The Chivalry of a Martial Artist: Interview with Wu Jing
* By Jia Leilei * De Gruyter Brill, 10 November 2021 *
Abstract
This dialog was conducted between Wu Jing, an actor and a film director, and Jia Leilei, a researcher of the Chinese National Academy of Arts, at Director Wu Jing’s Studio in Beijing on May 18, 2021. This dialog is about Wu Jing’s personal experiences and film concepts including Wu Jing as a martial artist, Wu Jing as an actor and a director; his persistence in pursuing authenticity in filmmaking as well as his life philosophy, all highlighting the chivalry of martial artists both in the film world and real life.
Wu Jing was born in 1974 to a family of martial artists. Influenced by his elders and his surroundings, Wu embarked on his own martial arts journey at the age of six. He joined a martial arts team at 15 and won the jousting and sparring championship at 17. Studying martial arts from a young age both built up Wu’s body and courage and also endowed him with typical characteristics of martial artists like integrity and chivalry. Over the course of the 25 years he has worked in the film industry, Wu has created an impressive body of work through his skillful performances in films such as Tai Chi Boxer (Gongfu xiaozi chuangqingguan, Dir. Yuan Heping and Zhang Xinyan, 1996), Kill Zone (Sha po lang, Dir. Ye Weixin, 2005), Twins Mission (Shuangzi shentou, Dir. Jiang Daohai, 2007), Invisible Target (Naner bense, Dir. Chen Musheng, 2007), and Shaolin (Xin shaolinsi, Dir. Chen Musheng, 2011). His career has seen ups and downs, but Wu has never stopped challenging himself. He successfully transitioned from actor to director with the film Legendary Assassin (Lang Ya, Dir. Li Zhongzhi and Wu Jing, 2008) and the Wolf Warrior film series (Zhan lang in 2015 and Zhan lang 2 in 2017). Wolf Warrior Ⅱ is the highest grossing Chinese film in history with RMB 5.68 billion in revenues. Growing from his early days as a martial artist to playing heroic figures onscreen and later from an actor to a director, Wu Jing has demonstrated both his perseverance as a film practitioner and the chivalry of a martial artist.
About the author(s)
Jia Leilei is the President Assistant of the Chinese National Academy of Arts, Director of Cultural Development Strategy Research Center (CNAA), Director of the Department of Film, Radio and TV Studies, Graduate School of CNAA, Member of Film Censorship Committee of State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, Member of Imported Audio-visual Products Censorship Committee, General Administration of Press and Publication of China, Deputy Director of the Theory and Criticism Working Committee of China Film Association, Jury member of China Huabiao Film Awards in 2002, and Jury member of China Film Golden Rooster Award in 2009. Jia is also the Chief Editor of Chinese Film Arts in “Splendid Chinese Culture” hosted by the academy of Chinese studies in Hong Kong and Chinese academy of arts. In 2008, Jia was awarded the“China Cultural Industries Outstanding Thinker Award” in “Creative China, Harmonious World”.
Also as a distinguished scholar in film and film education, Jia has published many academic books, and received special national scholarships and funding for his researches.
