History project
Topic: Popular Cultural in HongKong(Film)
Un Cheuk Lam 4C35

The Cinema of Hong Kong has consider as the pioneer of Chinese language movie. Hong Kong was the third largest motion picture industry in the world (after Hollywood and India cinema) and the second largest exporter. Hong Kong film has retained much of its distinctive identity and continues to play a prominent part on the world cinema stage. In the West, Hong Kong's vigorous pop cinema (especially Hong Kong action cinema) has long had a strong cult following, which is now arguably a part of the cultural mainstream, widely available and imitated. Especially between the 1970's - 1990's, most of movie fans will be familiar with names like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan from Hong Kong cinema. The reason why these movie star become so popular because they produce a lot of martial art film during that time. And then these martial art film brought to the western audiences. In fact, A lot of english speaking country or european start to aware of Asian movie in that time.

Back to Hong Kong cinema, The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the major movie industry in the Chinese language speaking cinema. Before 1997, Hong Kong was a colony of Britain and therefore Hong Kong had a greater freedom on economic and political than mainland China. Even in film industry, The censorship system in Mainland China have a very strict rule. " Hong Kong filmmakers either steered away from criticzing China or did so in oblique ways ". Therefore, the Hong Kong film maker can barely sell their film or have to re-produce another verison to adapt the market in China. On the other hand, the America or other Euro country censorship system are vary widely than China. And a lot of Hong Kong film producers try to sell their films to some western country. But I think it was not that easy for the very beginning because the western audiences probably haven't seen any kind of asian movie before. "European and North American audiences have never been particularly interested in Asian cinema, Apart from the occasional exotic import and anime."
During the 1970s, the matrial art /Ku fung film become one of the major theme in Hong Kong. "Golden Harvest was the top studio, signing up Jackie Chan, the kung fu comedy actor-filmmaker who would spend the next twenty years as Asia's biggest box office draw". However, during the 1990's. there was a industry crisis because of the Asian financial crisis and also the illegal copy and download over the internet. However, there was a few local film receive a huge success even it was a hard time for film industry by that period.
First,Hong Kong produced a lot of martial art or action movie during the late 1980's and early 1900's. And That's probably relate to the political and society problem. It might be represent the identity of Hong Kong movie as the martial art film from the english audiences.The Martial art movie can be chase back to 1930's originally. And the Chinese people called it "Wuxia" film, the term "Wuxia" is based on some fictional Chinese novel and always use of the old chinese dynasty as the background. The features of these "Wuxia" characters always appear with sword as the weapon and come with superpower. The "Wuxia" film probably the most popular genre in the early cinema of Mainland China. I think the Chinese audiences need this kind of topic in the cinema such as heroic and myth after the post-war period. However, the chinese government strongly disapprove "Wuxia" film in China as the subject matter is over superstition and violence. And some Hong Kong movie producer try to bring action movie to Hong Kong audiences in the late 1930's. The reason is Hong Kong had a superior level of freedom as the social culture and economy development during the colony era. That was the competitive advantage for Hong Kong could produce some action film but Mainland China. "In the British colony of Hong Kong, which had since 1950's transformed itself from an entreport to an industial city, the 1960's was also a period of rapid economic growth and social turmoil". Therefore, I believe the martial arts movie has became popular start by the late 1960's. The Martial arts movies still feature "Wuxia" style in the early Hong Kong cinema.
However, there was some significant change in the Hong Kong cinema during the 1970's. I think the first time to allow western audiences to get to know about Hong Kong movies is the master of martial arts Bruce Lee return to Hong Kong cinema. Bruce Lee's career achievement as well as cultural aspects of the film have an influence, he not only open the gate for the Chinese to first enter Hollywood, but also created his own philosophy on martial arts - Jeet Kune Do. And make Action movies become one of the mainstream genres in Hong Kong. The early co-production with hollywood (Warner Bros) and Hong Kong (Golden Harvest) was "Enter the Dragon" in 1973. It was also the first time Hong Kong attempt to break into western audiences market. The film combined the traditional Kung fu and James bond action style genres. It wasn't really successful for the first breakthrough with western audiences because Lee dead in 1973. And then the action movie production seem to be lay low for while. This situation change until Golden Harvest studio sign up Jackie Chan as the action movie star. Jackie Chan as early as 1982 when it began to break into the Hollywood market, but he does not run smoothly into the international road. His first foray into the international market film called "Cannonball Run". Unfortunately at the box office failure, And then after many years later Jackie took the first Hollywood movie "Rush Hour" which made him become popular in Hollywood. During the 70's -early 90's, Hong Kong exported a lot of local movie to western country. In my opinon, I think the western audiences probably consider the early Hong Kong action movie as the crossover film. But I think these action movies just the films that made in Hong Kong.

According to the film culture, despite its form of diversification, scale or magnify the contents are still popular, they have shown on youngster daily strong penetration, it is a significant impact on their lifestyles. And including two main reason,first is about entertainment and next one is about the consumer society.
First,film culture recreation endow teenagers optimistic concept of life, so that they can forget their troubles in the entertainment, which provide young people a relaxed and harmonious living environment, according to the survey, music tapes, other activities (such as running, playing other sports , games, etc.), listen to CD, cinema, watching VCD at home, use the computer (but not for playing games), watching videos at home, playing football. All are high-involvement activities, particularly electronic life has become a teen to pursue fashion, and began an upward trend. Computers and the online world has great appeal for young people, the social network site for young people is the most important thing ,it is not an information collection channels, rather more of a making friends entertainment. And the other effect -running movies encourage adolescent pursuit of fashion, created the concept of consumerism to teens. Film culture market makes popular culture for profit, run the film is bound to consumer what they need for the teenagers to a higher level of development. In consumer behavior have changed the affordable, durable, economical and other traditional orientation, particular emphasis on the aesthetic , trendy, variability and personalization. Impact on young people's consumption patterns was mainly through the movie hype and modern advertising to achieve. Modern advertising on young people's consumption patterns and lifestyle. It had a profound impact on contemporary teen demonstrated by the conspicuous consumption, highlighting the individuality of modern consumerism and advertising are closely related, consumer attitudes into the hearts of the young people, and occupy a firm no in their hearts to replace the position of constantly instant of a kind of cultural attitudes, values and lifestyles,.It will be including more young people personality highlight, conspicuous consumption is targeting the entry point, so that modern advertising reinforces the material and cultural orientation teen consumerism.
As a result, Hong Kong become famous in the world of movie and the cinema bring the huge economy income during this popular cultural. We must thanks for the people who developed in it.