wire fu

Wire fu is an element of Hong Kong action cinema, exemplified by the work of Tsui Hark, Yuen Wo-Ping, and Jet Li, that has been appropriated by Hollywood.^[1] It involves the use of wire-work (the name being a combination of "wire work" and "kung fu") to perform qing gong stunts.

Almost all modern wuxia movies fall in this category.^{[original research?]} However, not all martial arts films used wire work.

In practice

The basic concept is not very complex, and originates in the mechanical effects of stagecraft. The most common, Western example being the "flying angel cliche" of elementary school or church play.

Planning and persistence is important, as it often takes many takes to accomplish the stunt, let alone making it look just right.

The batteries beneath the cape

Typically a harness is hidden under a costume, and a cable and pulley system is attached to the harness. When live sets are used, wire removal is done in post production. Another technique of creating wire fu is by using a green screen. This is done for more complex stunts and camera angles. The actors are suspended in the air by green wires. Then special effects are added to the scene such as the location.

One of the more famous uses of wire fu was in the film The Matrix. Possibly the most famous scene in it is when Agent Smith and Neo leap into the air and are suspended, with weapons firing at each other. The scene was done with the green screen technique and bullet time, though many scenes in the movie were done completely on set without need for green screens. In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon the characters can almost fly, vaulting into the air with ease. This was spoofed in a Pepsi commercial when the characters fly off the rooftops and battle for a can of Pepsi.

References

1. ^ Shohini Chaudhuri (2005). Contemporary World Cinema: Europe, the Middle East, East Asia and South Asia. Edinburgh University Press, 125. ISBN 074861799X. 

See also

• Gun fu

Examples of wire fu movies

• Sister Street Fighter 1974
• The Matrix 1999
• Charlie's Angels 2000
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2000
• Hero 2002
• Kill Bill 2003

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