Once Upon a Time in China 3

Written by Jonathan Jacobs

Fist of Legend may be Jet Li’s most notable film, but in order to truly grasp the overtones of his movies one must retrospectively watch some of his original work. There is no film more emblematic of the martial artist’s inveterate devotion to Chinese tradition and morality than the Once Upon a Time in China series (there were six films made altogether). Of the six films produced, Once Upon a time in China 3 is by far and away my favorite and I would argue it is the best. Brilliantly, and refreshingly, the film series never became stale. Every chapter offers a new story while maintaining the majority of the same actors and always presents the star of the show, Master Wong Fei-Hung (Jet Li).

Master Wong is no ordinary martial artist. He is indefatigable, invincible, and for the most part invulnerable. At all times he maintains his courage, integrity, equanimity, and honor. As a man of peace, Wong Fei-Hung must expend a great deal of time calming the bellicose urges of his devoted followers. The master always preaches the motto that kung fu is for individual power and honor and should never be used except during exigent circumstances. His values are uncompromising, and why should the Master ever have to kowtow to anyone with his “shadowless” kick always on the ready?

As Once Upon a Time in China 3 begins the Dowager Empress of China is consulting with her Prime Minister. The two leaders are plotting to sow the seeds of dissent among the foreign powers by carving up spheres of influence on the coastline of China. As a show of strength, they have invited a demonstration of China’s ability to defend herself. This exhibition will be the traditional Lion Dance featuring all of the Kung Fu Associations and their masters.

Wong Fei-Hung returns to the Cantonese Association to bring his father Wong Kei-Ying (Lau Shun) some wonderful news. He is to be married to a beautiful, educated and delightful young woman, nicknamed “Aunt 13”. However, it takes some time for Master Wong to confess to his father his romantic intentions toward Siu Kwan (Rosamund Kwan). This fumbling and stalling brings a dozen awkward situations all of which are quirky and charming. The master’s visit is not without its pitfalls however.

China is changing along with the world and the major powers are seeking influence on the mainland. China’s Kung Fu Associations (all of which are financially grounded by modernization and industrial developments) as busy fighting amongst themselves. Master Wong returns home just after the Cantonese Association (in control of a pharmacy mill powered by a steam engine) has been attacked by rival s Chiu Tin-Bak (Chiu Chin) and his disciple whose alias is Clubfoot (Hung Yan-yan). As with most of Master Wong’s rivals, Chiu laughs incessantly and is devilishly provocative. His goal is to cause a rift between the Kung Fu Associations so that his group (heavily invested in oil) may seize power in the resulting vacuum. Clubfoot utilizes his legs to perfection and is a dangerous opponent even for Wong Fei-Hung.

The romance between Master Wong and Aunt 13 is rather topsy-turvy. They are always planning to make their relationship public but circumstances beyond their control seem to intervene at just the right moments. The master is upset with her relationship with fellow classmate Tomanovsky (John Wakefield). Tomanovsky continues to shower Siu Kwan with gifts and Wong is to blame for refusing to reveal the nature of his relationship with her. Tomanovsky is always meddling and persistently courts her. They share a common education and an understanding of world affairs. Master Wong is rather backward compared to Tomanovsky but he possesses something the gaijin never will, a sense of ironclad honor. While Wong is busy fighting battles against Chiu Tin-Bak’s warriors, Tomanovsky is encroaching on his fiancée. It is pure coincidence that one of Tomanovsky’s gifts to Siu Kwan (a video recorder) reveals his involvement in a plot to assassinate the Prime Minister.

The best scenes Once Upon a Time in China 3 offers are worth highlighting to whet your appetites. Clubfoot suffers a nearly crippling leg injury while chasing one of the Cantonese Association’s disciples. Horses trample on his leg which becomes mangled. When Clubfoot returns to his Association, he is mocked and labeled a useless cripple. Master Wong patiently offers to help his former rival in his greatest hour of need, and this is the essence of who he is. Forgiveness and redemption are two of the traditional themes omnipresent in this film series. When invited to dinner with Chiu Tin-Bak, Master Wong bravely goes alone. He avoids being poisoned and then must fight off attackers throwing axes at him while slipping and sliding on an oiled floor. Despite being limited in movement, Master Wong dismantles his attackers and escaped in one of the more incredible sequences ever choreographed. Near the beginning of the film Master Wong disarmed two entire Associations fighting in the middle of the street with only his jacket. He wants the Chinese people to conduct themselves with civility and honor. Finally, I would be foolish for not mentioning the lion dancing. It is magnificent. I love when martial artists contort their bodies while heaving around massive costumes and still managing to be combative at the same time. This takes expert skill and years of dedication to master. The pace is frenetic.

Once Upon a Time in China 3 is every bit as good as its predecessors. If you are not familiar with martial arts films, I encourage you to watch at least one of these six movies. Each one offers a unique plot with death defying stunts. Jet Li and his cohorts are nothing short of amazing.