Ip Man

I just got back from another successful night at the Chinese cinema. Ip Man is a martial arts movie very loosely based on the life of Yip Man, Bruce Lee's Kung Fu master. Man and Lee both practiced Wing Chun which - legend has it - was invented by a woman.

In the movie Yip Man is a wealthy Wing Chun master until the Japanese invade and take away his home. He scrapes by for his family until an especially evil Japanese officer (hell, they were all evil, right?) learns of his skill and forces him into a public duel. Yip Man wins but is shot afterward. He lives and escapes to Hong Kong.


According to Wikipedia, the real Yip Man was a KMT officer and escaped to Hong Kong in 1949 without his family, which seemed ironic because the movie emphasized his loyalty to his wife and child during Japanese Occupation.


The movie was great fun - lots of action, good humor, fast-paced. I don't think there's going to be a U.S. release (nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyaaah!). But it will be available on DVD in a couple days.


The movie ends with Yip Man escaping to Hong Kong. Before the credits, there was a brief epilogue that read something like, "In 1945 Japan unconditionally surrendered, the Chinese people finally won the war...Yip Man went on to teach in Hong Kong..."


Hmm, funny - I was always taught we won the war.