Once Upon a Time in China

by Jeff Yang (Editor)

From Jackie Chan to Ang Lee, from "Supercop" to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," Chinese cinema has truly arrived in the United States. Whether one is speaking of Jet Li martial arts blockbusters, historical epics like Chen Kaige's "Farewell My Concubine," or evocative art films like Edward Yang's "Yi Yi" and Wong Kar Wai's "In the Mood for Love," the astonishing variety, quality, and inventiveness of movies from the three filmmaking regions of Greater China have caught the imagination of film buffs and Hollywood studios alike, ensuring that more and more works from these dynamic industries will find an eager American audience. But this startling diversity springs from common roots. "Once Upon a Time in China" is the first time that the unique cinemas of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Mainland have been explored in parallel, showcasing the feuds and family ties, the epic confrontations and subtle machinations, through which contemporary Chinese film has evolved.

With wit and a true passion for the subject, author Jeff Yang, former publisher of "aMagazine" -- the nation's premier Asian American periodical -- and coauthor of action icon Jackie Chan's autobiography, offers a colorful journey through the history of Chinese cinema, its standout stars, moguls, and icons, and more than 350 of its most distinctive works.

Genres: Film, China, Media Tie In

320 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

About the author

American writer, journalist, businessman, and business/media consultant who writes the Tao Jones column for The Wall Street Journal.[2] Previously, he was the "Asian Pop" columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle.

Reviews

[Masterofoneinchpunch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using the title from a Tsui Hark directed movie starring Jet Li (and a plethora of sequels) Jeff Yang, author of Eastern Standard Time and coauthor of the Jackie Chan autobiography I Am Jackie Chan, attempts to pen a "... comprehensive guide to the unique cinemas of Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Mainland...". While ultimately Yang fails in his thesis he did write and collaborate with many co-writers to create a well thought out albeit terse primer on the cinema of these three cinemas (134 pages). It is followed by a Capsule Reviews section (135 pages) that gives a summary overview of pertinent films discussed in the book or, I suppose, considered important by Yang.

This book does a good job of succinctly stating the origins of Chinese Film, the important companies such as Cathay, Shaw Brothers and MP&GI, the importance of Mandarin and Cantonese cinema, TVB, Triads, important actors such as Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow (Chiau), Michael Hui and directors as Chang Cheh, Zhang Yimou, Tsai Ming-liang, Wong Kar-wai and Wong Jing and many more. In fact the book works well as a "cliff notes" version of these cinemas with a particularly strong emphasis on Hong Kong cinema. There is mention of many genres and his writing is strong enough that I wished there was more material to peruse. The essays interspersed throughout the book on specific topics such as Wong Fei Hung, The Shaolin Temple by Linn Haynes, Jin Yong by Peter Nepstad and Category III Erotica by John Charles help tremendously in keeping the book interesting as well as informative.

Unfortunately, the Capsule Reviews are probably the least important part of the book. It does not always enough detail to enlighten or enhance your viewing, misses some important HK genre pictures like Sammo Hung's Prodigal Son and Spooky Encounters and ends a lot of the reviews with "Reviewers called it..." with a particular point of view without naming any reviewers and many times being the antithesis of what many critics actually stated about the film (like the comments on The Story of Qiu Ju).

If you can find this at a good price and you are looking for a good overview of a vast cinema than this will be a good purchase. Otherwise there is a plethora of books that are more focused on Asian cinema.

For further study on Taiwan auteurs I would recommend Taiwan Film Directors: A Treasure Island by Emilie Yueh-Yu Yeh and Darrell Davis. For more in depth study on Hong Kong film I still recommend Hong Kong Cinema: The Extra Dimensions by Stephen Teo. I still have not read a good book dedicated to Mainland China cinema though.

[Art · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for more insightful commentary and analysis, but this still provides a useful (if brief) overview of the HK movie scene (in particular).

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice summary of Chinese (mainland, HK and Taiwan)film history with a good selection of reviewed films.