Martial arts films set in early-mid 20th century China?

[Seven Spirit Stance]

To be perfectly clear, I'm looking for movies set after the fall of the Qing Dynasty but before the installation of the People's Republic. I think this era of Chinese history is really fascinating the more I read up on it -- there are definitely good action stories to be found in an era filled with warlords, bandits, and gangsters. But in the modern age, the only kung fu movies I've seen set in this turbulent time period are Ip Man, Shaolin, and Kung Fu Hustle! Besides that, there's a great Shaw Brothers movie called Boxer From Shantung and that's all I can name in total. What are some other modern martial arts films set in this area?

[kami]

In the last years there has been quite a flood of movies set in this area. You might wanna check out PRINCESS AND THE 7 KUNG FU MASTERS; MY KINGDOM; 7 ASSASSINS and WU DANG, although the latter one is a really, really shitty movie. But it's a martial arts flick and its set in the 20s, I think.

[Seven Spirit Stance]

In the last years there has been quite a flood of movies set in this area. You might wanna check out PRINCESS AND THE 7 KUNG FU MASTERS; MY KINGDOM; 7 ASSASSINS and WU DANG, although the latter one is a really, really shitty movie. But it's a martial arts flick and its set in the 20s, I think.

Well, are any of these films good? They all seem to have lackluster reviews.

Still, I'll probably watch them all at some point! Even Wu Dang. Anyway, thanks a bunch!

[masterofoneinchpunch]

It sounds like you want to deal with films with Dr. Sun Yat-Sen . Some of the following dates are circa and not all are Martial arts.

1901, 1906: Bodyguards and Assassins (2009: Teddy Chan)

1902: Shadow Magic (2000: Ann Hu: China/Taiwan)

1908-1967: The Last Emperor (1987: Bernardo Bertolucci: Italy/UK/China)

1911: 1911 (2011: Jackie Chan, Zhang Li)

1913: Postman Strikes Back (1982: Ronny Yu)

WWI-1920s: Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010: Andrew Lau Wai-keung)

I'm not a fan of 1911. Shadow Magic is underrated, not a MA film but deals with early cinema in China. The Last Emperor is a must watch for any cinephile.

I'll look for some more.

[Cold Bishop]

The Republic/Warlord Era is what you're looking for... and there's a lot of martial-arts films set in the period, although perhaps only a few take full advantage of it. For starters, From the Highway is set there and, until Fist of Fury came along, it seemed to be the favored period for kung-fu films. Certainly Shaw took to it as most of the early bashers are set in this period: Vengeance!, The Duel, Boxer from Shantung, The Chinese Boxer, King Boxer, The Casino, The Killer... all, as far as I can see, Republican Era films.

[Seven Spirit Stance]

It sounds like you want to deal with films with Dr. Sun Yat-Sen . Some of the following dates are circa and not all are Martial arts.

1901, 1906: Bodyguards and Assassins (2009: Teddy Chan)

1902: Shadow Magic (2000: Ann Hu: China/Taiwan)

1908-1967: The Last Emperor (1987: Bernardo Bertolucci: Italy/UK/China)

1911: 1911 (2011: Jackie Chan, Zhang Li)

1913: Postman Strikes Back (1982: Ronny Yu)

WWI-1920s: Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010: Andrew Lau Wai-keung)

I'm not a fan of 1911. Shadow Magic is underrated, not a MA film but deals with early cinema in China. The Last Emperor is a must watch for any cinephile.

I'll look for some more.

Ah, thank you very much! I'll definitely give Shadow Magic a watch, and of course Last Emperor is a must-see! c= Besides that, I had no idea about Postman Strikes Back or Bodyguards And Assassins -- thanks very much!

The Republic/Warlord Era is what you're looking for... and there's a lot of martial-arts films set in the period, although perhaps only a few take full advantage of it. For starters, From the Highway is set there and, until Fist of Fury came along, it seemed to be the favored period for kung-fu films. Certainly Shaw took to it as most of the early bashers are set in this period: Vengeance!, The Duel, Boxer from Shantung, The Chinese Box, King Boxer, The Casino, The Killer... all, as far as I can see, Republican Era films.

I didn't know this many Shaw Brothers movies were made about the Republican Era. I'll have to get my hands on them. From the Highway looks really engaging, and I've yet to really look at the rest! Again, thank you! =D

[Cold Bishop]

That's supposed to be The Chinese Boxer, of course.

Shaw would soon ditch them for much earlier Qing-set films, but they still occasionally made a few: New Shaolin Boxer, The Daredevils, Convict Killer. I know Wang Yu made quite a few films set in the period. But in general, if its a "basher", its either a)a Republican Era film concerning gangsters, corrupt politicos and the kung-fu schools that help them, Occupation films about "evil Japs", or c) Modern day films about drug conspiracies and vigilante justice.

I also would throw out Peking Opera Blues as one of the great "modern" examples of using the Republican Era.

There's also the Huang-Fei Hung films, which while typically set before the 20th century, I've always felt had a very Republican-era atmosphere: there all set in a slowly emerging cosmopolitan China, with modernization slowly trekking in, and with most traces of authority coming from warlords and foreign powers. In most films, you wouldn't know there was an Empress still around.

[KyFi]

Also from Shaw Brothers:

Anonymous Heroes

Savage 5

Five Tough Guys

Man of Iron

The Bloody Escape

WWII:

7 Man Army

Naval Commandos

[Killer Meteor]

The Republic/Warlord Era is what you're looking for... and there's a lot of martial-arts films set in the period, although perhaps only a few take full advantage of it. For starters, From the Highway is set there and, until Fist of Fury came along, it seemed to be the favored period for kung-fu films. Certainly Shaw took to it as most of the early bashers are set in this period: Vengeance!, The Duel, Boxer from Shantung, The Chinese Boxer, King Boxer, The Casino, The Killer... all, as far as I can see, Republican Era films.

One Armed Boxer looks to be set in the Republic Era, but its sequel retcons it to the 1740s!

[Cognoscente]

On 4/23/2014 at 6:09 AM, Seven Spirit Stance said:

What are some other modern martial arts films set in this area?

Kung Fu Executioner, Challenge of the Gamesters and Conspiracy of Thieves.