Malaysian actress is one of the most important names in the genre and began her career in the Hong Kong film industry
Despite the fact that they have aroused public interest over the decades and have achieved great box office success, fighting films are not usually highly regarded. Specialized critics and entities responsible for film awards tend to consider works of this genre somewhat caricatured and usually associate them with Asian cinema. In the opinion of Michelle Yeohone of the stars of the segment, these films deserve more respect.
Yeohit is worth remembering, has established herself over the years as one of the most important names in the fighting film genre. The actress born in 1962 began her career in the 1980s in the Hong Kong film industry, famous precisely for its action titles. She became known worldwide after being the Bond Girl in 007 – Tomorrow Never ComesDie (1997).
He has starred in several other films of the genre since then, with two in particular standing out. The first is The Tiger and the Dragon(2000), winner of the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. The second is Everything Everywhere at Once(2022) for which she won the Oscar for Best Actress — the first person of Asian descent to win the award.
In a 2012 conversation with BBC (via Far Out), the artist revealed her discomfort with how the West views films of this genre, which explains her request for more respect. She stated:
The reason I decided to wait two years after the (James) Bond film and work with Ang Lee in a martial arts film (The Tiger and the Dragon) is because I truly believe that the genre deserves more respect and dignity than it ever received. Before, people saw it as a fairy tale, they thought it was something to have fun with. But it shouldn’t be like that. It’s so present in our culture that it should have more depth.”
In the sequence, Michelle revealed a curiosity about The Tiger and the Dragon. Even though it is a Chinese film, it was made with Western audiences in mind.
It was a risk. But when we made this film, it was aimed at a Western audience.”
Michelle Yeoh did not train martial arts in her youth
Despite having become one of the biggest stars of fighting films, Michelle Yeoh did not train in any martial arts before starting his career. His true passion in life as a child was dance — especially ballet.
When she began her acting career, she quickly discovered that the flexibility she had acquired from years of dancing and ballet would help her land roles in action films. So she began learning the correct moves on set and began training with acting instructors.
Contributed by: Augusto Ikeda.
Source: Rollingstone
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
