Week Main Event "Dragon" Film 40 Years Jackie Chan Film Phenomenon Seminar was held in Datong, Shanxi on July 19. Jackie Chan, the founder and actor of Jackie Chan International Action Film Week, Li Wei, chairperson of 1905 Film Network, Chen Hang, editor-in-chief of "China Screen", Lv Xin, secretary of the Party Branch of Datong City Library, and other leaders and guests Wen Jun, Rao Shuguang, Yin Hong, Jia Leilei attended and delivered speeches to interpret the artistic status and achievements of Jackie Chan and his film works.
In the afternoon roundtable forum, more than 40 industry experts and scholars conducted in-depth discussions and exchanges on three topics: "the formation and development of Jackie Chan’s Chinese cultural brand and international influence", "the leading role of kung fu films in Chinese films going global" and "the role of kung fu films in promoting the artistic prosperity and industry development of Chinese films".
Jackie Chan sincerely shares his film experience, revealing that he will publish a book for all his films
As one of the organizers of this Jackie Chan International Action Film Week, Chairperson Li Wei of the 1905 Film Network first delivered a speech at the seminar on behalf of the Movie Channel Program Center and the 1905 Film Network, explaining the significance of our attention, research and discussion of the "Jackie Chan Film Phenomenon" today: "If Jackie Chan’s film works use pure, direct and unique action special effects, express the heroic spirit of the common people, express optimism and enterprising, and insist on their own attitude towards life, then the Jackie Chan Film Phenomenon is through the extreme action film spirit, crossing the language barrier and cultural barrier, and conquering the world with the spirited spirit of the Chinese people. I hope that in the future, more Chinese films can form their own unique brands and spread Chinese culture."
Huang Cenli, a member of the Datong Municipal Committee Standing Committee and head of the United Front Work Department, affirmed Jackie Chan’s role model in her speech: "Mr. Jackie Chan is enthusiastic about public welfare, does not forget to give back to the society, regards charity as a responsibility, tries his best to help those in need, and influences others with his feelings for the country and the society. It shows the patriotism of film and television artists, and has won a good reputation and honor. Looking back on Mr. Jackie Chan’s acting career, behind every success, he contains countless sweat, pain and hard work, which is admirable. I pay tribute to Mr. Jackie Chan and the action actors for this."
Then, Jackie Chan took the stage to share his insights. He first modestly expressed that seeing so many scholars discuss his film made him nervous and a little shy: "In fact, I am very simple. If people help me, I will help others. If the film makes me, I will also make the film. The original intention of this action film week is to let everyone know all the behind-the-scenes action filmmakers." Jackie Chan bluntly said that he has always done things with a grateful heart. "I just did what a filmmaker or a person should do."
After making his debut in Hong Kong in his early years and then going overseas, Jackie Chan has deeply experienced the contempt that the Chinese people used to receive. Therefore, he is more eager to help the whole industry and the whole country through his efforts. "I am not just patriotic and loving my family now. I have been focusing on this theme in my early works. Jackie Chan is small and the country is very big. Thank you for giving me the opportunity."
On the same day, Jackie Chan also donated his autographed autobiography "Jackie Chan: Old Before You Grow Up" to the Datong City Library. At the scene, he revealed that he hopes to donate more books to more libraries in the next few years. "I have been preparing for five or six years, hoping to publish all my movies into books, including the content of each shot. Now I have made about 12 copies. After all of them are done, I will give them to libraries all over the world."
Experts discuss Jackie Chan’s film status and achievements, and explore the future development trend of Chinese action movies
The concept of "Dragon" film 40 years originated from Jackie Chan’s famous two films in 1978, and it has been a full 40 years this year. During these 40 years, in addition to bringing countless excellent works to the audience, Jackie Chan’s Chinese cultural brand and international influence have also been continuously formed and developed. This Jackie Chan Film Phenomenon Seminar and Roundtable Forum also used this as a starting point to invite many industry experts and scholars to discuss the Jackie Chan film phenomenon and its status and achievements from the film academic level, explore the future trend of Chinese action movies, bring new horizons and new ideas for the inheritance and development of action movies, promote the new development of the film culture industry, and make the pace of Chinese action movies into the future more confident and stable.
The guests attending the roundtable discussion on the day included: Jia Leilei, Yin Hong, Wen Jun, Zhang Yiwu, Zhang Wei, Soo 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, Gao Xiaoli, Yan Hui, Liang Ming, Hong Fan, Wu Xiaowei, Hu Jianli, Li Zhen, Tang Rong, Li Zhenlin, Shi Longyue, Hou Jianchen, Zuo Heng, Han Dongjun, Zhang Jinfeng, Zhou Liming, Liu Shuo, Chen Yiyu, Zhou Wenping, Nie Wei, Fan Zhizhong, Song Ziwen, Leng Song Zhang Xiaoquan, Gao Shan.
It is reported that the content and results of this forum will be compiled into a book and published, so stay tuned!
[The following are excerpts from the speeches of some experts and scholars at 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 Critics Society
The early Jackie Chan films happened to be close to the historical node of China’s reform and opening up, in the late 1970s. His 40-year film journey actually had a very subtle, complex, and organic dialogue relationship with the great changes in China. This relationship was of great significance to the influence of Jackie Chan’s films, Chinese films, and Chinese-language films.
First of all, he brought the overseas Chinese imagination of culture back to China, for example, how the Chinese imagination crosses the border and has a global reach, so I think Jackie Chan has led the cultural return of overseas Chinese films. At the same time, he used his power to apply the standards of film industrialization to the creation of Chinese films, and at the same time opened up the connection between the domestic and foreign film markets. Third, re-telling the Chinese story with China as the main body. This is the core of Jackie Chan’s creation in the past ten years. His works have established the most firm, close and imaginative connection with the local Chinese audience.
Jackie Chan’s movies confirm the old saying that the more ethnic, the more global. This is his greatest and most important revelation to Chinese filmmakers.
Zhang Wei, Executive Vice President and Researcher of China Film Critics Society
The formation of the so-called Chinese cultural brand and international influence of Jackie Chan’s films has first been recognized by audiences around the world. To achieve such influence, there are five aspects. First, the movements of Jackie Chan’s films must be world-class; second, Jackie Chan comes from Chinese martial arts culture. Chinese martial arts culture combines wisdom and ingenuity to produce beauty. The subtlety and performance of the routines are not seen in Western movements. Third, the grassroots nature of the action. Action movies used to belong to "heroes", belonging to Schwarzenegger and other American action superstars, and Jackie Chan appeared in his works with a grassroots image, which also created a precedent. The fourth is the comedy of the action, which is unique in the world. The last aspect is his values, such as punishing evil and promoting good, fairness and justice, and advocating peace.
Jia Leilei, former vice president of the China Academy of Arts
For half a century, Jackie Chan’s films have played an important role in the spread of Chinese culture. Jackie Chan uses action, comedy and entertainment to convey the positive energy of society and reflect the positive values of the country. Jackie Chan’s screen image and public image together form a Chinese story of dreams come true. The theme of this story includes not only the core connotation of hard work and continuous success, but also the humane spirit of helping people in danger and saving sentient beings.
Compared with Hollywood action movies, Jackie Chan movies have a unique aesthetic style, not without violence, but without abuse of violence, with laughter but not obscene, with action but not cruel, which can 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. With his own performance, he has influenced and changed the way violence is presented in world movies.
Topic 2: The Leading Role of Kung Fu Films in Chinese Films Going Global
Secretary General of the China Film Association, Rao Shuguang |
There are obvious differences and differences between the action movies of Western movies, especially American movies, and the action movies of Jackie Chan’s big brother. It can be said that most Western action movies are "hard action movies" and "hard action", while Jackie Chan’s action movies are "soft action movies" and "soft action". Hard action can be said to be "blood with knives", and of course it also has a unique charm. Foreign Stallone and Schwarzenegger, American action movies are tough guy action movies, that kind of movie without defense, you punch me with one punch is also enduring in American Hollywood; Hollywood action movies in the 1980s, in fact, are not human action to a large extent, but flying cars, house blasting, etc. rely on technology implementation, they sell not human labor, but technical life, Batman, Rocky, First Blood and other movies are like this.
However, Chinese audiences are more willing to watch soft action; moreover, there are more audiences in the West who are willing to watch soft action. Today’s Jackie Chan not only belongs to China, but also breaks the gap between Chinese and Western cultures with his Chinese kung fu, and finds a balanced context of Chinese and Western cultures with his unique performance style. It has had an important impact on promoting Chinese spirit and spreading Chinese culture. In August 2017, when Jackie Chan, 62, won the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement, he sighed: After 56 years in the industry, he made more than 200 movies, broke many bones, and finally got this statuette. Jackie Chan is not just a name, but also a symbol. He is a representative of Chinese kung fu and Chinese action movies.
Professor Liang Ming, Communication University of China
Today, Jackie Chan also said that many actors are now "all replacements", and they have to "replace" their shoulders, hands and feet. How can such actors compare with Jackie Chan? Is there something wrong with our education?
We should reflect on how to train our actors, whether we can run a special training program like Jackie Chan, specifically recruiting some small martial arts stars and conducting special training, so that Chinese kung fu movies can continue and have an heir.
Gao Xiaoli, Director of the Art Criticism Department of Literary and Art Daily
Our current kung fu films are actually weakening, and there are many reasons for this. First, kung fu films are not grounded enough. How to maintain the realistic care and care in Jackie Chan’s films, and more in line with the people’s aesthetics, is the way out for our future kung fu films.
The second is the emergence of high-tech, which not only promotes the development of the film industry, but also brings about the problem of homogenization of kung fu movies, which is gradually moving away from the personalized kung fu in Jackie Chan movies.
If China’s Kung Fu TV industry wants to go global, it still needs to be based on Chinese culture. Kung Fu movies have strong genetic advantages, and at the same time blend with Chinese Oriental Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. They reflect the unity of nature and man in Eastern philosophy, and the nature of Taoism and Dharma, which has a natural and unique appeal to the world audience. This is also the direction of the future development of Kung Fu movies.
Writer, director, producer, Wen Jun |
With the series that opened in 1994 and 1998, Jackie Chan gradually knocked on the door of Hollywood, and also made Hollywood truly realize the market value of Jackie Chan movies. If kung fu movies want to go out, they must be based on Chinese culture, and our contemporary Chinese stories can go out.
Chen Hang, Editor-in-Chief of China Screen|
Comedy is actually a language that is easier to connect with different ethnic cultures than tragedy.
Jackie Chan has created a series of civilian heroes through action comedy, allowing Western audiences to see the spiritual outlook and emotional style of ordinary Chinese people through kung fu. He has successfully integrated Chinese and Western cultures into the image of civilians with kung fu, allowing audiences from different cultural backgrounds to bring their own emotions. This is an important reason why Jackie Chan’s films have gained worldwide influence.
Topic 3: The role of kung fu films in promoting the artistic prosperity and industry development of Chinese films
Professor Yin Hong, Tsinghua University
Kung Fu action movies are a unique landscape of Chinese film culture. For Chinese people, everyone has a dream of kung fu and martial arts in their hearts, which reflects the self-release and imagination of Chinese people in the complex traditional culture. Kung Fu action movies have a unique and unique position in movies. The word "Chinese Kung Fu" is actually widely used all over the world, because a group of filmmakers like Bruce Lee and Mr. Jackie Chan have popularized the word "Chinese Kung Fu" to all countries in the world, which plays an important role in spreading Chinese culture.
The most widely recognized Chinese movie genre in the world is still the kung fu action movie. Since the 1990s, almost half of the annual box office winners in China have been kung fu action movies. This characteristic is even more obvious in the international dissemination. Eight of the ten highest-grossing Chinese movies in the North American film market are kung fu action movies.
Jackie Chan’s kung fu action movies have a very unique innovative mechanism among all kung fu action movies, constantly seeking a mix of space, time, genre and style to seek new breakthroughs. Of course, we should also be aware that today’s kung fu action movies are facing many new challenges. These new challenges can be summarized into four aspects: first, how to match the values and sexy communication of modern people, the new breakthrough of the second type of narrative, the third martial arts action and scene How to make movies, 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 always played a real role in promoting the prosperity of Chinese film art and the development of the entire industry. The popularity of the classic films of Kung Fu movies "Shaolin Temple" and "Mysterious Buddha" in China has activated the enthusiasm of the entire market and the whole people to watch movies. Now, the Chinese film market has entered a new peak period, and it has also carried forward this element, using Kung Fu action as a kindling, firmly embedded in the genre of military-themed movies.
Why do kung fu movies always face so much controversy? Because the cultural status is not high. Although kung fu movies are the mainstay of the entire market in Hong Kong, we can see that they are all looked down upon from the awards, film critics, and public opinion circles. By the late 1990s, people said that kung fu movies had declined, and martial arts movies were about to die. Obviously, this is the real cultural wealth of Chinese movies, 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 have really re-exploded this market, allowing Chinese movies to see more possibilities in the future. This is the most important promotion for our Chinese movies from artistic prosperity and industry development.
This Jackie Chan Kung Fu Action Film Week, what we really want to mention is whether the entire industry can give more respect to our kung fu filmmakers, kung fu movies, and action movies. Although we didn’t give a high Douban score like art films, which made many literary and artistic young people fall in love with it, we can prove that kung fu movies are as tenacious as art films. We can watch Jackie Chan movies 40 years ago that are still exciting and full of tears. This is the power of movies, and this is also the charm of film art.
Film critic, Zhou Liming |
When comparing Chinese kung fu movies with Hollywood action movies and superhero movies, we will think about: First, the development of technology, the development of digital technology has made it possible to complete actions that were previously difficult to film, demanding actors, and even actions that humans could not complete. So how should the action in our traditional Chinese kung fu movies develop at this time? Because now the audience is watching movies from all over the world, not Jackie Chan movies and Hong Kong movies from 30 years ago. To satisfy the audience, Jackie Chan must constantly increase the creativity of the action, deepen the difficulty, and improve. But no matter how good the action actor is, it is impossible to exceed the limits of human beings. What should be done next?
Second, the aesthetic point of view, the aesthetic point of view. There are already some superhero elements in kung fu movies, such as the flying in it. But in recent years, the boundaries between heroes and superheroes have become increasingly blurred. Take last week’s example. Most of the scenes in it are realistic, but Li Tianran’s character can dodge bullets and climb the eaves, these two functions are exaggerated. In today’s literary and artistic environment where hundreds of flowers are blooming, what should we do to break through the aesthetics of traditional kung fu movies?
Third, from 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’s level on the Chinese screen, even counting them on one hand. Jackie Chan was Bruce Lee before, and later Jet Li, Donnie Yen, and Zhao Wenzhuo. There are many uncontrollable factors in this. For example, there are already nine generations in the family class, and there are excellent martial arts action people, but not everyone in it may be able to become the next Jackie Chan.
Fourth, kung fu movies as a genre may develop in the future, what is the origin, what kind of nutrients will be absorbed, and what else can we learn? After learning something, how to turn it into our own, and let our kung fu movies go to a higher level, this is what we need to consider. All excellent movies, no matter which country they are from, can be our nourishment. Our goal is to make our own Chinese action movies better and go global. Going global should not put the cart before the horse. The purpose of making a movie is to go global. Making a movie is definitely to move the audience. After the success related to it, it will naturally go global.