Year: 2003
Director: Stephen Chow
Country: Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese
Kung Fu Hustle arrived during a time of decline in Chinese cinema. In 2003 the countries' SARS outbreak shut down film production for months and left many movie theatres vacant. Only 54 movies were made, compared to the 200+ made at the height of the 90's. Even with greater use of Hollywood-style mass marketing, Chinese films were not well-regarded internationally. Stephen Chow's picture was an exception.
In Shanghai, China in the 1940s, a wannabe gangster aspires to join the notorious "Axe Gang" while residents of a housing complex exhibit extraordinary powers in defending their turf.
Kung Fu Hustle's main inspiration is from wuxia (martial arts) films, the genre that put Hong Kong on the map of brand-name cinemas. He dips into the lo-tech Cantonese films of the Fifties and Sixties, striking a balance between cynicism and sentimental nostalgia, making a picture that is both hilarious and complex. This film is simultaneously inspiring and bizarre.
Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill was made around the same time & also attempts to dissect the same modern sources, but unlike Kung Fu Hustle Tarantino's picture is far less fun and seemingly only serves these references to flatter his audience. Chow references the past to shed light on social roles and to disasemble our expectations.
Kung Fu Hustle will make you feel like you're on drugs, It is a goofy mix of slapstick humour, hilarous gags and weird non-sequitors. Chow's picture has a great charm to it; the film is unlike most pictures you have seen. Must see.
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