The Master's Last Hurrah
In a one-on-one interview with the Pacific Citizen, Jet Li talks about his retirement (sort of), the lawsuit and APAs.
Saying goodbye is hard enough to do, but when Jet Li told the world his latest martial arts film, “Fearless,” would be the last time he would swing a fist, fans imploded in disbelief. Could it be? Could this be the last time we see a film hero in our likeness literally kicking butt?
To answer the question, Li pauses, clears his throat and launches into a lyrical explanation of “wushu,” the type of martial arts which made him an international film star.
In China, wushu is a whole idea of two parts — there’s the physical part and the mental part, said Li by phone to the Pacific Citizen. The Chinese word is made up of two characters literally translated into “stop” and “war.”
“In movies, there’s a lot of ‘war’ but no ‘stopping,’” said Li, 43. “Martial arts has been important in my life journey.” Everything he’s learned he’s put into this movie, “Fearless.”
“After this I have nothing to say.”
A Different Kind of Martial Arts
And what a way to go out. “Fearless,” which is already a huge success overseas, grossed over $10 million and landed in the number two spot in its opening weekend. Obviously, fans enjoy seeing Li perform gravity defying jumps over his opponents without displacing a single hair in his queue.
So Li clarified: this will be his last period film. He’s cutting off his queue and trading Old China for modern America in his next film, “Rogue,” which he argues has elements of martial arts in it.
“There are cops and the mafia. We still have fighting on streets using two arms and two legs to beat each other,” said Li.
But there will be no return of Wong Fei Hung or a prequel to “Fearless” about China’s
legendary wushu master Huo Yuanjia. Li wanted his exit from martial arts period pieces to be meaningful and in many ways the epic story about the rise and fall of one man is a very personal story for Li who started his martial arts training at age eight.
“The little boy who wants to become a champion, become famous, make movies … [with] a lot of people trying to kiss up to you and make money off of you — it makes you self-centered. It blows up your ego and makes you think you are the king of world. You don’t want to listen to good advice,” said Li.
“To really be fearless, you need to enjoy life. Do the best you can and let the rest go,” he said. Forget about box office numbers or what fans are complaining about now.
The results of this new Zen-like approach to life is a much more emotionally limber Li. Sure, the fight scenes choreographed by “Matrix” guru Yuen Woo-ping are breathtaking, but the strength of this film lies in the emotional range of Li’s character.
In the film, Li puckishly plays with his daughter, arrogantly pursues the prestige of being the number-one fighter in the region and falls into the blackest despair.
“At this point in my life, I am fearless,” he said.
Taking on the Master’s Family
At a time when China was being looked down upon, Huo gave his country strength. But unlike many other movies in its genre that usually resorts to pitting one ethnicity against another, “Fearless” takes a more unconventional approach — there are no real bad guys.
“The enemy is inside,” said Li repeating a line in the movie.
But not everyone agrees with Li’s portrayal. In March, Huo’s relatives filed a lawsuit to remove “Fearless” from theaters in Asia, claiming the biopic paints an untrue and unflattering picture of the legendary fighter.
“The great grandson has a different opinion,” Li said about the pending lawsuit. “If you have to introduce every detail, every single thing, then it’s a documentary.
“You think I try to insult the master? The master is real. Every human being makes mistakes and learns from them. They [the great grandson’s family] really wanted to show a perfect person, a super hero whose every single word is like a masterpiece. I think with art, everyone has a different opinion.”
Good Guy, Bad Guy
Li deals with the same dichotomy as one of China’s most well-known actors. When he plays a good guy it’s great, but when he plays a bad guy like in “Lethal Weapon 4,” critics decried him as an insult to his country.
Similarly, in the United States Li is a sticky subject for many Asian Pacific Americans who on the one hand love seeing a strong Asian male character onscreen, but also feel uncomfortable with the stereotypes that go along with it.
“A lot of Asian Americans complain about not having representation, but when there is a good Asian film, they see the pirated version,” said Li.
The movie industry is purely a profit-based business, Li added, so to support good Asian movies, “Just don’t say something, do something.”
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