Tsui Hark
Encyclopedia
Tsui Hark born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong New Wave
film director and producer. He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema (typically early 1980s to mid 1990s).
, Vietnam, in a large Chinese immigrant family with sixteen siblings. By the age of 13, he and his family immigrated to Hong Kong
. Tsui showed an early interest in show business and films; when he was 10, he and some friends rented an 8 mm camera to film a magic show they put on at school. He also drew comic books, an interest that would influence his cinematic style.
Tsui started his secondary education in Hong Kong in 1966. He proceeded to study film in Texas
, first at Southern Methodist University
and then at the University of Texas at Austin
, graduating in 1975. He claims to have told his parents he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps as a pharmacist, and that it was here he changed his given name to Hark ("overcoming").
After graduation, Tsui moved to New York City
, where he worked on From Spikes to Spindles (1976), a noted documentary film by Christine Choy on the history of the city's Chinatown. He also worked as an editor for a Chinese newspaper, developed a community theatre group and worked in a Chinese cable TV station. He returned to Hong Kong in 1977.
(1979), was an eccentric and technically challenging blend of wuxia
, murder mystery and science fiction / fantasy elements. His second film, We're Going to Eat You
(1980), was an eccentric blend of cannibal horror, black comedy and martial arts.
Tsui's third film, Dangerous Encounter of the First Kind (1980), put him beyond the pale. The thriller about delinquent youths on a bombing spree was nihilistic, grisly and pregnant with angry political subtext. Heavily censored by the British colonial government, it was released in 1981 in a drastically altered version titled Dangerous Encounter – 1st Kind (or alternatively, Don't Play with Fire). Unsurprisingly, it was not a financial success. However, it helped to make Tsui a darling of film critics who had coined the New Wave label and were hopeful for a more aesthetically daring cinema, more engaged with the realities of contemporary Hong Kong.
and Dean Shek
, that was instrumental in codifying the slick Hong Kong blockbuster films of the 1980s. Tsui played his part in the process with pictures like the 1981 crime farce All the Wrong Clues, his first hit, and Aces Go Places 3
(1984), part of the studio's long-running spy spoof series.
In 1983, Tsui directed the wuxia
fantasy film Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain
(1983) for the studio Golden Harvest
. Tsui imported Hollywood technicians to help create special effects whose number and complexity were unprecedented in Chinese-language cinema and remains preoccupied with pushing back the boundaries of the industry's effects technology.
Many former champions were disappointed by this turn to crowd pleasing pop films and in some quarters he is regarded as a sellout and a prime example of Hong Kong film's inability to rise above vulgarity and commercialism.
along with his wife and occasional co-producer, Nansun Shi
, making it a home base for a tirelessly prolific roster of directing and producing projects. Here, he also developed a reputation as a hands-on and even intrusive producer of other directors' work, fueled by public breaks with major filmmakers like John Woo
and King Hu
. His most longstanding and fruitful collaboration has probably been with Ching Siu-tung
. As action choreographer and/or director on many Film Workshop productions, Ching made a major contribution to the well-known Tsui style.
Film Workshop releases became consistent box office hits in Hong Kong and around Asia, drawing audiences with their visual adventurousness, their broad commercial appeal, and hectic camerawork and pace. Tsui has the knack of trend-setting in film genres. He produced John Woo
's A Better Tomorrow
(1986), which launched a craze for the hardboiled mob film or "triad" movies, and Ching Siu-tung's A Chinese Ghost Story
(1987), which did the same for period ghost fantasies. Zu Warriors and The Swordsman
(1990) brought back the long-out-of-favor wuxia film.
In fact, Tsui's "movie brat" nostalgia is one of the main ingredients in his work. He often resurrects and revises classic films and genres: the murder mystery in The Butterfly Murders
(1979); the Shanghai musical comedy in Shanghai Blues (1985). Peking Opera Blues
(1986) plays with and pays tribute to the traditions of the Peking opera that his mother took him to see as a small boy and which had such a strong influence on Hong Kong action cinema. The Lovers
(1994) adapts a retold, cross-dressing period romance, best known from Li Han-hsiang's 1963 opera film The Love Eterne. A Chinese Ghost Story remakes Li's supernatural romance The Enchanting Shadow (1959) as a special effects action movie.
The pattern is also seen in perhaps Tsui's most successful work to date, the Once Upon a Time in China film series (1991–97). Jet Li
played the role of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung in the first three films and the sixth, Once Upon a Time in China and America
. This series is the clearest expression in his oeuvre of Tsui's Chinese nationalism and his passionate engagement with the upheavals of Chinese history, particularly in the face of Western power and influence.
Tsui also dabbled in acting, mostly for other directors. Notable roles include one-third of the comic relief trio in Corey Yuen
's film Yes, Madam!
(1985) and a villain in Patrick Tam's darkly comic crime story Final Victory (1987), written by Wong Kar-wai
. He also made frequent cameo appearances in his own productions, such as a music judge in A Better Tomorrow
and a phony FBI agent in Aces Go Places II.
In the face of an industry downturn in the '90s, he produced two expensive and unpopular movies that proved he could fold the caustic cynicism of his early work into his blockbuster formula. Green Snake
(1993) was an erotic and darkly apocalyptic take on a favorite Chinese fairy tale. The Blade (1995) was a gory, deliberately rough-hewn and anti-heroic revision of the 1967 wuxia
classic The One-Armed Swordsman.
. In the mid-'90s, Tsui tried Hollywood again with two films starring Jean-Claude Van Damme
: Double Team (1997) and Knock Off (1998). In 2002, Tsui released Black Mask 2: City of Masks
, an American market sequel to Jet Li's 1996 film
.
(2000) and The Legend of Zu
(2001) were action extravaganzas with lavish computer-generated imagery that gained cult admirers but no mass success.
Tsui continues to push technical boundaries and revise old favourites. Master Q 2001 was Hong Kong's first combination of live action and Pixar
-style 3D computer animation. Era of Vampires (2002; U.S. title, "Tsui Hark's Vampire Hunters") reworked a sub-genre popular in the '80s, hybrid martial arts / supernatural horror films featuring the "hopping corpses" of Chinese folk legend.
In 2005, Tsui launched the multimedia production Seven Swords
, a film adaptation of Liang Yusheng
's novels Saiwai Qixia Zhuan
and Qijian Xia Tianshan. The film came with a television series counterpart (Seven Swordsmen
), a comic book series, a cellphone game, clothing brand, and an online multi-player video game. The film was relatively successful, and in February 2006 Tsui announced plans to begin filming the second late in the year. As of 2008, Tsui continues to work on the script for Seven Swords 2 in between filming projects. In 2011 there has been no news nor plans about a Seven Swords 2. Rumors has it that due to lack of interest by the filmmakers of finishing the hexalogy lead the project into being cancelled.
In August 2008, Tsui provided art direction for the direct-to-video anime feature titled Kungfu Master (a.k.a. Wong Fei Hong vs Kungfu Panda), an apparent unofficial sequel to Kung Fu Panda
, featuring Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. Also in 2008 was the thriller Missing starring Angelica Lee
. His latest comedy film All About Women
features wonky sound editing and comic graphics.
In 2010 he announced his first 3-D film, The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate
, which is a re-imagine of his 1992 film New Dragon Gate Inn
starring Jet Li. In 2011 Huayi Brothers
announced that Tsui will be making a prequel to Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, possibly in 3-D. Recently he has announced another children's film project titled Monster Wanted (possibly a working title.)
In October 2011, Tsui received the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award at the 16th Busan International Film Festival for his contributions to Hong Kong cinema. He is the fifth Chinese filmmaker to receive this award at Busan.
, Tsui announced that it would be a six part hexalogy.
When presenting his anime film The Warrior he said that he promises that he will make a film adaption of Journey to the West
but does not know whether to make it in anime form or live-action form when the time is ripe. However, he feels that the technology is not yet mature enough for him to realise his ambition yet, and he needs to come up with the right script first.
After the release of Seven Swords he said he felt that the film was not big enough for his comeback and that he wants to make a film called The Remnants. Tsui explained that the film's plot would be about a team of archaeologists led by Donnie Yen
gathering rare artifacts and treasures from around the globe and returning them to a museum.
Tsui also planned to shoot a film called Shaolin Fighter starring Jet Li
and Li Bingbing
during the second half of 2006 but the film was either halted or cancelled.
In a recent interview Tsui announced that he will be filming a new project titled The Taking of Tiger Mountain in November 2011. He is also currently developing the script to another Detective Dee film.
album Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins.
Hong Kong New Wave
The Hong Kong New Wave was a blanket term applied to a number of young, groundbreaking Hong Kong filmmakers of the late 1970s and 1980s, many trained in overseas film programs and with experience in the territory's thriving television drama scene...
film director and producer. He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema (typically early 1980s to mid 1990s).
Early life
Tsui was born and raised in SaigonHo Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
, Vietnam, in a large Chinese immigrant family with sixteen siblings. By the age of 13, he and his family immigrated to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Tsui showed an early interest in show business and films; when he was 10, he and some friends rented an 8 mm camera to film a magic show they put on at school. He also drew comic books, an interest that would influence his cinematic style.
Tsui started his secondary education in Hong Kong in 1966. He proceeded to study film in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, first at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
and then at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, graduating in 1975. He claims to have told his parents he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps as a pharmacist, and that it was here he changed his given name to Hark ("overcoming").
After graduation, Tsui moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he worked on From Spikes to Spindles (1976), a noted documentary film by Christine Choy on the history of the city's Chinatown. He also worked as an editor for a Chinese newspaper, developed a community theatre group and worked in a Chinese cable TV station. He returned to Hong Kong in 1977.
New Wave period
Upon turning to feature filmmaking, Tsui was quickly typed as a member of the "New Wave" of young, iconoclastic directors. His debut film, The Butterfly MurdersThe Butterfly Murders
The Butterfly Murders is a 1979 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Tsui Hark. It has elements of history and a murder mystery. The film is not available on tape or DVD in the West, though there was a Hong Kong release.-Plot:...
(1979), was an eccentric and technically challenging blend of wuxia
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
, murder mystery and science fiction / fantasy elements. His second film, We're Going to Eat You
We're Going to Eat You
We're Going to Eat You is a Hong Kong horror-comedy film directed by Tsui Hark. The film is about a secret agent with code number 999 who is attempting to capture a thief named Rolex. Agent 999's hunt leads him to a village that is inhabited by cannibals...
(1980), was an eccentric blend of cannibal horror, black comedy and martial arts.
Tsui's third film, Dangerous Encounter of the First Kind (1980), put him beyond the pale. The thriller about delinquent youths on a bombing spree was nihilistic, grisly and pregnant with angry political subtext. Heavily censored by the British colonial government, it was released in 1981 in a drastically altered version titled Dangerous Encounter – 1st Kind (or alternatively, Don't Play with Fire). Unsurprisingly, it was not a financial success. However, it helped to make Tsui a darling of film critics who had coined the New Wave label and were hopeful for a more aesthetically daring cinema, more engaged with the realities of contemporary Hong Kong.
Blockbuster cinema
In 1981, Tsui joined Cinema City, a new production company founded by comedians Raymond Wong, Karl MakaKarl Maka
Karl Maka is a popular Hong Kong producer, director, actor and presenter. He was born on 29 February 1944 in Taishan, China. One of his popular movie is the Aces Go Places film series which he acted alongside Sam Hui....
and Dean Shek
Dean Shek
Dean Shek aka Dean Shek Tien is a veteran Hong Kong feature film actor and film producer with over 92 films acting credits to his name...
, that was instrumental in codifying the slick Hong Kong blockbuster films of the 1980s. Tsui played his part in the process with pictures like the 1981 crime farce All the Wrong Clues, his first hit, and Aces Go Places 3
Aces Go Places 3
Aces Go Places 3 , also known in the United States as Mad Mission 3: Our Man from Bond Street, is a 1984 Hong Kong action-comedy film directed by Tsui Hark and starring Sam Hui and Karl Maka.-Cast:* Sam Hui* Karl Maka* Sylvia Chang...
(1984), part of the studio's long-running spy spoof series.
In 1983, Tsui directed the wuxia
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
fantasy film Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain
Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain
Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain is a 1983 Hong Kong supernatural fantasy film directed by Tsui Hark, who attempts to combine Hong Kong action cinema with Western special effects technology...
(1983) for the studio Golden Harvest
Golden Harvest
Golden Harvest is a film production, distribution, and exhibition company based in Hong Kong. It played a major role in becoming the first Chinese film company to successfully enter the western market for an extended period of time, especially with the films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan...
. Tsui imported Hollywood technicians to help create special effects whose number and complexity were unprecedented in Chinese-language cinema and remains preoccupied with pushing back the boundaries of the industry's effects technology.
Many former champions were disappointed by this turn to crowd pleasing pop films and in some quarters he is regarded as a sellout and a prime example of Hong Kong film's inability to rise above vulgarity and commercialism.
Mogul
In 1984, Tsui formed the production company Film WorkshopFilm Workshop
Film Workshop Co. Ltd. , is a Hong Kong production company and film distributor. It was founded in April 1984 by producer/director Tsui Hark and his wife, Nansun Shi...
along with his wife and occasional co-producer, Nansun Shi
Nansun Shi
Nansun Shi, born Shi Nan-Sun , is a Hong Kong film producer, presenter and a former Senior Advisor for Media Asia Group. She has been in the film industry for nearly thirty years, and has contributed a lot to the Hong Kong cinema scene since the late 1970s...
, making it a home base for a tirelessly prolific roster of directing and producing projects. Here, he also developed a reputation as a hands-on and even intrusive producer of other directors' work, fueled by public breaks with major filmmakers like John Woo
John Woo
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard...
and King Hu
King Hu
King Hu was a Hong Kong- and Taiwan-based Chinese film director whose Wuxia films brought Chinese cinema to new technical and artistic heights. His films Come Drink with Me , Dragon Gate Inn and A Touch of Zen inaugurated a new generation of wuxia films in the late 1960s...
. His most longstanding and fruitful collaboration has probably been with Ching Siu-tung
Ching Siu-tung
Ching Siu-tung , also known as Tony Ching, is a Hong Kong action choreographer, actor, film director and producer, who has directed over 20 films, including the critically acclaimed supernatural fantasy A Chinese Ghost Story .-Career:...
. As action choreographer and/or director on many Film Workshop productions, Ching made a major contribution to the well-known Tsui style.
Film Workshop releases became consistent box office hits in Hong Kong and around Asia, drawing audiences with their visual adventurousness, their broad commercial appeal, and hectic camerawork and pace. Tsui has the knack of trend-setting in film genres. He produced John Woo
John Woo
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard...
's A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow is a 1986 Hong Kong action film which had a profound influence on the Hong Kong film-making industry, and later on an international scale.Directed by John Woo, it stars Chow Yun-fat, Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung...
(1986), which launched a craze for the hardboiled mob film or "triad" movies, and Ching Siu-tung's A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy horror film starring Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, and Wu Ma, directed by Ching Siu-tung, and produced by Tsui Hark...
(1987), which did the same for period ghost fantasies. Zu Warriors and The Swordsman
The Swordsman
The Swordsman or Swordsman is a 1990 Hong Kong wuxia film. King Hu was credited as the director but he allegedly left the project midway, and the film was completed by a team led by producer Tsui Hark. The film is adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer...
(1990) brought back the long-out-of-favor wuxia film.
In fact, Tsui's "movie brat" nostalgia is one of the main ingredients in his work. He often resurrects and revises classic films and genres: the murder mystery in The Butterfly Murders
The Butterfly Murders
The Butterfly Murders is a 1979 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Tsui Hark. It has elements of history and a murder mystery. The film is not available on tape or DVD in the West, though there was a Hong Kong release.-Plot:...
(1979); the Shanghai musical comedy in Shanghai Blues (1985). Peking Opera Blues
Peking Opera Blues
Peking Opera Blues is a 1986 Hong Kong film directed by Tsui Hark. The movie combines comedy, Hong Kong action, and serious drama with scenes involving Peking Opera...
(1986) plays with and pays tribute to the traditions of the Peking opera that his mother took him to see as a small boy and which had such a strong influence on Hong Kong action cinema. The Lovers
The Lovers (1994 film)
The Lovers is a 1994 Hong Kong romance film based on the Chinese legend of the Butterfly Lovers. It was directed and produced by Tsui Hark, and starred Nicky Wu, Charlie Yeung, Elvis Tsui and Carrie Ng...
(1994) adapts a retold, cross-dressing period romance, best known from Li Han-hsiang's 1963 opera film The Love Eterne. A Chinese Ghost Story remakes Li's supernatural romance The Enchanting Shadow (1959) as a special effects action movie.
The pattern is also seen in perhaps Tsui's most successful work to date, the Once Upon a Time in China film series (1991–97). Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
played the role of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung in the first three films and the sixth, Once Upon a Time in China and America
Once Upon a Time in China and America
Once Upon a Time in China and America, also known as Once Upon a Time in China VI, is a 1997 Hong Kong martial arts action film co-written and produced by Tsui Hark and directed by Sammo Hung, who also worked on the film's fight choreography. The film is the sixth and final installment in the Once...
. This series is the clearest expression in his oeuvre of Tsui's Chinese nationalism and his passionate engagement with the upheavals of Chinese history, particularly in the face of Western power and influence.
Tsui also dabbled in acting, mostly for other directors. Notable roles include one-third of the comic relief trio in Corey Yuen
Corey Yuen
Corey Yuen Kwai is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and producer. He was a member of the Peking Opera Schools and one of the Seven Little Fortunes.-Life and career:...
's film Yes, Madam!
Yes, Madam
Yes, Madam is a 1985 Hong Kong action film directed by Corey Yuen and starring Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock. The film is Yeoh's first major action role and Rothrock's first appearance in a feature film....
(1985) and a villain in Patrick Tam's darkly comic crime story Final Victory (1987), written by Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai BBS is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized, emotionally resonant work, including Days of Being Wild , Ashes of Time , Chungking Express , Fallen Angels , Happy Together and 2046...
. He also made frequent cameo appearances in his own productions, such as a music judge in A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow is a 1986 Hong Kong action film which had a profound influence on the Hong Kong film-making industry, and later on an international scale.Directed by John Woo, it stars Chow Yun-fat, Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung...
and a phony FBI agent in Aces Go Places II.
In the face of an industry downturn in the '90s, he produced two expensive and unpopular movies that proved he could fold the caustic cynicism of his early work into his blockbuster formula. Green Snake
Green Snake
Green Snake is a 1993 Hong Kong fantasy film made by Tsui Hark. It is the adaptation of a novel of the same title by Lilian Lee....
(1993) was an erotic and darkly apocalyptic take on a favorite Chinese fairy tale. The Blade (1995) was a gory, deliberately rough-hewn and anti-heroic revision of the 1967 wuxia
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
classic The One-Armed Swordsman.
American films
In 1990, Tsui had already attempted a low-budget American action film, the barely released and little seen The Master, with a pre-superstardom Jet LiJet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
. In the mid-'90s, Tsui tried Hollywood again with two films starring Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
: Double Team (1997) and Knock Off (1998). In 2002, Tsui released Black Mask 2: City of Masks
Black Mask 2: City of Masks
Black Mask 2: City of Masks is a 2002 Hong Kong action film directed by Tsui Hark. Andy On took over the role of Black Mask when original actor Jet Li opted not to return. The film also starred Tobin Bell, Jon Polito, Tyler Mane, Rob Van Dam, Traci Lords, and Scott Adkins-Overview:Black Mask 2 is...
, an American market sequel to Jet Li's 1996 film
Black Mask (film)
Black Mask is a 1996 Hong Kong action film starring Jet Li, Lau Ching-Wan, Karen Mok and Anthony Wong Chau-Sang. It was directed by Daniel Lee and produced by Tsui Hark and his production company Film Workshop....
.
2000s
Tsui returned to directing at home in 2000 after not having made a local film since 1996. Time and TideTime and Tide (2000 film)
Time and Tide is a 2000 Hong Kong action film directed by Tsui Hark. The film is set in Hong Kong where a young man becomes a bodyguard and befriends a mercenary determined to begin life a new with the woman he just married...
(2000) and The Legend of Zu
The Legend of Zu
The Legend of Zu, also known as Zu Warriors in the United States, is a 2001 Hong Kong film produced and directed by Tsui Hark. The film starred Ekin Cheng, Louis Koo, Cecilia Cheung, Patrick Tam, Zhang Ziyi and Sammo Hung...
(2001) were action extravaganzas with lavish computer-generated imagery that gained cult admirers but no mass success.
Tsui continues to push technical boundaries and revise old favourites. Master Q 2001 was Hong Kong's first combination of live action and Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
-style 3D computer animation. Era of Vampires (2002; U.S. title, "Tsui Hark's Vampire Hunters") reworked a sub-genre popular in the '80s, hybrid martial arts / supernatural horror films featuring the "hopping corpses" of Chinese folk legend.
In 2005, Tsui launched the multimedia production Seven Swords
Seven Swords
Seven Swords is a 2005 Hong Kong wuxia film adapted from Liang Yusheng's novel Qijian Xia Tianshan. It was produced and directed by Tsui Hark, and starred Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Charlie Yeung, Sun Honglei, Lu Yi and Kim So-yeon...
, a film adaptation of Liang Yusheng
Liang Yusheng
Chen Wentong , better known by his pen name Liang Yusheng , is a Chinese writer of wuxia novels.He is credited as the pioneer of the "new school" wuxia genre in the 20th century, as well as one of the three most esteemed wuxia writers in the second half of the 20th century .-Biography:Chen was...
's novels Saiwai Qixia Zhuan
Saiwai Qixia Zhuan
Saiwai Qixia Zhuan is a wuxia novel by Liang Yusheng. It was first published in China in January 1984. The novel is closely related to another of Liang's works, Qijian Xia Tianshan and Baifa Monü Zhuan.-Plot:...
and Qijian Xia Tianshan. The film came with a television series counterpart (Seven Swordsmen
Seven Swordsmen
Seven Swordsmen is a 2006 television series directed by Clarence Fok and produced by Tsui Hark. The series is adapted from Liang Yusheng's novels Qijian Xia Tianshan and Saiwai Qixia Zhuan...
), a comic book series, a cellphone game, clothing brand, and an online multi-player video game. The film was relatively successful, and in February 2006 Tsui announced plans to begin filming the second late in the year. As of 2008, Tsui continues to work on the script for Seven Swords 2 in between filming projects. In 2011 there has been no news nor plans about a Seven Swords 2. Rumors has it that due to lack of interest by the filmmakers of finishing the hexalogy lead the project into being cancelled.
In August 2008, Tsui provided art direction for the direct-to-video anime feature titled Kungfu Master (a.k.a. Wong Fei Hong vs Kungfu Panda), an apparent unofficial sequel to Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures...
, featuring Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. Also in 2008 was the thriller Missing starring Angelica Lee
Angelica Lee
Angelica Lee Sin-Jie is a Malaysian Chinese film actress and pop singer. She started her career in singing and later moved on to acting in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Lee starred in The Eye, the hit Asian horror film by the Pang Brothers, winning her the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress, Best Actress...
. His latest comedy film All About Women
All About Women
All About Women , originally titled She Ain't Mean and Not All Women Are Bad, is a 2008 Chinese romantic comedy-drama film directed by Tsui Hark, who also edited the film, and co-wrote the story and screenplay with famed Korean filmmaker Kwak Jae-yong...
features wonky sound editing and comic graphics.
2010s
Tsui's latest work in 2010 is Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, a rare but successful blend of wuxia, suspense-thriller, mystery, and comedy, which was in competition for the Golden Lion award and was also nominated and won numerous amount of other awards.In 2010 he announced his first 3-D film, The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate
The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate
The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate is an upcoming wuxia film directed by Tsui Hark and starring Jet Li, Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Li Yuchun, Kwai Lun-mei, Louis Fan and Mavis Fan. The film is a remake of Dragon Gate Inn and New Dragon Gate Inn...
, which is a re-imagine of his 1992 film New Dragon Gate Inn
New Dragon Gate Inn
New Dragon Gate Inn is a 1992 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Raymond Lee and produced by Tsui Hark, starring Tony Leung Ka-fai, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung and Donnie Yen. It was released as Dragon Inn in North America....
starring Jet Li. In 2011 Huayi Brothers
Huayi Brothers
Huayi Brothers Media is a movie producer and record label, founded in China in 1994 by two brothers Huang Zhongjun and Huang Zhonglei.-History:...
announced that Tsui will be making a prequel to Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, possibly in 3-D. Recently he has announced another children's film project titled Monster Wanted (possibly a working title.)
In October 2011, Tsui received the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award at the 16th Busan International Film Festival for his contributions to Hong Kong cinema. He is the fifth Chinese filmmaker to receive this award at Busan.
Possible future projects
During the pre-production phase of Seven SwordsSeven Swords
Seven Swords is a 2005 Hong Kong wuxia film adapted from Liang Yusheng's novel Qijian Xia Tianshan. It was produced and directed by Tsui Hark, and starred Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Charlie Yeung, Sun Honglei, Lu Yi and Kim So-yeon...
, Tsui announced that it would be a six part hexalogy.
When presenting his anime film The Warrior he said that he promises that he will make a film adaption of Journey to the West
Journey to the West
Journey to the West is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. It was written by Wu Cheng'en in the 16th century. In English-speaking countries, the tale is also often known simply as Monkey. This was one title used for a popular, abridged translation by Arthur Waley...
but does not know whether to make it in anime form or live-action form when the time is ripe. However, he feels that the technology is not yet mature enough for him to realise his ambition yet, and he needs to come up with the right script first.
After the release of Seven Swords he said he felt that the film was not big enough for his comeback and that he wants to make a film called The Remnants. Tsui explained that the film's plot would be about a team of archaeologists led by Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...
gathering rare artifacts and treasures from around the globe and returning them to a museum.
Tsui also planned to shoot a film called Shaolin Fighter starring Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
and Li Bingbing
Li Bingbing
Li Bingbing is a Chinese actress and singer.-Life and career:Li had no intention of becoming an actress initially and enrolled specifically in a high school for prospective school teachers...
during the second half of 2006 but the film was either halted or cancelled.
In a recent interview Tsui announced that he will be filming a new project titled The Taking of Tiger Mountain in November 2011. He is also currently developing the script to another Detective Dee film.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Roles | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 蝶變 |
director | |
| 1980 | Hell Has No Gates 地獄無門 |
director | |
| 1980 | Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind 第一類型危險 |
director | |
| 1981 | All the Wrong Clues | director | |
| 1982 | Aces Go Places Aces Go Places Aces Go Places, , also known in the United States as Diamondfinger or Mad Mission 1, is a 1982 Hong Kong action/comedy film directed by Eric Tsang, and starring Sam Hui and Karl Maka.-Plot:... 最佳拍檔 |
cameo | |
| 1983 | Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain is a 1983 Hong Kong supernatural fantasy film directed by Tsui Hark, who attempts to combine Hong Kong action cinema with Western special effects technology... 新蜀山劍俠 |
director, actor | |
| 1983 | Search for the Gods | director | |
| 1983 | Aces Go Places 2 Aces Go Places 2 Aces Go Places 2 , is a 1983 Hong Kong action-comedy film directed by Eric Tsang and starring Sam Hui, Sylvia Chang and Karl Maka. The film has also been dubbed into English and was released overseas as Mad Mission II.... 最佳拍檔大顯神通 |
cameo | |
| 1984 | Shanghai Blues Shanghai Blues Shanghai Blues is a Hong Kong film directed by Tsui Hark, which had its premiere on September 1984. Kenny Bee, Sylvia Chang and Sally Yeh starred in this film. The music is composed by Wong Jim... 上海之夜 |
director | Nominated — Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director is an annual Hong Kong industry award presented to a director for the best achievement in cinematic direction.-History:... Nominated — Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film is an annual Hong Kong industry award presented to the films which is considered the best of the year.-History:... |
| 1984 | Aces Go Places 3 Aces Go Places 3 Aces Go Places 3 , also known in the United States as Mad Mission 3: Our Man from Bond Street, is a 1984 Hong Kong action-comedy film directed by Tsui Hark and starring Sam Hui and Karl Maka.-Cast:* Sam Hui* Karl Maka* Sylvia Chang... 最佳拍檔之女皇密令 |
director | |
| 1985 | Working Class 打工皇帝 |
director | |
| 1986 | Peking Opera Blues Peking Opera Blues Peking Opera Blues is a 1986 Hong Kong film directed by Tsui Hark. The movie combines comedy, Hong Kong action, and serious drama with scenes involving Peking Opera... 刀馬旦 |
director | |
| 1986 | Spirit Chaser Aisha | director | |
| 1986 | 英雄本色 |
producer, cameo | |
| 1987 | 倩女幽魂 |
producer | |
| 1987 | 英雄本色2 |
producer, writer | |
| 1988 | 城市特警 |
director, actor | |
| 1989 | 龍行天下 |
director, producer, writer | |
| 1989 | 英雄本色3之夕陽之歌 |
director, producer, writer | |
| 1989 | 喋血雙雄 |
producer | |
| 1990 | The Swordsman The Swordsman The Swordsman or Swordsman is a 1990 Hong Kong wuxia film. King Hu was credited as the director but he allegedly left the project midway, and the film was completed by a team led by producer Tsui Hark. The film is adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer... 笑傲江湖 |
director, producer | |
| 1990 | 倩女幽魂 II：人間道 |
producer | |
| 1991 | Once Upon a Time in China Once Upon a Time in China Once Upon a Time in China is a Hong Kong martial arts action/adventure film franchise directed, written, and produced by Tsui Hark. The stories are based on the life of the legendary kung fu master, Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei Hung... 黃飛鴻 |
director, producer, writer | Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director |
| 1991 | 豪門夜宴 |
director | |
| 1991 | director | ||
| 1991 | director | ||
| 1991 | 倩女幽魂3：道道道 |
producer | |
| 1992 | New Dragon Gate Inn New Dragon Gate Inn New Dragon Gate Inn is a 1992 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Raymond Lee and produced by Tsui Hark, starring Tony Leung Ka-fai, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung and Donnie Yen. It was released as Dragon Inn in North America.... 新龍門客棧 |
producer, writer | |
| 1992 | Once Upon a Time in China II Once Upon a Time in China II Once Upon a Time in China II is a 1992 Hong Kong martial arts action film written and directed by Tsui Hark and starring Jet Li returning as Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. It is the second film and first sequel in the Once Upon a Time in China film series... 黃飛鴻2之男兒當自強 |
director, producer, writer | Nominated — Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director |
| 1992 | Twin Dragons 雙龍會 |
director, writer | |
| 1993 | Once Upon a Time in China III Once Upon a Time in China III Once Upon a Time in China III is a 1993 Hong Kong martial arts film written and directed by Tsui Hark and starring Jet Li as Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. It is the third installment in the Once Upon a Time in China film series.-Plot:... 黃飛鴻3之獅王爭霸 |
director, producer, writer | |
| 1993 | Green Snake Green Snake Green Snake is a 1993 Hong Kong fantasy film made by Tsui Hark. It is the adaptation of a novel of the same title by Lilian Lee.... 青蛇 |
director, producer, writer | |
| 1993 | 東方不敗 – 風雲再起 |
producer | |
| 1993 | Once Upon a Time in China IV Once Upon a Time in China IV Once Upon a Time in China IV is a 1993 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Yuen Bun and produced by Tsui Hark. The film is the fourth installment the Once Upon a Time in China series... 黃飛鴻之四:王者之風 |
producer, writer | |
| 1994 | Once Upon a Time in China V Once Upon a Time in China V Once Upon a Time in China V is a 1994 Hong Kong martial arts action film written and directed by Tsui Hark. The film is the fifth installment in the Once Upon a Time in China film series, with Vincent Zhao reprising his role as Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung, since taking over the character from... 黃飛鴻5之龍城殲霸 |
director, producer, writer | |
| 1994 | 梁祝 |
director, producer, writer | Nominated — Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director |
| 1995 | 金玉滿堂 |
director, producer, writer | |
| 1995 | Love in the Time of Twilight | director | |
| 1995 | 刀 |
director, writer | |
| 1996 | Tristar Tristar (film) Tristar is a 1996 Hong Kong film directed by Tsui Hark.- Cast and roles include :* Moses Chan as Chen Junnan* Sunny Chan as Fa's partner* Leslie Cheung as Father Zhong Guoqiang* Radium Cheung * Chung King-fai as Dinosaur... 大三元 |
director | |
| 1996 | Shanghai Grand Shanghai Grand Shanghai Grand, also known as Shanghai Grand 1996 to differentiate this film from the more illustrious television series of the same Chinese title, The Bund , is a 1996 Hong Kong film directed by Poon Man-kit and starring Andy Lau, Leslie Cheung and Ning Jing.This film was directed by Poon Man-kit... 新上海灘 |
producer | |
| 1997 | Double Team | director | |
| 1997 | 小倩 |
producer, writer | |
| 1997 | Once Upon a Time in China and America Once Upon a Time in China and America Once Upon a Time in China and America, also known as Once Upon a Time in China VI, is a 1997 Hong Kong martial arts action film co-written and produced by Tsui Hark and directed by Sammo Hung, who also worked on the film's fight choreography. The film is the sixth and final installment in the Once... 黃飛鴻之西域雄獅 |
producer, writer | |
| 1998 | Knock Off | director | |
| 2000 | Time and Tide Time and Tide (2000 film) Time and Tide is a 2000 Hong Kong action film directed by Tsui Hark. The film is set in Hong Kong where a young man becomes a bodyguard and befriends a mercenary determined to begin life a new with the woman he just married... 順流逆流 |
director, producer, writer | |
| 2001 | 蜀山傳 |
director, producer, writer | |
| 2002 | Tsui Hark's Vampire Hunter | producer | USA Limited Release |
| 2002 | Black Mask 2: City of Masks Black Mask 2: City of Masks Black Mask 2: City of Masks is a 2002 Hong Kong action film directed by Tsui Hark. Andy On took over the role of Black Mask when original actor Jet Li opted not to return. The film also starred Tobin Bell, Jon Polito, Tyler Mane, Rob Van Dam, Traci Lords, and Scott Adkins-Overview:Black Mask 2 is... 黑俠2 |
director, producer | |
| 2004 | Xanda | producer | alternative title Sanda |
| 2005 | In The Blue | director | |
| 2005 | Seven Swords Seven Swords Seven Swords is a 2005 Hong Kong wuxia film adapted from Liang Yusheng's novel Qijian Xia Tianshan. It was produced and directed by Tsui Hark, and starred Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Charlie Yeung, Sun Honglei, Lu Yi and Kim So-yeon... 七劍 |
director, producer, writer | Nominated — Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director |
| 2006 | 黃飛鴻勇闖天下 |
director | |
| 2006 | Seven Swordsmen Seven Swordsmen Seven Swordsmen is a 2006 television series directed by Clarence Fok and produced by Tsui Hark. The series is adapted from Liang Yusheng's novels Qijian Xia Tianshan and Saiwai Qixia Zhuan... 七劍下天山 |
producer | television series |
| 2007 | Triangle 鐵三角 |
director, producer | |
| 2008 | Missing 深海尋人 |
director | |
| 2008 | All About Women All About Women All About Women , originally titled She Ain't Mean and Not All Women Are Bad, is a 2008 Chinese romantic comedy-drama film directed by Tsui Hark, who also edited the film, and co-wrote the story and screenplay with famed Korean filmmaker Kwak Jae-yong... 女人不壞 |
director, producer, writer | |
| 2010 | Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame 狄仁傑之通天帝國 |
director, producer | Nominated — Golden Lion Award |
| 2011 | The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate is an upcoming wuxia film directed by Tsui Hark and starring Jet Li, Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Li Yuchun, Kwai Lun-mei, Louis Fan and Mavis Fan. The film is a remake of Dragon Gate Inn and New Dragon Gate Inn... 龍門飛甲 |
director, producer, writer |
Cultural reference
Tsui was featured on a track which bore his name on the 1994 SparksSparks (band)
Sparks is an American rock and pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1968 by brothers Ron and Russell Mael , initially under the name Halfnelson...
album Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins.
Further reading
- Ho, Sam, ed. The Swordsman and His Juang Hu: Tsui Hark and Hong Kong Film. Hong Kong University Press, 2002. ISBN 962805015X.
- Schroeder, Andrew. Tsui Hark's Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2004. ISBN 9622096514.