Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen is an outstanding kung fu picture and an outstanding bit of agitprop.
Donnie Yen (the Ip Man films, the Iron Monkey films, Blade II, Hero, Shanghai Knights) follows in the footsteps of Bruce Lee and Jet Li as the titular hero in this third Chen Zhen film (Lee originated the role in Fist of Fury and Li played him in Fist of Legend.). Yen, gifted with extraordinary speed and agility, is a formidable martial artist and a charismatic performer. Through a combination of world-class editing, practical stunts, wirework, and seamlessly executed CGI, Legend of the Fist turns him into a just-that-side-of-superhuman hero. The film puts him into a variety of brilliantly choreographed fights, one of which even includes a “tribute to Bruce Lee” nunchuck bit that brought a huge smile to my face. Oh, and bonus: Yen can act! Shu Qi (The Transporter, So Close) plays the love interest and, well, I’d watch her fold laundry for 90 minutes. Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, (Vengeance, the Infernal Affairs movies), plays a sympathetic nightclub owner, and he’s steadily rising in my estimation. I’m going to start looking for movies on the strength of his name. Director Andrew Lau (the really quite good Infernal Affairs movies) knows how to direct action, and he knows how to direct acting. He’s created a very slick, very good, very professional kung movie. I loved it on those merits alone.
But Legend of the Fist has a whole other thing going on. Chen Zhen’s story takes place during the period of Chinese history called the Warlord Era, between World Wars One and Two. The once-proud nation was divided and weak and easy prey for both Western powers, who sought commercial exploitation, and Japan, who wanted an empire. Anyone who wants to understand contemporary Chinese political thought and international strategy needs to understand this time -- it has become a touchstone of Chinese identity. This was the time when the proud kingdom was on its knees, when tiny Japan maligned it as the “weak man of Asia.” When Legend of the Fist begins, Chen Zhen and his comrades are in Europe, fighting WWI with the Allied Powers. The film tells us they had no military training and were sent as laborers, digging trenches and hauling ammunition. Of course, they get shot and blown up just easily as the white men carrying the rifles. When the war concludes, China’s ignored in Versailles and its erstwhile allies look the other way as Japan begins its conquest. Chen Zhen becomes a resistance leader, fighting the evil Japanese and standing up for Chinese national pride. He and his allies humiliate the Japanese. They humiliate the corrupt English police chief who, when humbled, mumbles an American-inflected “whatever.” Chen Zhen, thus, becomes a symbol of modern Chinese nationalism, of a nation fighting complacent Western and Western-allied powers for respect. Chen Zhen wins.
I imagine this goes over hugely well with Chinese audiences and, for that matter, with the Chinese government. But you don’t have to be Chinese to groove on the fantastic action, the very good performances, and the intellectual exercise of analyzing nationalist film’s place in modern China. I thought Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen was fantastic. If you like this genre, I think you’ll love it, too.
