Cantonese folk hero Wong Fei-hung has been the subject of countless films and television series, but Tsui Hark’s Once Upon a Time in China film series is the most globally popular franchise based on the man. Launched in 1991, the films propelled wushu champion Jet Li to international movie superstardom; Li’s performances as Wong are easily the most famous since Kwan Tak-hing essayed the character in scores of films from the 1940s through to the 1960s. By the 1990s, Kwan’s Wong Fei-hung films were dated, and Tsui’s franchise reinvigorated the Wong legend with energetic style and robust Hong Kong-style action, utilising speed and intricate choreography to create a bold and modern martial arts cinema.
What also separates Tsui Hark’s Once Upon a Time in China films from previous iterations (as well as from the 2014 Wong Fei-hung reboot Rise of the Legend) is their effective inclusion of nationalism and politics into the martial arts genre. Tsui’s 1992 sequel, Once Upon in Time in China II, represents the gold standard of his efforts, deftly combining history and political themes with stunning fight sequences from choreographer Yuen Woo-ping. The film’s storyline actually serves as a precursor to the award-winning Bodyguards and Assassins (2009), as both construct a fictional narrative around Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the revolutionary known as the “Father of the Nation” for his role in founding the Republic of China.
During the late Qing Dynasty, Wong Fei-hung travels to Guangzhou to attend a medical conference, accompanied by love interest Aunt Yee (Rosamund Kwan) and disciple Leung Foon (Max Mok), but runs afoul of the White Lotus Society, a fanatical cult dedicated to expelling foreigners from China. Acting on his righteous nature, Wong finds himself protecting British expatriates and local Chinese while fighting the White Lotus Society and also the Qing authorities led by Commander Lan (Donnie Yen), whose obsession with capturing Dr. Sun Yat-sen (Zhang Tie-lin) leads him to perform corrupt acts. The film is loaded with commercial elements such as humour and romance, but Tsui tempers them with themes of nationalism and humanism.
Wong Fei-hung’s battle versus corrupt and racist foes makes for a rousing good-versus-evil narrative. What enhances the story are its details of Western versus Eastern culture, neatly demonstrated in a montage that intercuts images of changing Chinese life with clashes between the authorities and the White Lotus Society. The East-West divide also features in Wong’s use of Eastern medicine, which encounters British sceptics but eventually wins them over when Wong uses acupuncture to heal those wounded by the White Lotus Society. These themes regarding East-versus-West, tradition-versus-modernity, and religion-versus-humanism are not primary concerns and yet add depth to the film.
Once Upon a Time in China II can be read as an ambivalent take on Hong Kong’s uncertain status in the early 1990s, i.e. a territory caught in a cultural and political tug of war between East and West. While this mixture raises the film above its status as just a kung fu film, the fighting itself is top-notch. Yuen Woo-ping brings dynamic impact and a balletic grace to the action, while the contrast in fighting styles between Jet Li and future superstar Donnie Yen is also of note. Yen’s movements are flamboyant, while Li fights in a swift and utilitarian manner that, like the character of Wong Fei-hung himself, is unwaveringly righteous and sure. While Tsui Hark brought thematic depth to the Wong Fei-hung legend, Jet Li provided the heroism and humanity to propel the Once Upon a Time in China movies to their place as Hong Kong cinema classics.