Please answer two of the following questions:
- In your humble (or not so humble) opinion, what is the theme of Iron Monkey. Provide three examples from the film that illustrate this theme.
- How did what you've learned in this class about Hong Kong cinema and Hong Kong in general help you to appreciate this film more?
- Since watching the film, what additional cultural research have you done that has helped you appreciate the film more? Please share it with us for the benefit of all.
- How did this film help you become a better world citizen?
It was enjoyable experience to see Iron Monkey again since it's been so long from the last time I've seen it. Looking on what the theme is in this film, i think it would be that doing the thing that you think is the right thing isn't he best thing. One thing that contributes to the theme is where the doctor, secretly iron monkey, didn't charge the poor while he charges the rich a expensive price to make profit. Which might be the right thing to do to help the poor in need, but this causes problems with the rich because they want free things also. Another part, where people who were being accused as them being the Iron Monkey who say that they weren't were being held captive. The father stand up for the people and offered to find and capture Iron Monkey. That might have been the right thing to do for the people, but it wasn't the best decision for his son. Which leads to this other scene where the fathers son ends up getting into fights. I don't remember the reason why he got into a fight but he thought it was right to do as he believe. That might not have been the best decision to make but it was what he thought was right.
ReplyDeleteThis film did help me become a better world citizen. It may not be noticeable for most people but it just changed my view on some things. This film gave me some thoughts about some life decisions you might come across. For example I've seen people help out the homeless. Some people might not be interested in wanting to help even though it is the right thing to do to help someone out. Or maybe picking up trash and throwing it away. Things like these can make a difference for the world.
I love Donnie Yen, he is one of the elite Hong Kong action stars alongside Jackie Chan and Jet Li to a degree. The cool thing about Yen is that he's had relations to the U.S. before he was ever an actor. Apparently moving to Boston when he was 11 years old.
ReplyDeleteI learned that in China in the old world, if a patient died a doctor wasn't entitled to any money and so wouldn't be paid at all. They also had a crazy way to close their doors with 20 planks of wood. Lastly that if were a female and a virgin you had to wear white. I don't know why this is a big tradition but it's not just Asia that sought this tradition and it's still honored today.
The theme I felt was that you have to keep your honor not for what you do for a living but as a human of god. One of the examples is that the Monks betrayed their way of life to serve for the Governor's palace. Monks who kidnap girls are not good. Period*. Another was that Wong (Yen) was on the hunt for the Iron Monkey that he was only doing so to be devoted for his son and his freedom. My last example is of course the most obvious reason as Dr. Yang knows he's a criminal but continues to do it to provide help for those in need.
Oh boy, Iron Monkey. From what I had of the film before I saw it personally, I thought it was going to be a strange kung-fu comedy about a Hong Kong version of Robin Hood, with maybe a few aspects I'd like about it. Oh boy was I wrong. Instead of a bland version of Robin Hood, I got a thoughtful martial arts film about a father and his son trying to succeed, a vigilante trying to do good for his town, and some of the coolest/outrageous kung fu fights since Mr. Vampire.
ReplyDeleteIf I had not heard of some of the differences between Hong Kong and American cinema, I don't think I would have noticed with this film. It blends action, drama, and comedy together almost seamlessly, which is definitely seen a lot in the U.S, and this film pulled it off perfectly. It's well known that along Bollywood and some other countries, Hong Kong likes to genre mix, but it isn't very noticeable with this film, because this set of mixed genres has been seen quite a lot in the states. Besides the film antics/history, it's pretty cool to look at the actual history the film is based on, and that is, the young boy in this son who later on becomes one of China's biggest heroes. To Asian audiences, this character was one of the most entertaining and important aspects of the film, but to audiences in other countries, most of the focus was on the actual Iron Monkey, as well as the father of the young boy. This definitely isn't a bad thing, as stated by Quentin Tarantino, but more of an interesting look at the history of the film and how audiences perceived it.
I actually do think this film helped me become a better world citizen. For one, this and Mr. Vampire definitely re-ignited my extreme passion for East-Asian Martial Art films! But more importantly it helped me realize that just because it seems like someone is doing a very good thing, doesn't mean it's going to absolutely make all of the consequences of your actions good. If one wants to do something so drastic and on such a large scale as the Iron Monkey, one should make sure that what they are doing isn't harming someone else's life and/or lifestyle. It's also good to have empathy for your enemy's, and to always be just, though this definitely goes hand in hand with Robin Hood.
All in all, Donnie Yen is amazing, and so is this movie.
Well i think that the theme of this film is protecting the things that matter to you, now let me explain. So the father protecting his son, because only a crappy father wouldn't. And iron money was giving money to the poor and helping and protecting them from the rich people who would look down upon them. And miss Orchid was helping and protecting the doctor by helping him hide his identity.
ReplyDeletewhat we learned in class about Hong Kong cinema was that the often mix in a bunch of genres into there movies. so in this movie i saw that is was a mix of a drama, a kung fu, and a comedy. Also a thing about Hong Kong, and a lot of easter asian movies is about things such as honor, so that was a big thing in the movie as well.