Screen/Society--"Fist of Legend" (Gordon Chan, 1994)

Screen/Society presents:

"Fist of Legend"
(Gordon Chan, 1994, 103 min, Hong Kong, Cantonese and Japanese with English subtitles, DCP)

One of Jet Li's best films, and one of the greatest martial arts films of all-time. "Fist of Legend" paved the way for Li to break through into Hollywood. This remake of Bruce Lee's 1972 classic, "Fist of Fury," finds Li as a fighter named Chen Zhen who returns to Shanghai in the 1930s only to find his teacher dead and his Jing Wu school harassed by the ultranationalist Japanese Black Dragon Clan. Immediate bone-breaking, ultra-fast fight choreography (by the equally legendary Yuen Woo-Ping) ensues, with minimal help from wirework. The high-concept-ness of the film's fights escalates over time, culminating in Li and his adversary both wearing blindfolds!

"Set in the foreign-occupied Shanghai International Settlement ..., [Gordon] Chan's film wastes little time establishing a web of intrigue that involves imperial Japanese forces, native collaborators, and Chinese nationalists vying for control over the territory." - Jake Cole, Slant Magazine

"Chan alters the story to become more of a morality tale about the acceptance of cultural differences rather than the jingoistic take on national pride that made the original so popular. He directs with style, and captures the action brilliantly, editing wide angle shots into close focus on footwork or handwork, and using fast, low angle, tracking shots." - Glen Stanway, Kung-Fu Kingdom

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View trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1&v=5yzYhF4gRw4&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fcinematicarts.duke.edu%2F

Parking Info: https://artscenter.duke.edu/parking