Fighting Stars provides a rich and diverse account of the emergence and legacies of Hong Kong martial arts cinema stars.
Tracing the meanings and influence of stars such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li, Zhang Ziyi , and Donnie Yen against the shifting backdrops of the Hong Kong film industry, the contributors to this important volume highlight martial arts stars' cultural reach, both on a local and global scale.
Each of the chapters, written by a host of renowned international scholars, focuses on an individual film star, considering issues such as martial arts practices and philosophies, gender and age, national identities and conflicts, cinematic genres and aesthetic choices in order to understand their local and transnational cultural influence.
Edited by:
Kyle Barrowman
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 16mm
Weight: 470g
ISBN: 9781350365742
ISBN 10: 1350365742
Series: Global East Asian Screen Cultures
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 31 October 2024
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction – Fighting (for) Star Studies - Kyle Barrowman 1. Kwan Tak-hing: Pioneer of Kung Fu Cinema - Wayne Wong 2. Bruce Lee: Effective and Affective Action Techniques - Paul Bowman 3. Angela Mao: Lady Kung Fu in Search of International Markets - Man-Fung Yip 4. Kara Hui: From Young Auntie to Mother Figure - Wing-Fai Leung 5. Gordon Liu: Shaolin Hero - Eric Pellerin 6. Sammo Hung: The Kung Fu Comic’s Sublime Body - Luke White 7. Jackie Chan: A Stunting Star’s Industrial Legacy - Lauren Steimer 8. Michelle Yeoh: Combating Gender - Kyle Barrowman 9. Cynthia Rothrock: Fame, Style, and the Video Star - Meaghan Morris 10. Jet Li: A Career in Three Acts - Andy Willis 11. Zhang Ziyi: An Alternative Female Action Stardom and the Logic of Indeterminacy - Dorothy Wai Sim Lau 12. Donnie Yen: Authenticity, Nationalism, and the Bruce Lee Legacy - Leon Hunt Index
Kyle Barrowman is Adjunct Professor of Media and Cinema Studies at DePaul University, USA. He is author of Understanding Objectivism: At the Movies with Ayn Rand (2023). He has published widely on film studies and philosophy, on subjects ranging from authorship, camera movement, and martial arts to skepticism, perfectionism, and ordinary language philosophy.
Reviews for Fighting Stars: Stardom and Reception in Hong Kong Martial Arts Cinema
The book broadens our vision of the cinematic universe beyond the traditional focus on Hollywood through its excellent series of essays on stardom in the martial arts cinema of Hong Kong. They provide answers to the central question: what makes an action actor into a star? -- Stephen Teo, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
