Shanghai Daily news

For a long time, Chinese action star Jet Li has been known for his dazzling kung fu and "heroic bloodshed" action movies, but now he announces that his latest film "Fearless" is an end to his martial arts movies.
"The movie has expressed all I want to say in this genre," says the 42-year-old. "I have been typecast as almighty heroes - Wong Fei-hung or Fong Sai-yuk - but this time you will find how an ordinary man with conflicting emotions turns into a hero in his later years. It is different from any earlier characters I have played."
The movie by veteran Hong Kong director Ronny Yu portrays Chinese martial arts master Huo Yuanjia (1869-1910), who knocks out the nation in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) with his dignity, independence and unparalleled kung fu.
It starts with an unfair kung fu competition between Huo and four foreign opponents. Ever since his childhood, Huo dreams of continuing the legacy his father established as a world-class fighter in China. After reaching his goal, however, a personal tragedy causes him to disappear and reflect on his past for several years. He's not heard from until the honor of defending his country in an international tournament surfaces.
"It has long been a dream of me to depict the great man," Li adds. "After visiting Huo's former residences in Tianjin and the Jingwu Sports Association founded by him in 1909, I was intrigued by his legendary life."
This 150-million-yuan (US$18.49 million) blockbuster is considered a remake of Bruce Lee's 1972 classic "Jing Wu Men" ("Fist of Fury"). Though Li, also the producer, confesses that most parts of the storyline are imaginary except the backdrop, the Jingwu Sports Association, and Huo's death time, the movie is consistent with his evolving message.
"It's about a real character, but it shows my philosophy of how to use martial arts," he says. "What is martial arts? In Chinese it means, 'stop war,' not defeating others. Its taken me many years to understand that. Violence is never a good way to solve problems."
However, the distinct fighting scenes designed by renowned action choreographer Yuen Wo-ping ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "The Matrix") still take up more than 60 percent of the movie. Kung fu lovers will find that the movie has a full display of Chinese martial arts.
Li unleashes his talent with a variety of weapons such as swords, spears and sabers. But in Li's eyes, filmmaking is always an art with regret. This "final martial arts epic" for Li is no exception.
"To ensure the consistency of the story, we have to cut a few episodes from the original 135-minute version, even including famous actress Michelle Yeoh's part," he says.
"For us the challenge is how to make the fighting scenes a reasonable proportion of the movie," adds director Yu, who rose to fame with action-packed films "Legacy of Rage" (1986) and "The Bride with White Hair" (1993). Yu broke into Hollywood in the late 1990s and his "Formula 51" (2002) and "Freddy Vs Jason" (2003) proved to be box office hits.
"Fearless" is also the film debut of Chinese mainland actress Sun Li, who plays a blind girl with a golden heart. Sun, well-known for her part in the popular TV sitcom "Yu Guan Yin" ("Jade Goddess of Mercy"), spent days living with blind children for an accurate depiction of this group.
"It is hard to say there is love between the girl and Huo," she explains her character. "Perhaps the emotion is a blending of love, friendship and family affection. And the cooperation with Li is so exciting and rewarding."
It is true that the action star is also an idol for the young actors. Born in Beijing, Li learned wushu when he was a child. At the age of 11, Li became a member of Beijing's professional wushu team and later won the championship at national martial arts competitions from 1974 to 1979. His acting in "The Shaolin Temple" (1979) became the turning point of his life, which also started the 1980s kung fu boom on the Chinese mainland. Then he relocated to Hong Kong, where his prowess in martial arts made him the biggest star of the early 1990s kung fu cinema. And the ambitious Li went on to further fame in the United States with roles in "Romeo Must Die" (2000), "Kiss of the Dragon" (2001) and "Unleashed" (2005).
"A good actor is a creative one and changes from time to time - rather than blindly following others," Li says. "In the late 1990s, Chinese martial arts films were fresh to the West. But now people become tired of the old monotonous mode - good guys conquering bad guys. We have to bring vitality to this genre."
In the future, the actor wants to make quieter, philosophical, family-oriented movies. The adventurous story Li had during the tsunami disaster that devastated Asia in 2004 is considered another reason for such change.
Li and his family arrived in the Maldives a day before the tsunamis hit. Feeling the water coming up to his waist, Li scooped up his younger daughter and rushed back to the hotel. Within a few minutes the whole island was under water.
"The experience made me believe in Buddhism even more," Li says. "No matter how powerful you might be, you can always be overpowered. I find that I need to do more for the family and for the world."
Now he divides his time between charity work and filmmaking, and does not place a high premium on box office returns of "Fearless."
"I just hope it is an inspiring work," he adds peacefully. "The market is important, but we can't always associate box office with filmmaking. Films can be a pure art medium to express one's inner self."

Jet Li's selected filmography
"Fearless" (2006)
"Unleashed" (2005)
"Cradle 2 the Grave" (2003)
"Hero" (2002)
"The One" (2001)
"Kiss the Dragon" (2001)
"Romeo Must Die" (2000)
"Lethal Weapon 4" (1998)
"Once Upon A Time in China and America" (1997)
"Legend of the Red Dragon" (1994)
"Lord of the Wu Tang" (1993)
"The Legend of the Swordsman" (1991)
"Born to Defend" (1986)
"The Shaolin Temple" (1979)