Hong Kong martial arts legend Sammo Hung, prolific Japanese martial arts actor Yasuaki Kurata and action director Kenji Tanigaki discussed martial arts cinema and shared behind-the-scenes anecdotes together in Tokyo.
They appeared as part of a panel titled “Martial Arts on the Silver Screen: Past, Present, and Future” during TIFFCOM, the market held alongside the Tokyo International Film Festival.
“I’ve done martial arts since I was young, learned from different masters and then worked very hard to return this blessing,” said Hung. “The essence of martial arts in Hong Kong is its spirit and our work ethic. We really invested ourselves fully in our film work and we want to convey this spirit to the next generation.”
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Hung is a pivotal figure in Hong Kong cinema, appearing in more than 200 films and elevating the territory’s martial arts genre.
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He recently starred in Soi Cheang’s Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, which became the highest-grossing domestic film of all time in Hong Kong this year. It is also Hong Kong’s Oscar entry for the best international feature film category.
Kurata said that he first went to Hong Kong for auditions in 1969 after he was frustrated by the lack of major roles for him in Japan.
“I was told that I should go to Hong Kong for auditions and one of my friends thought that I was being scammed,” said Kurata. He soon found a role with Shaw Brothers Studio kungfu film Angry Guest, but had to borrow money from his parents to pay for his travel and living expenses in Hong Kong while working on the film.
Kurata said that the biggest difference he found between Hong Kong action films and Japanese action titles then was how martial arts were the central component of many Hong Kong films, while they only formed a small part of Japanese films.
“I was amazed by the level of the martial arts in Hong Kong,” Kurata said. “In Japan, films used just a bit of martial arts here and there, but in Hong Kong, the main focus of the films was the martial arts. There were more than 100 people dedicating their lives to the film and they were united by the martial arts spirit. That’s the reason why Hong Kong martial arts films really became popular globally. I would say that several American action movies later inherited that kind of spirit.”
Kurata was offered an annual contract for his work as an actor in Hong Kong, but he turned it down. Instead, he chose to work contract by contract for different films in Hong Kong. Kurata added that during this time, he became good friends with Hung and Jackie Chan.
“They really wanted to be perfect. When I worked with Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan, there were more than 60 takes for one shot in an instance. They were so thorough. I am 78 years old now and I am still very fit, which I attribute to those years of doing martial arts in Hong Kong films,” said Kurata.
For Tanigaki, he learned his craft after enrolling in Kurata’s martial arts academy, located in Osaka. While at the academy, he practised different types of martial arts and sword-fighting.
“However, while appearing in films in Kyoto, I didn’t find any opportunities to use those skills, so I started to look in other places,” said Tanigaki. “During that time, a lot of masters from other places moved to Hong Kong as it was the center of kungfu and martial arts movies. It’s like if you’re a baseball player, you go to the U.S. to become the best. I had the spirit and motivation to learn from the best, and Hong Kong had a very established system, with action directors using very established methods, so I knew I had to go there.”
Tanigaki recently wrapped production for his big-budget martial arts film The Furious, which was filmed in Thailand. He was also the stunt coordinator on Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In and has frequently collaborated with top Hong Kong directors over the last 20 years of his career.
He added that in Hong Kong, many martial arts stars like Hung are well-versed in all aspects of the filmmaking process beyond action choreography, including camera work and editing, which elevates the quality of their martial arts films.
When Hung was asked about how martial arts legends like him were planning to develop the next generation of actors in the industry, Hung’s tone turned more serious.
“Even if I teach the newer generation, what would be the outcome for them?” said Hung. “Last time, more people made kungfu films. Now, there are only a few every year. There needs to be a desire and thought process to make these kinds of films, so that there will be opportunities for these youngsters. I should be teaching them the way my masters taught me, but there must be opportunities and outcomes for them.
“Keep buying tickets to Hong Kong films. Bring your friends with you,” added Hung.