The world of international film can be a tough nut to crack. Even for dedicated cinephiles, there’s an undeniable intimidation at taking in films from a culture outside one’s own, whether it’s the conscious disconnect caused through subtitles or voice dubbing, or the shock of being completely transported to a foreign culture without a reference point.
Yet it’s those same elements that can make it so rewarding.
This week’s Cinema Pacific festival brings some of the best in Asian cinema right to our backyard. Various film screenings, talks and art exhibitions will occur across Eugene from April 27 to May 3.
Here’s some recommendations:
If you’re into Kill Bill, check out Once Upon A Time In China Wednesday, April 29 at 8p.p., at Bijou Art Cinemas
During the ’80s and ’90s, American film buffs got turned onto the world of Hong Kong “Wuxia” cinema. This subgenre focuses on action-heavy adaptations of ancient Chinese folklore. Fights were shot from a distance, showing off complex choreography that celebrates a long cultural legacy of martial arts. Through the use of wires and old-school theatrical craftsmanship, Jet Li leaps impossible distances in Once Upon A Time In China with grace and weight.
It’s that same love for practical wire work that Quentin Tarantino would use for the iconic fight sequences in the Kill Bill saga. The final showdown in Kill Bill: Volume One is a 20-minute love letter to Wuxia film, but at a distinctly American pace.
If you’re into Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon check out A Touch Of Zen Tuesday April 28 at 7 p.m., at the Bijou Metro
You can see more of these origins in A Touch Of Zen. King Hu’s 1971 epic is a three-hour story of corruption and love that displays remarkable eye for choreography. A duel in a bamboo forest has our protagonists leaping effortlessly from ground to stalk, as is gravity is foreign to them.
If you’re into The Matrix, check out Tai Chi ZeroSunday May 3 at 4:00 in 156 Straub Hall (including a Skype conversation with star and producer Daniel Wu).
That iconic sense of weightlessness would work its way through the grapevine to the Wachoskis, who show their Asian influences in The Matrix trilogy. The same fascination with flight would manifest as impossible “bullet time” sequences, and hand-to-hand combat that bounces off any flat surface in the room. It’s small mutual connections like this that can make foreign films more digestible than one would expect. But it’s not just American filmmakers taking inspiration from Asian film — The Matrix in particular can be seen in modern kung-fu films coming right out of the heartland.
Such is the case with Tai Chi Zero. Zero‘s high-stakes and highly creative fights show the measured energy and gravity-defiance of classic Wuxia film, yet it adopts the computer-enhanced visuals and circular shooting styles popularized by the Wachoskis.
There’s even more connections to be found. Dr. Kin-Yan Szeto will present a talk on “Wuxia Cinema after Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which will investigate how one of the genre’s most popular modern entries changed the genre permanently. A screening of the film will follow that night at 9:15 p.m., at the Bijou Metro.
Even if you’re not a fan of action, Cinema Pacific will bring some of the world’s most original films to our campus.
Follow Chris Berg on Twitter @Mushroomer25