Ip Man [Guest Writer] (5 Stars)

Ip Man is a 2008 Hong Kong semi biographical martial arts film loosely based on the life of Yip Man (1893-1972), a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun and Master of Bruce Lee. The film is set in the 1930s in Foshan, a hub of southern Chinese martial arts, where various schools actively recruit disciples and compete against each other. While Ip Man - played by Donnie Yen - is seen as the most skilled in his art and highly respected, he is also unassuming and likes to keep a low profile, deciding not to accept disciples and instead spends his days training and spending time with his friends and family although he can't avoid facing the occasional challenge from a stray gang of ruffians. Soon Japan invades China and Ip Man and his family goes from being independently wealthy to living in poverty after Japanese troops seize his residence and assets for their own occupation and use. This leaves Ip Man taking any work for food. General Miura, now in charge, stages martial arts fighs between Chinese and his men with the winners receiving extra rice. When the general's attache murders a colleague of Ip's, Ip's honor demands he step forward to challenge them. At the same time, ruffians begin threatening a local cotton mill and it's up to Ip Man to protect the mill and face Miura.

I had seen this movie advertised for a few days on Netflix as I browsed for something to watch and initially dismissed it after a cursory glance of the cover but ended up coming back to it when I was in a rare moment of boredom and running out anything interesting to watch. I'm so glad that I had a chance to see this movie because it took my breath away from beginning to end. If I could give it 10 stars I would do so without a second's hesitation. I was kept on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story. I found myself literally leaning toward my computer half the time and had to remind myself that no matter how close I got, I could not jump through the screen to get a closer look. Ha!

I think it's important that I emphasize that this story is very loosely based on Yip Man and not historically accurate. The real Yip Man was never forced into poverty by hardships of the Second Sino-Japanese War and never worked as a coolie in a colliery although he did work as a policeman before the Japanese invasion and continued until several years after the war until he was driven into voluntary exile in Hong Kong. He also never had to duel with a Japanese general.

A photo of Yip Man with his Disciple Bruce Lee

Even though this was a dramatization of his life, I have to say it still drew me in nonetheless and I loved it. From what I understand, Donnie Yen went all out on his research of Yip Man and even went on to say he found the role the most emotionally and mentally difficult in his career. He even went so far as to strictly diet and train in Wing Chun and also stayed in character after filming, wearing his costume and changing his voice and movement patterns. After finding all of this out, it only made me appreciate this movie all the more for the dedication that Yen took in taking on this role and the effort he put forth in this movie. A true masterpiece in my opinion.