BrittonSleight

IpMancritic

1)IpMan
2)yearofrelease:2008
3)languageoforiginalfilm:Chinese
4)director:WilsonYip
5)Actors:DonnieYen,SimonYam,LynnHung,GordanLam,FanSiuwong,XingYu,Chen
Zhihui,HiroyukiIkeuchi

6)themoviestartsoutinatowncalledFoshanwheremanyschoolsofChinesemartialartist
traindisciplesandfightwitheachother.HoweveroneofthemastersknownasIpMan,whois
thegreatestofthemartialartistsinFoshan,choosesnottotakeanydisciplesandratherdislikes
challengers.WhenamanforthenorthernpartofChinachallengesIpMan.Aftersendinghis
wifeandchildrentoanotherroomheusesthemartialartknownasWingChun,IpMan
thoroughlydefeatshisopponentandtheytaketheirleave.ThenaJapaneseinvasionin1937
causesIpMantolosehisselfaccumulatedwealthandunabletofindhimselfanothersourceof
income,beginsworkingatalocalcoalmine.Japanesesoldiersarrivetotakesomeofthemartial
artmasterstofightinanarena,thisisalltranslatedtoChinesebyIpMan'sformerfriendLi
Zhao.Theyaretoldforeverymatchtheywintheygetonebagofrice.LinoneofTheworkerin
themineagrees.ThenextdaywhenIpMandoesnotseeLinhedecidestoinvestigatethearena
whenhearrivesheseesthegeneralslieutenantexecutehisfriendLiuforattemptingtotakehis
ricefromapreviousmatchafterconcedinginthenextonewhichwassupposedtobeathreeon
oneagainsthim.ThisenragesIpandhimimmediatelyrequeststofighttenofthekaratemasters
atoncehedefeatseverysingleoneandthegeneralnotonlyisimpressedbutwantstoknowmore
abouthim.Ipdoesnotreturntothearenaandthegeneralgetsimpatienthesendssomeofhis
soldierstofindhim,whentheyseehiswifethelieutenantattemptstomakeamoveforher
forcingIptoquicklyincapacitatehim.AfterthisIpdecidestovisitafriendwhoownsacotton
millheistoldthataganghasrecentlybeenextortingmoneyforhisworkers.SoIpdecidesto
traintheminordertobetterdefendthemselvesthenexttimethegangcomestheworkersfight
backhalfwaythroughthebattleIpManarrivesanddefeatstheleaderofthegangwarninghim
nevertoreturn.ThegeneralfinallylocatesIpManatthecottonmillandgiveshimtheoptionto
trainhissoldiersordie,herefusesandinsteadchallengesthegeneraltoaduelthegeneral
agrees.Thematchisheldinthepublicsquareandthereisalargegatheringofpeopletowatch
thismatchatthebeginningitseemsasthoughthefightersareaboutthesameskilllevelbutIp
Manbeginstousethegeneralashewouldoneofhistrainingdummy'sandbeatshimtowithin
aninchofhislifewhilethecrowdcheersIpManseeshiswifeandchildwhowerefleeingfrom
Foshanbutreturnedtoseethefight.Asheseesthemheisshotbethelieutenantbutnotfatallyas
weseethatthepoliceofficerLiZhaoiswrestlingagainsthimthecrowdissentintoanuproar
andfightstogettoIpManpastthebarriersandsoldiers.finallyitishow'sthatheandhisfamily
escapeFoshanandthewarendedaftereightyears.

7)IpManhadmultiplesocialandphilosophicalideasthatweredisplayedtheideaofwhatlosing
abattlecancausewashugealongwiththeideaofwartimepoliticsandloyaltytoone'scountry.
Startingoffwiththeideathatlosingabattlechangeseverythingtheydisplayedthisphilosophy
byusingthevisualappearanceofthesettingandthefilmingstyle.WhenwefirstseeFoshanitis
abeautifulcityfullofcolorandbeautyitsiswelllikedandthestreetsarefullofpeoplegoing
abouttheirday.Throughoutthemoviewecanseethechangeoverthetownasitswitchesto
Japaneserule.StreetsbecomedirtyalongwiththepeopleIpMan'shouseistakenfromhimand
manyofhisfriendsareinjuredorkilledsimplybecausetheyarenowunderJapaneseruleand
aretryingtosurvivetheharshconditionstheyarenowputunder.secondlytheideaofwartime
politicswhiletheJapaneseareoccupyingFoshantheyattempttosubjugatethepeoplebykilling
morethantwothirdsoftheirpopulationandshuttingdownmostoftheirfactoriesmakingthem
dependantontheJapaneseforfoodIpManchoosesnottocooperateandinsteaddecidestofight
backusingtheonlywayhecanwithhismartialarts.Thechallengetowardsthegeneralismade
knowingthathewillacceptbecauseduringthistimeofwarhecannotaffordtoshowweakness.
ThelieutenantalsoknowsthisandshootsIpMantosaythosewhodefyuswilldieHoweverthis
hastheoppositeeffectandthisiswherethelieutenantmakeshismistakehebelievesthatifhe
killsIpMannoonewillbelefttofightbackashetookouttheirmostpowerfulfighterbutIp
ManalsohadmanypeoplethatcareabouthimsoheisactuallyamartyrtofightbackbecauseIp
manstoodAgainsttheJapanesesubjugationitgaveothersthepowertostandupfortheirown
rightsbyshowingthemtheircruelty.Finallyabigthingwasalsonationalprideandeven
regionalpride.ThebiggestexamplebeingwhentheJapanesegeneralrefusedtoturndownthe
fightbecausehethoughtthatIpManwasnotonlychallenginghimbuthiscountry'swayof
martialartsalsoaddingtothefactofwhyhecouldn'tturnhimdown.Thenbeforethattheidea
ofregionalwiththefightbetweenthenorthernerJinandsouthernerIpManitisveryobvious
thattheywantIpMantowintoreturntheprideofthesouthstyleofkungfu

8)thismoviebroughtmeagreatperspectiveonhowwaraffectsthepartythatlosesandhow
theyaretreated.Ihadusuallythoughtthatifacountrygainedacityitwouldimmediately
attempttouseitspeople'sskillsandresourcestoassisttheirinvasiontheycouldhavethem
manufacturewhattheyneedIneverthoughtitwouldjustberandomslaughteranddestruction
theywastesomanylivesthattheydon'tevenknowjustbecausetheyareanenemyintheireyes.
Theotherthingthismoviebroughttomewasjusthowfarpeoplewillgofortheircountry.The
scenewereIpslapsLiwasoneofthegreatestexamplesofthisIpcallshimatraitorandhe
beginsyellingabouthowheisweaksohecandonothingbutsaysthatIpisstrongsohecan
fightforalloftheirsake.thisalsodemonstratedtheideaofbeingselfishforselfpreservation
becauseheneedtosurviveLihadtohelptheJapanesealsobecauseLiutookthericeforhis
familybecausehebelievedhehadrightfullywonitandneedititbadly.Eveninsomeofthe
fightstheideaofselfpreservationremainswhenIpfightstenmenatoncethelastoneremaining
isobviouslyterrifiedofthismonsterofaman,butunfortunatelyheknowsifhedoesnothing
therewillbeharshconsequencesalsosohedecideshemustattackormostlikelyhewillbe
killedanyway.Allofthesethingsshowedmehowthingsweredifferentforthepeoplethatare
onthelosingsideofthebattleitmademerethinkmyideasofwhathappenstocitiesthatare
takenoverinsuchamanner

9)mostoftheculturaldifferencesIsawwerethingssuchastheirfoodandmannerismssuchas
thebowbeforeeveryfightandhowifonedidnotbowthefighthadnotyetbegun.someofthe
moreinterestingoneswerethingsliketheirarchitecturethetilingontheroofswasmuch
differentthenitishereinAmericaalsotheroleofthewifeduringthescenewereIpManis
fightingJinearlyonJinaskshimifheisafraidofhiswifeandcommentsmultipletimeshow
WingChunwasmadebyawomenHoweveripmantellshimhesimplerespectshiswifenot
fearsherandthatgoodmartialartsdonotdependonageorsexIthinkthisshowshowthe
chinesephilosophyofmarriageworkeditwasthatwhilethewifeandchildrenarenotas
privilegedasthemaleofthehouseholdtheiropinionsstillmatteredtohim.Atfirstitstruckme
asoddbecausealotofpeoplethinkofchinesemarriagesasveryarrangedandthatthefather
controlsallofthepeoplewithintheentirehousehold.butinactualityIthinkitismoreofIp
Man'sphilosophythatwhilehedoeshavethefinalsayherespectstheopinionsofallofthe
otherswithinhisfamilyanddoesnotwanttodothemwrong.Theotherideathismovieshowsis
justhowimportanthonoristothesefamilies,iftheyaredishonoreditistheequivalentofdeath
manyJapanesedocommitsuicideiftheyaredishonoreditisknownasseppukuandisatradition
goingbackfarintothetimeofsamurai.theyexemplifiedmanyoftheseunknownculturalideas
inthismoviesopeoplecouldlearnmoreaboutthemandtheirculture.

10)thetechniquethatwasthebestusedwasbackgroundThroughoutthefilmthebackground
changestoshowwhatiscurrentlyhappeninginthefilmforexamplewhenFoshanbeginsitisa
wonderfulplacesbutthenwhentheJapanesearriveitisterrifyingitisgrayandbleak,fullof
barbedwireand,deadbodieslitteringthestreets.Theninthefinalfightthecolorisslightly
restoredbutnotfullasiftosaytheyarebeginningtorepairthedamageleftbehindbythe
japanese.Theotheronethedirectorusedwellwasthetimingofsoundandmusicinthefilmhe
woulduselesserknowninstrumentsbuttheysoundedvaguelyfamiliartodrawmoreattention.
ThebestuseofsoundhoweverwaswhenIpManwasshotthesilencebeforeletyouknowthat
somethingwasabouttohappenandthenwhenitdoesheletsthecrowdreactbeforeexpressing
theemotionstheyfeltthroughhisorchestrating

11)thisfilmwasverycloselyrelatedtoracismandprivilegethroughoutusingthingslikegiving
themthisprivilegethentakingitawayshowedtheharshrealitythatwedon'tunderstandwhatit's
liketobeunderprivilegeduntilweare.ThefactthatthismanIpwaswealthandhadeverything
takenfromhimbutstillfoughttogainitbackisalsopartofthiswartowardsequaltreatment
fromtheJapaneseitisunfairofthemtotreatusthiswaysohedecidesratherthansitandmope
aboutithewillfightfortherightshebelieveshehasearned.anotherreadingthatcanbeseen
throughoutistheideaofloveinIpManitisshownashisimbalanceoflovethatHewantsto
lovebothhisfamilyandhisMartialArtsbutthisisdifficulttobalanceduetothefrequencyof
whichheisforcedtopracticetoremaingoodathisKungFu.

12)Thereasonthisassignmentwascreatedwastoshowusadifferentviewonlifeitselfallof
themoviesthatIsawonthatlistshowedadifferentideaoflifetheshoweduslifeindifferent
culturesisinterpretedandusedtoguidethem...Alsoforeignfilmsarejustbetter.

Reflection:

Thisassignmentprovidedmanyofthelearningoutcomesforthisclass.
specificallytheideasofcomprehension,understanding,andcomparingothercultures.
Thiswasamanyfocusingideaofminethroughoutthepaperandbroughtmeagreater
understandingofthecultureitself.throughcomprehensionIwasabletounderstandthe
ideastheirculturewasbasedupon.Thisleadtoagreaterunderstandingoftheculture
andtheactionsofitspeoplethroughoutthefilm.ThenusingthisknowledgeIwasable
tocomparethedifferencesandsimilaritiesbetweenmyowncultureandaforeignone.
Firstcamethecomprehension,byunderstandingthefilmanditsbasicideasit
madeiteasiertofollowthestoryandthereasonthiserawaschosenforthefilm.Inmy
paperIusemycomprehensionofthefilmthroughtheplotsummaryandseveral
integratedquotesthroughoutusedasevidenceofmythinking.Comprehensionwasan
importantpartofthisassignmentbecauseofthenatureofthefilmsthemselfduetothe
languagebarrierevenunderstandingthefilmsbecomesanissue.Howeverlanguage
wasnottheonlythingthatwasrequiredtocomprehendthisfilmanotherimportant
factorwasthetheircultureitself.
Usingthecomprehensiongainedinthisfilmitleadtoagreaterunderstandingof
theculturesdailylifeanditsvalues.ThroughoutthecritiqueImademanyreferencesto
theideaofhonorasanimportantvalueofthischinesecultureIwasabletocreatethis
connectionduetothedeeperunderstandingofthecultureitself.thispaperdeepened
myunderstandingofthechinesewayoflivingandhowtheyviewtheirhonorandtheir
familyconnections.Imadeseveralconnectionsbetweenthisanditsdifferencein
America.
UsingAmericaascomparisonalsoaddedtomypaperasitshowedthatnotonly
dowehaveourdifferencestoChinabutalsomanysimilarities.Icomparedtheirvalues
tooursandnoticedthatwhilethedovaluehonormorethanuswesharethevalueof
familyandcamaraderiethesebondsseemtobevaluedveryhighlyinmanycultures
andthiscritiquehelpedprovethistomeandalsoshowthatwhilemanycultureshave
theirdifferenceandmaynotagreeoneverythingwecanalwaysfindamutualgroundto
relateto.
Thisassignmenthelpedmetorealizejusthowmuchyoucanlearnbysimply
observinganothercultureandnoticingthings.Ifyoukeepanopenmindyoucanlearn
thevaluesofitspeopleandwhattheyviewasthemostimportantandusingthat
understanding,makecomparisonstoyourownandfindamutualfoundationonwhich
youcanbothstandtobegintounderstandeachother.