Ip Man
Ip Man
葉問
Overview
"During the brutal Japanese invasion of Foshan in 1937, the peaceful Grandmaster Ip Man is forced out of his comfortable, upper-class life into oppressive poverty and starvation. To protect his friends and the dignity of the Chinese people, he must utilize his devastating Wing Chun skills against both local extortionists and the occupying Japanese army's Karate masters."
Iconic Tracked Scenes
- ▶
A polite, friendly private duel behind closed doors where a southern master playfully defeats a harsh northern challenger with a feather duster.
"feather duster fight""southern vs northern" - ▶
A horrifying realization of the brutal reality of the Japanese occupation when a fellow master is mercilessly shot dead after a duel.
"master shot""karate duel" - ▶
Driven by pure rage, a calm master volunteers to fight ten karate black belts simultaneously, viciously breaking their limbs in a furious display of Wing Chun.
"ten black belts fight""fighting ten men" - ▶
The public, climactic tournament duel on an elevated platform against a ruthless Japanese general.
"general miura fight""public tournament"
Why It's Remembered
- ★The impossibly polite, closed-door duel with a disrespectful northern challenger using a feather duster.
- ★The terrifying display of continuous chain-punching against 10 black belts in the dojo.
- ★Defending the cotton mill workers against the axe-wielding gang.
Cultural Context
- ◈A heavily romanticized biopic of the real-life Master Ip Man, Bruce Lee's historical instructor.
- ◈Triggered a massive, global resurgence in the popularity of the Wing Chun style and spawned numerous sequels.
- ◈Controversial in Japan upon release due to its nationalistic themes and negative portrayal of the Imperial army.
About the Action Elements
Ip Man is widely celebrated among martial arts cinema fans for sequences involving friendly duel, northern challenger, feather duster, polite, living room. One of the most memorable sequences features Donnie Yen naturally executing feather duster fight, where the choreography and unique set pieces become the unexpected highlight of the film.