全通翻譯/翻譯社

Tsui Hark — The Master of Wuxia

For many outside Asia, Ang Lee's “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” provided the first glimpse into the Chinese genre of wuxia. Characters leap over rooftops, walk up walls, and cross swords in breathtaking duels. The movie wowed audiences worldwide and made them realize that wuxia was more than just martial arts. Wuxia stories depict brave, kind heroes with extraordinary fighting skills. The style challenges traditional Hollywood boundaries, yet shares themes with genres such as westerns. While there are many well-known directors in the field, one name stands out: Hong Kong's Tsui Hark.

Tsui's first feature, “The Butterfly Murders,” was an avant-garde fusion of murder mystery, science fiction and contemporary wuxia. The twists and turns in narrative perspective were atypical of wuxia movies, though the depiction of righteous and evil characters was familiar. Following this impressive debut, Tsui enjoyed success with movies such as “Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain,” “The Swordsman” series, and the “Once Upon a Time in China” series.

Tsui is famous for his technique of quick cuts, treating audiences to a carnival-like visual feast. He often assembles star-studded casts and makes interesting casting choices. In “The Swordsman II,” for example, Taiwanese actress Brigitte Lin plays the male character Dongfang Bubai. Fans of the Jin Yong novel were impressed by Tsui's decision to convert a relatively unimportant character into the most popular wuxia personality of the 1990s.

武俠江山──徐克既出 誰與爭鋒

對亞洲以外的許多人而言，李安的《臥虎藏龍》提供了他們認識中國武俠世界的第一步。片中人物能飛簷走壁、以刀劍進行驚險對決。武俠片令國際影迷大為驚嘆，並使他們了解到原來武俠不只是武術而已。武俠故事描述勇敢仁慈、有著高超武藝的英雄人物。這種風格考驗著傳統的好萊塢分界，卻又和西部片等類型有著共通的主題。雖然在武俠界有許多知名導演，一個名字始終引人注目，那就是香港的徐克。

徐克的首部電影《蝶變》，是部融合了謀殺懸疑、科幻和當代武俠的前衛之作。雖然正邪角色的描述令人熟悉，不過敘事觀點的轉折變化成為武俠片的另類風格。繼這部令人印象深刻的處女作之後，徐克的幾部片如《新蜀山劍俠》、《笑傲江湖》系列和《黃飛鴻》系列都大獲成功。

徐克令人稱道的是透過快速剪接手法，讓觀眾欣賞一場嘉年華會般的視覺饗宴。他常召集星光雲集的卡司，做出有趣的選角。例如《笑傲江湖之東方不敗》中台灣女演員林青霞飾演男性角色東方不敗。金庸小說迷欽佩徐克竟能將小說中相對較不重要的角色改造為一九九○年代最受歡迎的武俠人物。

資料來源：biz 互動英語電子報