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In this Chinese name, the family name is Yuen.

Yuen Woo-ping (Chinese: 袁和平; pinyin: Yuán Hépíng; alias: Yuen Wo-ping; born 1945) is a Hong Kong martial arts choreographer and film director who worked in Hong Kong action cinema and later Hollywood films. He is one of the inductees on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong. Yuen is also a son of Yuen Siu-tien, a martial arts film actor.

Early life

[edit]
  • Yuen was born in 1945 in Guangzhou[1]
  • Yuen's father was Yuen Siu-tien, a Northern Shaolin kung fu practitioner and Peking opera actor who became one of the most influential martial arts directors in the Hong Kong film industry[1][2]: 23–24 
  • Yuen is one of ten children[note 1]
  • His siblings include Yuen Cheung-yan, Yuen Shun-yi, Yuen Yat-chor (袁日初), Brandy Yuen Chun-yeung (袁振洋), and Yuen Lung-kui (袁龍駒)[7][8]
  • Around the age of 11, Yuen and his siblings began to receive intensive training in Peking opera by their father, learning how to fight and use weapons at a young age[2]: 24 [8]
  • He also trained for a year under Yu Jim-yuen at the latter's opera school[1][9]
  • It was around this time that Yuen began making appearances in Peking opera[8]

Career

[edit]

Early career and breakthrough

[edit]
  • Yuen was introduced to the film industry when he was a teenager via his father, who would give his son bit parts as an extra or a stuntman[1][10][5]
  • He went into the industry along with six other brothers[5][6]
  • During the early 1970s, Yuen performed stunts at Shaw Brothers, working in films like The Chinese Boxer (1970)[11]: 68 
  • It was at Shaw Brothers that Woo-ping befriended Ng See-yuen, then an assistant[4]
  • He was first credited as a fight choreographer on Lo Chen and Ng's film The Mad Killer (1971), where he shared choreographing duties with his brother Cheung-yan[8][3][12]
  • Yuen would go on to choreograph many of Ng's films, such as The Bloody Fists (1972) and Secret Rivals 2 (1977)[11]: 68 
  • During this time, he spent time designing the choreography for films like Shaw Brothers mainstay Chor Yuen's Lizard (1972) and Bastard (1973)[13]: 69 
  • After seeing other action choreographers begin to direct films, Yuen followed suit[14]
  • Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
    • Yuen got his directorial start with Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978), a comedy martial arts film starring a young Jackie Chan
    • Yuen created a unique fighting style that would be taught to the protagonist, instead of using the popular Hung Ga martial arts form[14]
    • A retrospective review by The Austin Chronicle highlights the film as a noteworthy entry in Hong Kong cinema, noting that "Yuen Woo-ping and company do manage to pull off a number of thrilling fight scenes and memorable moments of physical comedy, and it is for these reasons that the picture is so fondly remembered by fans."[15]
  • Drunken Master (1978)
    • Yuen then followed with Drunken Master (1978), a similar movie starring largely the same cast
    • Yuen: "Drunken Master is even more innovative, as no one had thought of doing kung fu while drunk. So many new moves had to be created—the moves I made for the Eight Immortals, for instance, took me a month and a half to develop."[14]
    • Variety: "This is the trendmaker in current local kung-fu films. [...] Lead star Jackie Chan (contract player of Lo Wei Prod.) has found fame at last by freelancing outside where his talents were properly utilized."[16]

Ventures into modern Hong Kong action films

[edit]

International recognition

[edit]
  • A producer on The Matrix reached out to Shaw Brothers to ask if Yuen would be interested in choreographing the film; initially Yuen did not want to go, but was informed by Shaw Brothers that the producer was offering a free ticket to Los Angeles to hear them out, and that hearing them out would be the polite thing to do[19]
  • Yuen, on agreeing to choreographing The Matrix: "I was interested, of course, but not really until I saw the script. I really thought this film could be a new trend in filmmaking."[20]
  • Yuen agreed to work with the Wachowskis on The Matrix, but only if the cast would go through a training regime to learn kung fu and how to perform wirework stunts[21]
  • Yuen and his stunt team trained the cast for four months in a Burbank training facility during the autumn of 1997[22][23]
  • In 2001, he was asked by Quentin Tarantino to choreograph the fight scenes for Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)[24]
  • This included a fight scene inside a two-level nightclub that, like The Matrix, required actors Uma Thurman and Chiaki Kuriyama to train with Yuen for several months[25]
  • True Legend (2010)
    • Fourteen years after Tai Chi Boxer, Yuen returned to directing with True Legend (2010), a reinterpretation of the folk hero So Chan[26]
    • For this film, Yuen wanted to give So Chan, who had been historically portrayed in film as a supporting character, a more prominent role; he also wanted to pay tribute to his father, who played the character in Drunken Master[27][28]
    • The movie received mixed reviews from critics, who believed it suffered from poor pacing and a thin plot[26][29][30][31]
    • Rating it two stars, Peter Bradshaw enjoyed the action scenes, but said the film is otherwise "a slightly plodding account of Chinese myth and legend."[32]
  • It had originally been reported in November 2012 that Yuen would direct his first Western film with Vigilantes – The Lost Order, a Chinese-Canadian co-production about a female assassin who exposes a financial conspiracy while avenging her father's murder[33][34]
  • Yuen had been attached to direct a couple of films following The Sword of Destiny: a kung-fu comedy film called Hand Over Fist in 2016,[35][36][37] and an adaptation of a television action series called Invisible Guard the following year[38]
  • The Thousand Faces of Dunjia (2017)
  • Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018)
  • Yuen directed a story set in the 1990s for the anthology film Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2020)[41][42]
    • The segment, called "Homecoming", featured Yuen Wah as a traditionalist grandfather who bonds with his granddaughter (Ashley Lam) when she returns to Hong Kong from her studies overseas

Personal life

[edit]

Filmmaking style

[edit]
  • Yuen, on what his peers thought of his fight choreography before he started directing: "I was celebrated to the point that my peers called me the number one action choreographer under heaven."[14]
  • Yuen is known for his fusion of Eastern and Western culture in his films[43]: 381 
  • Yuen often collaborates with his brothers as they act and choreograph fight sequences; collectively, they are known in the Hong Kong film industry as the "Yuen Clan"[7]
  • When designing a fight, Yuen creates choreography based on the plot, a character's personality, and the actor's abilities[28][44]
  • Described by The Austin Chronicle as having an "endlessly imaginative, outrageously entertaining flair for gravity-challenged historical mayhem"[45]
  • He has used a variety of unique and unconventional props in his fight sequences, such as chopsticks and calligraphy brushes[7]
  • Donnie Yen said that Yuen "is totally into precision and authenticity in movement. No matter what style of martial art he put in his films, a performer couldn't survive his production unless his basic movements were like steel that could be forged in any way. Yuen forced me to get to the essence of my martial abilities."[46]
  • Yuen likes to shoot with one camera rather than use multiple cameras to get adequate coverage, as he feels that only one camera is necessary once he decides on a particular angle[44][6]
  • He prefers fight scenes with just a few people, in order for the fight choreography to be detailed and interesting[44]
  • Yuen dislikes overly violent and bloody films like the ones directed by Chang Cheh, which influences him to try something different in his choreography[8]
  • In the early 2000s, Yuen shied away from using computer-generated imagery (CGI) in his works:
    • Speaking with the Los Angeles Times in 2000, he said that CGI "never looks quite right" compared to using actors and wirework[47]
    • He outright denied using CGI in an interview with The Guardian the same year[48]
  • However, in more recent interviews, Yuen says he has used CGI to enhance the fight choreography in his works,[49] which he says is inspired by his time working with the Wachowskis[50]

Recognition

[edit]
  • Dubbed by David Edelstein in The New York Times as "Hong Kong's greatest action choreographer"[51]
  • Marc Savlov in The Austin Chronicle writes that Yuen "must be credited with imbuing low-to-no-budget martial arts films with priceless artistry."[45]
  • Yuen's fluid fight choreography in The Matrix had a major influence on future American action films, as they took direct inspiration from his wire stunts[5][52]
  • Stuntman Chad Stahelski noted that the film sparked a change in Hollywood to design action scenes around fights instead of chase sequences[53]
  • Yuen has been praised by many of his peers:
    • Ang Lee: "Yuen Wo-Ping has been an idol of mine for many years. He's been directing films since I was in high school, and he even directed Jackie Chan's breakthrough films [...] He therefore has the experience; he's a better action director than I am, although I think I'm a better dramatic director!"[54]
      • Explains in an interview with The Austin Chronicle that he thinks Yuen has made "fantastic films" for years, spurred by the choreographer's love for classical martial arts forms while also being dedicated to improving his craft[55]
    • Quentin Tarantino: "I love Hong Kong movies, and Yuen Wo Ping is my favourite director of them."[56]
    • Donnie Yen: Refers to Woo-ping as "[his] mentor"[57]
    • Keanu Reeves: "When you watch Wo-ping's fight scenes, you can see such joy in his work."[20]

Filmography

[edit]

Awards and honours

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ While some sources have stated that he is one of twelve children,[3][4] Woo-ping has clarified that his parents had only 10 children in total.[5][6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Yuen Woo-ping (袁和平)" (PDF). Hong Kong Film Archive. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  2. ^ a b Yung, Sai-shing (2005). "Moving Body: The Interactions Between Chinese Opera and Action Cinema". In Morris, Meaghan; Li, Siu Leung; Chan, Stephen Ching-kiu (eds.). Hong Kong Connections: Transnational Imagination in Action Cinema. Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 978-1-932643-19-0. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  3. ^ a b Swanson, Tim (2001-01-30). "Above the line: Yuen Wo Ping". Variety. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  4. ^ a b Icher, Bruno (2004-01-21). "Yuen Woo Ping, kung-fu master". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  5. ^ a b c d e Parkes, Douglas (2020-06-23). "Who is Yuen Woo-ping, the Hong Kong kung fu master behind The Matrix, Kill Bill and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon?". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  6. ^ a b c d Abrams, Simon (2019-07-03). "Action Choreographer Woo-Ping Yuen on 'Crouching Tiger' and Molding Donnie Yen". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  7. ^ a b c Corliss, Richard (2001-02-19). "Yuen Wo-Ping, Martial Master". Time. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  8. ^ a b c d e Havis, Richard James (2021-07-27). "What Jackie Chan and Yuen Woo-ping's stunt teams brought to the martial arts icons' classic movies". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  9. ^ Burr, Martha (May 1999). "The Kungfu Genius Behind the Matrix". Black Belt. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  10. ^ a b c Sweeney, R. Emmet (2019-04-11). "Yuen Woo-Ping on Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy, Dave Bautista and Martial Arts Cinema". Filmmaker. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  11. ^ a b Logan, Bey (1996). Hong Kong Action Cinema. Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press. ISBN 9780879516635. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
  12. ^ "Ng See-yuen (吳思遠)" (PDF). Hong Kong Film Archive. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  13. ^ Vojković, Sasha (2009). Yuen Woo Ping's Wing Chun. The New Hong Kong Cinema. Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 978-962-209-967-8.
  14. ^ a b c d Havis, Richard James (2019-07-05). "The Matrix martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping on a lifetime in film, Jet Li's power and drunken kung fu". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  15. ^ O'Bryan, Joey (1995-09-29). "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  16. ^ "Tsui Kun". Variety. 1977-12-31. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  17. ^ a b Franklin-Wallis, Oliver (2023-02-28). "Hong Kong's Ageless Action Hero". GQ. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  18. ^ Major, Wade (2001-10-11). "Hidden No Longer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  19. ^ Havis, Richard James (2019-12-29). "Hong Kong martial arts cinema: how The Matrix's Yuen Woo-ping shaped the trilogy with his action choreography". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  20. ^ a b Gluckman, Ron (1999-07-23). "The Hong Kong Film Legend Who Taught Keanu Kung Fu". Asian Wall Street Journal. Victoria, Hong Kong: Dow Jones & Company. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  21. ^ "Rousing action-thriller". Malay Mail. 1999-05-07. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-10-06 – via ProQuest. Yuen agreed to work with the Wachowskis under one condition: they would have to guarantee their cast would train long hours to learn kung-fu and how to work with the wires.
  22. ^ Culpepper, Andy (1999-03-31). "Myth meets Internet in 'Matrix'". CNN. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  23. ^ Raftery, Brian (2019-03-29). "The Mind-Bending Story of How 'The Matrix' Came to Be". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  24. ^ "Tarantino 'books martial arts giants'". BBC News. 2001-10-09. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  25. ^ Kring-Schreifels, Jake (2023-10-23). "20 Years Ago, Quentin Tarantino Teamed Up with a Martial Arts Legend — And Made the Bloodiest Action Scene Ever". Inverse. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  26. ^ a b Lowe, Justin (2011-05-12). "True Legend: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  27. ^ Smith, Jeremy (2011-05-19). "Mr. Beaks Asks Questions Of Master Yuen Woo-Ping, Director Of True Legend!". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  28. ^ a b Graham, Bill (2010-10-06). "Exclusive Interview with 'True Legend' Director Yuen Woo-Ping". Collider. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  29. ^ Scheib, Ronnie (2011-05-11). "True Legend". Variety. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  30. ^ Olsen, Mark (2011-05-12). "Movie review: 'True Legend'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  31. ^ Hale, Mike (2011-05-12). "A Martial Artist in Action". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  32. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (2010-09-23). "True Legend". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  33. ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (2012-11-02). "Famed Action Choreographer Yuen Woo-ping To Make Hollywood Directorial Debut With 'Vigilantes – The Lost Order'". IndieWire. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  34. ^ Tsui, Clarence (2012-11-02). "AFM 2012: Hong Kong Action Choreographer to Direct First Hollywood Film 'Vigilantes – The Lost Order'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  35. ^ Lau, Shirley (2016-03-15). "FilMart: Yuen Woo-ping to Direct 'Hand Over Fist'". Variety. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  36. ^ Shackleton, Liz (2016-03-13). "Yuen Woo-ping's 'Hand Over Fist' on Emperor's Filmart slate". Screen Daily. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  37. ^ Blair, Gavin J (2016-03-15). "Filmart: Emperor's 2016 Slate Led by Yuen Wo-ping's 'Hand Over Fist'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  38. ^ Frater, Patrick (2017-06-19). "Terence Chang's Lucida Boards Yun Woo Ping's Martial Arts Thriller 'Invisible Guard'". Variety. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  39. ^ Ma, Kevin (2015-11-12). "Yuen Woo-ping, Tsui Hark to remake Miracle Fighters". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 2016-04-30. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  40. ^ Collis, Clark (2019-03-06). "Dave Bautista felt 'completely lost' while making Master Z: Ip Man Legacy". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  41. ^ Kerr, Elizabeth (2022-07-27). "Septet: A Messy, Ambitious Reflection of Hong Kong". Zolima CityMag. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  42. ^ Hunter, Allan (2020-10-21). "'Septet: The Story Of Hong Kong': Busan Review (opening film)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  43. ^ Pang, Cecilia J. (Fall-Winter 2005–2006). "(Re)cycling Culture: Chinese Opera in the United States". Comparative Drama. 39 (3/4). JSTOR 41154288 – via JSTOR. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  44. ^ a b c Topel, Fred (2019-04-12). "Legendary Martial Arts Choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping Was Asked to Choreograph 'Aquaman' But Had to Turn It Down". /Film. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  45. ^ a b Savlov, Marc (2011-05-13). "The Stuff of 'Legend'". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  46. ^ Berwick, Stephen (July 2000). "Donnie Yen: The Evolution of an American Martial Artist". Kung Fu. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  47. ^ Cheng, Scarlet (2000-11-12). "Art and Action Kick It Up". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  48. ^ Husband, Stuart (2000-12-21). "Come fly with me". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  49. ^ Vespe, Eric (2011-03-27). "Master Yuen Woo Ping talks with Quint about the art of action choreography and his next film True Legend!". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  50. ^ Yamato, Jen (2010-09-25). "Hong Kong Legend Yuen Woo Ping's 'Fantastic' Past, Future". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  51. ^ Edelstein, David (2003-05-11). "Bullet Time Again: The Wachowskis Reload". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  52. ^ Godoski, Andrew (2011-05-12). "Under the Influence: The Matrix". Screened. Archived from the original on 2013-02-05. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  53. ^ Ebiri, Bilge (2021-12-22). "Neo's Stunt Guy on How The Matrix Changed Action Forever". Vulture. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  54. ^ Williams, David E. (2016) [January 2001]. "Enter the Dragon". In Fuller, Karla Rae (ed.). Ang Lee: Interviews. Conversations with Filmmakers Series. University Press of Mississippi. p. 54. ISBN 978-1-62674-582-7. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  55. ^ Hepola, Sarah (2001-01-12). "Defying Gravity". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  56. ^ Jack, Mathews (2001-10-11). "Quentin Tarantino speculates as to where movies are headed". The Hamilton Spectator. pp. D05. Retrieved 2023-10-04 – via ProQuest.
  57. ^ "Yen Can Cook: Martial Artists Heating Up the Big Screen". Orlando Sentinel. 2001-10-12. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  58. ^ Smithson, Sean (2010-08-31). "Fantastic Fest Honors Director Yuen Woo-Ping With Lifetime Achievement Award". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  59. ^ Kay, Jeremy (2019-06-07). "'The Matrix' fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping to receive New York Asian Film Festival lifetime award". Screen Daily. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  60. ^ Frater, Patrick (2019-07-30). "Jackie Chan Reignites Action Film Week in China". Variety. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
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