Criminal Rock
08-20-2005, 02:53 AM
Jet Li to turn in kung fu shoes for good
Can it be true? Chinese newspaper Shenzhen Daily reports that Jet Li has suggested in recent comments that he will no longer star in martial arts movies after wrapping his latest, a biopic of Chinese martial arts master Fok Yuen-gap.
"I stepped into the martial arts movie market when I was only 16. I think I have proved my ability in this field and it won't make sense for me to continue for another five or 10 years. Huo Yuanjia is a conclusion to my life as a martial arts star," said Li.
Huo Yuenjia, Li's first period martial arts movie since starring in Sammo Hung's Once Upon a Time in China and America in 1997, was a film the star wanted to make nearly ten years ago. The project finally took flight two years ago in response to a report that stated 280,000 Chinese committed suicide in 2003.
"It's a shocking number," said Li. "That's why I wanted to shoot such a film. I wanted to tell people that we couldn't choose our birth, but we should be brave and courageous enough to get through to the end of our lives,."
Li's other aim with Huo Yuenjia is to further educate audiences about the the true meaning of martial arts. "Many movies blur the line between martial arts and violence. But the fact is that they are completely different. I want to convey to the audience what martial arts means to me -- why do we practice kung fu, what is the essence of martial arts and what are the authentic Chinese martial arts?"
Looking ahead, Li has said he will continue to put half of his energy into filmmaking and the other half into an undisclosed cause.
Huo Yuenjia, which does not yet have an international title, is expected to be released in early 2006.
Source: Xinhua, MonkeyPeaches, www.kungfucinema.com
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Hopefully this isn't posted anywhere else on this site, because if it is, I missed it.
…
This better not be true.
Can it be true? Chinese newspaper Shenzhen Daily reports that Jet Li has suggested in recent comments that he will no longer star in martial arts movies after wrapping his latest, a biopic of Chinese martial arts master Fok Yuen-gap.
"I stepped into the martial arts movie market when I was only 16. I think I have proved my ability in this field and it won't make sense for me to continue for another five or 10 years. Huo Yuanjia is a conclusion to my life as a martial arts star," said Li.
Huo Yuenjia, Li's first period martial arts movie since starring in Sammo Hung's Once Upon a Time in China and America in 1997, was a film the star wanted to make nearly ten years ago. The project finally took flight two years ago in response to a report that stated 280,000 Chinese committed suicide in 2003.
"It's a shocking number," said Li. "That's why I wanted to shoot such a film. I wanted to tell people that we couldn't choose our birth, but we should be brave and courageous enough to get through to the end of our lives,."
Li's other aim with Huo Yuenjia is to further educate audiences about the the true meaning of martial arts. "Many movies blur the line between martial arts and violence. But the fact is that they are completely different. I want to convey to the audience what martial arts means to me -- why do we practice kung fu, what is the essence of martial arts and what are the authentic Chinese martial arts?"
Looking ahead, Li has said he will continue to put half of his energy into filmmaking and the other half into an undisclosed cause.
Huo Yuenjia, which does not yet have an international title, is expected to be released in early 2006.
Source: Xinhua, MonkeyPeaches, www.kungfucinema.com
________________________________________________
Hopefully this isn't posted anywhere else on this site, because if it is, I missed it.
…
This better not be true.