The celebrated Kung Fu master of Bruce Lee.|Dec. 12, 2008|Hong Kong|106 Min.|R
Genre: Action;Drama;History
Description: In 1935, Foshan stands as a central hub for Southern Chinese martial arts, with numerous schools actively seeking disciples and engaging in competitions. Despite being the most skilled martial artist in Foshan, the Wing Chun master Ip Man remains humble and avoids the spotlight. His modesty in closed-door sparring matches earns him great respect from fellow masters.
One day, a man named Yuan attempts to retrieve his kite from a tree on Ip Man’s property and witnesses Ip defeating Master Liu in a friendly match. Yuan spreads the news across Foshan. His brother Lin, a student of Master Liu, publicly humiliates Yuan to teach him the importance of keeping certain matters private. Embarrassed, Yuan flees into the crowd.
Jin Shanzhao, a brash yet highly skilled Northern martial arts master, arrives in Foshan and challenges all local masters, easily defeating them. Ip Man’s reputation grows when he defeats Jin, restoring pride to the Southern martial artists and the people of Foshan. Many young men in the city beg Ip to teach them, but he declines.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Imperial Japanese Army seizes Ip’s home, turning it into their military headquarters. Stripped of his wealth, Ip and his family are forced to live in a rundown apartment. To support his family, Ip takes on manual labor at a coal mine, where he works alongside Lin. Lin regrets his mistreatment of Yuan and attempts to find him to make amends, but his efforts are in vain.
General Miura, a Japanese Karate master, sets up an arena where Chinese martial artists can fight his trainees for a bag of rice as a prize. Li Zhao, a former police officer and Ip’s acquaintance, now serves as an interpreter for the Japanese army.
Cast director: Sammo Hung
Cast actor: Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Lynn Hung, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Gordon Lam, Fan Siu-Wong, Xing Yu, Wong Yau-Nam, Dennis To Yue-Hong, Calvin Cheng
Original name: 葉問