Fearless, directed by Ronnie Yu, is a biopic about legendary Huo Yuanjia (played by Jet Li), who was primarily responsible for the revival of Chinese martial arts in the beginning of the twentieth century. The film, entitled Huo Yuanjia in China, begins in 1910, when a contest is underway between Huo and four top pugilists from the countries with extraterritorial rights in Shanghai. Huo easily vanquishes the three Westerners (played by Jean-Claude Leuyer, Brandon Rhea, and Anthony De Longis), and he is about to enter the ring with the fourth competitor, Anno Tanaka (played by Nakamura Shidou), when the scene shifts back to 1880 to his home in Tianjin. As a boy of about five years old, he has pride in his father (played by Collin Chou), a Wushu martial arts expert, and wants to learn how to fight. However, his father discourages him, hoping that he will master the Chinese language and thereby enter an honorable profession. After his father loses a match to a rival, the rival’s young son taunts him, whereupon he tries to fight back but loses. He then resolves never to lose another fight again, so he trains vigorously. In 1900, he defeats an itinerant Western fighter and various local challengers, but to become best fighter in Tianjin he must vanquish the reigning champ. He does, but the son of that champ kills his mother and sister in retaliation for the unexpected death of his father. Huo is so overcome with grief that he escapes to a ricegrowing countryside in Thailand for several years. When he comes out of hiding in 1907, he enters a match with a hitherto undefeated Western pugilist in Beijing; however, instead of signing the traditional oath that he will accept death in the fight, he refuses. Although the match is nearly a draw, his Caucasian opponent concedes graciously. After his victory and accompanying cash reward, he launches the Jin Wu Sports Federation, which is dedicated to the art, not the brutality, of Chinese martial arts. The action then returns to the final match in 1910. Tanaka at first believes that the fight is unfair because Huo is exhausted from three previous bouts, but his backer insists, having placed a large bet on him. After a draw for two rounds, poison is secretly placed in Huo's tea refreshment before round three. As he fights, he realizes that the dose is fatal, and he regurgitates blood in the ring. Tanaka then refuses to go on, but the climax of the film revolves around whether Huo wants to fight until death. Credits at the end of the film note that Huo died at age 42 and that the Jin Wu Sports Federation now has chapters in more than thirty countries around the world. Indeed, the school was featured in Bruce Lee’s Fists of Fury (1972). Fearless is thus more a biopic than a martial arts film, perhaps the last that Jet Li will act in the latter genre. MH
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