The Martial Arts in Movies and Television

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses that martial arts not only is the art of warfare but also has a philosophy based in an elaborate blend of ancient codes of conduct, ethics and a spirituality that appears to be a fusion of Daoism, Zen Buddhism, and Confucianism. This paper states that, making the leap from East to West, this merger of physical and spiritual mastery has become a booming industry in the U.S. resulting in action films and T.V. shows that, besides being a series of highly choreographed fight scenes, also conveys ethical messages, codes of conduct and spiritual direction. The author is concerned that many people are being exposed to the martial arts without any ethical grounding at all; thus a generation is learning the physical aspects of the martial arts without the ethical or spiritual code that has historically been taught alongside it and has no concept of how to take the right action in the face of a dilemma, of delayed gratification or of respect to others.

Table of Contents
Introduction
History of the Kung Fu Film
Bruce Lee and His Successors
Martial Arts in Film and on Television Today
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Bruce Lee has been credited as the one who officially brought martial arts to the film industry in the United States. Although born in San Francisco, Lee spent most of his childhood making films in Hong Kong and did not return to the U.S. until he was 18 years old. Thus, he began to develop and teach Jeet Kune Do ("way of the intercepting fist") and to infuse his philosophy into the films he was in, "which was his ultimate goal in movie-making". Unable to break through the racial barrier in Hollywood, Lee went back to Hong Kong to become a superstar there. Only after achieving success did Hollywood notice him, resulting in "Enter The Dragon" (1973), the only Hollywood-backed film he would star in."

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