Ip Man is a martial arts film directed by Wilson Yip. The film was based on a very loose history to talk about the life of grandmaster Yip Kai Man. (一代宗師葉問) He is a Chinese martial arts artist. He started learning Wing Chun from Chan Wah Shun in thirteen years old. He had several students who later became martial arts teacher in their own right including Bruce Lee. In 1967, he and some of his students established Wing Chun Athletic Association in Hong Kong. The film focuses on Yip Man life during the 1930s to 1940s in the second Sino-Japanese War and clearly to expresses the history about Japan and China political situation at that time.

Wing Chun is one of the popular Chinese martial artists which influenced in Hong Kong, China and other countries. In 2008, the film winning awards for best film and best action choreography in 12 Hong Kong film awards. The film re-production the history, speak Cantonese dialect and Japanese. In addition film has a few dialogues and narrative easier to export other countries such as Japan, Korean, Taiwan and China so it could create a big consumption and influencing in Asia market.  Furthermore the filmmakers use Cantonese dialect to replace Mandarin dialect. It could make more entertainment to the audiences and re-production the cultural and history in media industries.

In 1927, China went into civil war between the nationalists and the communists until 1937. In 1937 to1945 the second Sino-Japanese war period, China put aside their different temporarily to fight off the Japanese Invasion. This means that, China society was in unsettled between 1930s and 1940s. This scene could remind older people’s memories and bring the audience memories from the past to the present by the second hand memories. It can be use the past to order the present such as social memories which according to political and economic. It could one more time remind the audiences’ historical roots of Chinese. Consequently, historical and popular cultures can help them find their identity through the mass media.  

Besides, the filmmaker’s stereotypes Chinese an enemy was Japanese. Owing to Japanese killing much Chinese in 1930s to 1940s, this was the most difficult period of the second Sino-Japanese war. However, he is an independently wealthy man; he always spends the whole day training, meeting with friends and his family. He spends time with his family but his wife is still often resentful of much time training and discusses martial arts with friends and colleagues. It can reflect martial arts were very important in China society at this period. At that time the Japanese request Yi Man to teach Japanese Wah Shun but he doesn’t want to do. In the finally part, he understands if he wins the martial arts competition he would be punished or killed by Japanese. Nevertheless he loves his family and still wins the competition to prove Chinese martial arts what is. As we can see, Japanese wants to dominate Chinese all the time and learns Chinese best things such as martial arts.  Filmmakers stereotype Chinese spirit that Chinese are not the shame of Asia (中國人唔係東亞病夫) in the film.

by cheung Hoi Ha, Phoebe (10495105, 20864215)