IP MAN

China, 2010, 106 minutes, Colour.
Donnie Yuen,
Directed by Wilson Yip.

Ip Man is a biography of the early years of the martial arts grandmaster, Ip Man. It shows him living in Foshan, in Southern China, skilled in his version of martial arts but not acting as a teacher or master. However, he is highly respected. There is a dramatic crisis when martial arts champions from the north come to Foshan, fight the leading experts and finally confront Ip Man who beats the leader and humiliates him. Previously the film had shown the confrontation between IP Man and the local master. Ip Man’s wife is not in favor of the fights, thinking he spends too much time attending to martial arts and neglecting his son.

Ip Man is wealthy and invests his money in a local industry. However, the Japanese invade China and things change extensively in Foshan. Ip Man loses his money, and is forced to labour shoveling coal.

The Japanese general sees himself as a martial arts champion, Japan superior to China. He arranges bouts and finally fights Ip Man himself and is soundly beaten. However, Ip Man is humiliated, as is the Manager of the factory. Ip Man trains the staff in martial arts and they confront the Japanese. Ip Man and his wife and son are smuggled out of the country to Hong Kong. This is where this film ends.

It was followed by a sequel, Ip Man 2, tracing his career in Hong Kong after World War II.

Another company produced a prequel about Ip Man and the writer also contributed to a fourth film tracing Ip Man’s career in Hong Kong after he became a respected grandmaster and trained, amongst others, Bruce Lee.

This film was directed by Wilson Yip. He also directed the sequel. Ip Man is played by Donnie Yuen.

The story was told much more stylishly and intricately by Wong Kar Wai in his epic style film, The Grandmaster.

1. The impact of the film on Chinese audiences? On experts into martial arts? For wider audiences?

2. The atmosphere of Foshan in the 1930s? Community life, business, industry? Prosperity? Holmes, streets, factories?

3. The staging of the martial arts bouts? Choreography? Editing and pace? The fights with IP Man? His defeat of the local master? The fights with the
champions from the north? The Japanese general and the bouts? Ip Man and his defeat of the general? Training the factory staff to confront the Japanese?

4. The life of IP Man, citizen of Foshan, his wife and her disapproval of the fights, her change of mind? His son, the drawing, feeling he was neglected, the wife and her demands on her husband? Allowing the fight with the northern champions in the house, breaKing of vases, paying, buying the substitutes?

5. The manager of the factory, the gift of the money, his wanting his son to be trained in martial arts? The later scenes of the factory under Japanese occupation, the manager being humiliated, the training of the staff, the confrontation scenes, the role played by the manager’s son?

6. IP Man and his reputation? Seen as a master? His dignity? The episode of his fight with the local master? The young man and his kite? Witnessing the fight? Telling everyone? The local master upset, denying defeat? Ip Man’s presence, the older brother, saving face, humiliating his brother, the brother’s disappearance?

7. Japanese invasion and its impact on China? The occupation of Foshan? Ip Man losing his money? Looking for work, labouring in show for a in shoveling coal? The young man looKing for his brother, the tin box with the kite? The brother and his defeat, the Japanese killing him? IP Man and finding the brother, and giving him the box? The young man weeping?

8. The household, hungry, the lack of food?

9. The Japanese general, the local policeman and his interpreting? Despised by the locals? Being beaten by the Japanese? His helping Ip Man? the arrangement of the fights, taKing on big numbers, the defeat of the Chinese?

10. Ip Man and his being persuaded to fight the general, the bout, the resounding defeat?

11. The Japanese officers, their arrogance, their violence, humiliating the locals?

12. The champions from the north becoming bandits, robbing the factory, confronting the manager, returning and the stuff defeating them? The younger
brother being part of the group?

13. Ip Man’s wife and child, the manager, returning to see IP Man and fight? His being wounded? The rising up of the local Chinese, defending the champion?

14. The family being smuggled out of the country to Hong Kong?

15. Ip Man’s subsequent career in Hong Kong, becoming the grand master?