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Return
to People Archive D - K |
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King
Hu |
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April
29, 1931-January 14, 1997 |
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Mandarin:
Hu Jing-Chuan |
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(director,
writer, producer, actor, editor, costume designer) |
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Biography: |
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Acclaimed
director King Hu was born in Beijing and received his education there,
but left for Hong Kong in 1949 as the political situation intensified.
Hu worked in various studio art departments and even tried his hand
at acting before joining the Shaw Brothers in 1958 as a fulltime actor,
writer, and eventually director. Hu's 1966 surprise hit Come Drink
With Me established his reputation as a filmmaker and allowed
him the opportunity to form his own studio in Taiwan. Once there,
he helmed two more classics of the genre - Dragon Gate Inn
and A Touch of Zen, the latter earning a special jury prize
at the Cannes Film Festival, the first time a Chinese picture had
been recognized by the prestigious organization. In addition, Ang
Lee, director of the mega-hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,
has cited A Touch of Zen as the inspiration for the "bamboo
balancing act" sequence contained within in his own famous film.
Later
pictures of note include The Fate of Lee Khan, Legend of
the Mountain, Swordsman, and Painted Skin. It should
be noted that while King Hu was the original director for Swordsman,
he had to bow out early in production. Poor health has been cited
for his departure from the project, but many assume that the famous
director had "creative differences" with fiery producer
Tsui Hark. Interestingly enough, shortly before his death, King Hu
planned to make a movie involving Chinese rail workers in America
during the California Gold Rush. Though Hu passed away in 1997, John
Woo and Terence Chang (the film's original backers) have proceeded
onward with the project with Chow Yun-Fat and Nicholas Cage rumored
in the lead roles. With great directors like Ang Lee and John Woo
paying respect to the master in their own films, it seems safe to
say that the King Hu legacy lives on. (Sanjuro 2002) |
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| selected
filmography |
| The
Story of Sue San (1964)[director] |
| Sons
of the Good Earth (1964)[director] |
| Come
Drink with Me (1966)[director] |
| A
Touch of Zen (1971)[writer/director/editor] |
| Legend
of the Mountain (1971)[writer/director/producer/costume designer] |
| The
Fate of Lee Khan (1973)[writer/director/editor] |
| The
Valiant Ones (1975)[writer/director/editor] |
| Raining
in the Mountain (1979)[writer/director] |
| Marriage
(1980)[director] |
| Reincarnation
(1981)[director] |
| All
the King's Men (1982)[director] |
| The
Wheel of Life (1984)[director] |
| Swordsman
(1990)[co-director] |
| Painted
Skin (1992)[writer/director/producer] |
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| back
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| LoveHKFilm.com
Copyright ©2002-2017 Ross Chen
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