Once Upon a Time in China 2 (1992)

Once Upon a Time in China 2 (1992)
Chinese Title: 黃飛鴻之二男兒當自強
Translation: Wong Fei Hung 2: Man Should Depend on Himself

 

Starring: Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Max Mok Siu-Chung, Donnie Yen, David Chiang, Xiong Xin-Xin, Zhang Tie-Lin, Yen Shi-Kwan, Leung Yat-Ho, William Ho Ka-Kui, Paul Fonoroff, Mike Miller
Director: Tsui Hark
Action Director: Yuen Woo-Ping

Following the success of the first Once Upon a Time in China, Jet Li’s first order of business was to headline sequels to both that and another important period piece. The year 1992 saw Jet starring in both Once Upon a Time in China 2 and The Swordsman 2. The first Swordsman had come out two years before and would set the rules for wuxia pian for the rest of the decade. Complex wire-stunts, FX-oriented “qi” attacks, all-star casts, and convoluted storytelling defined this new brand of wuxia movie. Moreover, movies had to be based on a Jin Yong novel, previously adapted by the Shaw Brothers, or both. In the case of Swordsman II, both criteria applied—the material had been filmed as The Proud Youth in 1978. Casting Jet was a no-brainer, considering his newly acquired bankability and the fact that singer Sam Hui was not a martial artist.

Similarly, OUATIC had brought the kung fu period piece back to the spotlight after lying dormant for almost a decade (at least in Hong Kong[1]). OUATIC also set the rules for the genre for the next several years, which dictated that every kung fu movie be about a Chinese folk hero, star a wushu­-trained martial artist (or someone who could pass himself off for one), and would feature a significant amount of wires to “enhance” the fight scenes. As one might imagine, said parameters are a little limiting and this “New Wave” of kung fu films ran out of steam rather quickly.

Once Upon a Time in China 2 is fascinating in that it establishes that chronological time with regards to its main character is really the least of director Tsui Hark’s concerns. Indeed, these movies are very much “floating time” films, in which Jet Li’s Wong Fei-Hung is involved in various important moments of Chinese history without actually aging himself. Wong Fei-Hung feels more like a vessel through which Tsui and his writers, Hanson Chan (Swordsman II) and Charcoal Tan (The Blade of Fury and The Dragon Chronicles), could explore Chinese history and some of Tsui’s own pet themes. It’s not specifically stated when that film was set, although there mention of Chinese laborers working on the railroad. The Transcontinental Railroad was finished in 1869, at which time the real Wong Fei-Hung was 22 years old. A second railroad, the Canadian-Pacific Railway, was finished in 1885. Chinese laborers worked on both railroads, so for our purposes, we’ll assume the first movie took place in the early 1880s.

Once Upon a Time in China 2 takes place in 1895, which is established both in the opening credits and a brief scene in which we see student protestors decrying the cession of Taiwan to Japan via the Treaty of Shimonoseki. That actually doesn’t factor into the plot, although it does establish once again that China was in turmoil in the late 19^th century, which gave credence to the whole White Lotus Movement/Boxer movement, which our film does concern itself with. It also reminds us that for better or worse, the local populace tends to be indifferent to foreign policy when their own personal needs are not being met.

Wong Fei-Hung and his entourage—Aunt Yee and Leung Foon (now played by Max Mok)—have traveled from Foshan to Canton to attend a medical conference. Canton has become embroiled in a running conflict between the government and an anti-foreigner organization known as the White Lotus Cult. That the subtitles in my version frequently refer to them as “fighters,” or “Boxers,” suggests that the cult is a branch (or precursor) to the actual Boxer Movement, which rose up in open rebellion in 1899. Aunt Yee is immediately targeted by them because of her Western clothing and camera. In cases like this, having a kung fu folk hero by your side really helps.

At the conference, Wong meets the infamous Dr. Sun Yat-Sen (The Magic Crane’s Zhang Tie-Lin), the same man credited with overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and leading China into its Republic Era. The two hit if off, as the young folks say, despite their cultural differences—Dr. Sun specializes in Western medicine while Wong is openly derided by those damn gwailo doctors for using acupuncture and talking about meridians and sh*t. The conference is broken up by the arrival of a violent band of White Lotus cultists, who fill the place up with arrows. The situation worsens considerably when those same cultists commandeer a massacre at the local English school. Aunt Yee and Ah Foon take the surviving children to the English Consulate while Wong Fei-Hung asks the leader of the local garrison, Comander Lan (Donnie Yen), for help.

Unfortunately, Commander Lan’s limited resources have been stretched to their limit by the White Lotus Cult, especially now that they are targeting the local telegraph office. The Empress has enough problems in other parts of the country that she’s unwilling to send extra men to Canton. On top of things, Lan has discovered that a rebel movement is in the works and that Sun Yat-Sen is not only at the head of it, but is currently in Canton. More refugees pour into the British Consulate as the White Lotus attacks grow more brazen, but the tipping point will be when Commander Lan discovers that Sun Yat-Sen’s confidant, Luk (David Chiang), is hiding at the consulate…

Less-patient viewers may find themselves squirming in their seats for the first hour, as there are only two short fight scenes during that portion of the film. Tsui Hark and his writers focus instead on setting up the conflict and the characters, establishing the ruthlessness of the racist White Lotus Clan and the chain of events that transform the initially sympathetic Commander Lan into the film’s main villain. Once more, a late 19^th century Chinese city finds itself under siege from within, with the locals too worried about their own personal safety to get involved. This is personified by the character of the innkeeper (character actor William Ho, of Crystal Hunt and Lethal Panther). Following the opening kerfuffle with the White Lotus clan, the innkeeper asks Aunt Yee to wear Chinese clothes to avoid further conflict. He practically shoos Wong Fei-Hung out of the hotel after the conference, and then completely ignores the child survivors of the English school massacre.

In contrast to the first Once Upon a Time in China, the Caucasian characters are a lot more sympathetic this time around. Although initially xenophobic in their attitudes toward Chinese medicine, they ultimately give Wong Fei-Hung (and, by extension, Eastern methods) a chance to prove himself. There are no villainous characters like Mr. Jackson from the first OUATIC. On the same token, you get the feeling that the exploitive practices of people like Mr. Jackson paved the way for the White Lotus Cult in the first place. In that case, this movie is an appropriate sequel to the first movie. “You want come to our country to swindle us out of our life savings so we can perform slave labor for you? F*** you! We’ll kick your baak gwai asses out of here!”

Much like Legendary Weapons of China, the White Lotus Cult (and by extension, the Boxer Movement in general) is portrayed as being led by a bunch of charlatans, specically the High Priest Kung (Xiong Xin Xin). For all their kung fu knowledge, the cult leaders are unable to deliver on their promise to use folk magic to protect their members from foreign firearms. The first OUATIC brought this up at the climax when Iron Robe Yim[2] exclaims, “No matter how good our kung fu is, it will never defeat guns.” Just as the crooked Westerners in the first film gave rise to the White Lotus Cult in the second one, the defeat of straight kung fu by guns in OUATIC would logically be followed by the kung fu community trying to find a way around that. Unfortunately for many involved (and many more who weren’t involved), they settled on lies and phony magic rituals. Ultimately, what helps make Once Upon a Time in China 2 work so well is the organic flow of themes from the first film to this one.

What also makes the movie work is its expert fight choreography, supplied by the legendary Yuen Woo-Ping. Yuen’s brothers, Cheung-Yan and Shun-Yee, had served as action directors in the previous film, but this is Yuen Woo-Ping’s time to shine. His work deservedly earned him a Best Action Choreography win at the Hong Kong Film Awards, his first of six wins in that category at that particular awards show. Commenting on the action as a whole, Jonathan L. Bowen of Orbital Reviews observed:

 

"The fight scenes are absolutely amazing and rank among the all-time top fights ever filmed. In many good Hong Kong action movies, there are a few good fight scenes and one great final showdown. Once Upon A Time in China II has no less than five great fight scenes spread throughout the movie, meaning there is never a dull moment. Even a smaller wooden lance duel is awesome."

 

As expected for 1990s kung fu movie, there is a lot of wirework present, especially in the elaborate showdown with the White Lotus cult and Priest Kung himself. For these 1990s films, the imagination of the fights was often more important than the complexity of the fisticuff exchanges themselves, and so we get this crazy fight with Jet Li and Xiong Xin-Xin trying to knock each other off an altar made of stacked tables without following off themselves. It is treated like an actual plot point, with the infallibility of the religious official being challenged by an outsider, so the former has to do everything possible to keep up the ruse and not lose face before his followers. Hint: It doesn’t work. In his review of this film, Mark Pollard of the now-defunct Kung Fu Cinema website said, “Jet Li's table-stacked bout with [Xiong Xin Xin] is Wo Ping at his irreverently creative best.”

Those looking for more grounded kung fu will enjoy Jet Li’s staff duels with Donnie Yen a lot more. When the two first meet, Yen throws a staff at an unsuspecting Jet Li and the two just unleash their skills on each other for two whole minutes, with minimum wires or B.S. The Ultimate Jet Li Website, which was active in the early 2000s, posited:

 

"Jet and Donnie have two truely breathtaking battles during the movie. The first is a brief, but fast and furious engagement where the two use their skill and prowess with the shaolin lance to devastating effect. Believe me, this fight alone will have you touching back your VCR / DVD / VCD so many times, that short extracts will be permanently burnned into your long-term memory."

 

The finale is especially complex, broken up into three sections. Set in a market storehouse filled with bamboo scaffolding, Wong Fei-Hung keeps Commander Lan at bay as Leung Foon and Luk retrieve a rebel name list. Taking the high ground, Wong suspends himself on the scaffolding and attacks Lan with a long bamboo pole while Lan defends himself with a smaller staff. The claustrophobic setting of the fight brings to mind classic duels from films like The Martial Club and Return to the 36^th Chamber. The two then go at with two-fisted staves in a marvelous display of dexterity and accuracy. This brief part of the fight is one of my all-time favorite pole fights. Finally, we Wong Fei-Hung and Ah Foon trapped in a dead-end alleyway, Commander Lan switches to his signature weapon, a wet cloth that he uses as a deadly lash. Yuen Woo-Ping had already done something like this is Shaolin Drunkard, but he takes it to the nth level here.

Some reviewers have pointed this out as one of the greatest fight sequences of all time. When John Richards of the now-defunct Wasted Life did his Top 100 Fight Scenes in 2006, he placed this one at #31. Wrote he, “The close confines and multi-levels of a store room provide for some ingenious prop-use in this fantastic pole fight; a cornerstone for Jet's career and a firm fan favourite that influenced the decision to have a 'Jet vs Donnie' fight in Hero.” Similar opinions include:

Mark Pollard (Kung Fu Cinema) – “While all of the other films had great choreographers and memorable scenes, OUATIC II gels better than the rest and the impressive skills of Jet Li and Donnie Yen clashing is magnificent to behold. Yen's towel tossing scene is one of the greatest fights in film history…”

Kozo (LoveHKFilm) – "Yuen Woo-Ping's excellent choreography won a Hong Kong Film award, and the knock-down battle between Jet Li and Donnie Yen ranks as one of Hong Kong Cinema's absolute best."

Stanley (The Jet Lee [Li] Homepage) – “The final battle between two of the best martial arts actors in Hong Kong was one of the most spectacular action scenes ever made.”

In the end, when you combine these moments of action brilliance with a strong story, a logical development of the previous film’s themes, a solid musical score[3], expert cinematography, great costume design, and some good art direction and you have one of the classic martial arts movies of the 1990s: one of the best that the wire-fu boom had to offer.

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[1] - The Shaw Brothers kept on producing kung fu movies until 1985, but few (if any) of them were actually successful. Taiwan and South Korea also kept making them, possibly with more success in non-HK markets. The People’s Republic of China kept making wushu movies in the vein of Shaolin Temple until the end of the 1980s.

[2] - Yen Shi-Kwan, who played Iron Robe Yim, also shows up briefly in OUATIC 2 as Donnie Yen’s superior.

[3] - The film’s soundtrack had an alternate version of the opening credits song “Naam Yi Dong Ji Keung” with a rock-inspired orchestration, sung by none other than Jackie Chan.