Sammo Hung, the great brother

With to Jackie Chan it has made the history of "kung was comedy". Sammo Hung is one of the directors and actors more represented you of the cinema of Hong Kong, but with the television series "Martial Law" it has only caught up the western public

Of Roberto Bonomelli

Today the fan of Bruce Lee not only they know who is the corpulento opposing who faces the protagonist of "the three of the Operation Dredges" (Enter the Dragon, 1973) in the combat of forehead to the monaci. Sammo Hung Kam-Bo finally is known also from the great public, that it is therefore riscoprendo its prolific cinematographic production (beyond 140 films) begun in years Seventy. Sammo has made the longest one gavetta studded of many successes, that they have rendered it one of the actors and directors more appreciate to you and represented to you in Asia. In the cinematographic atmosphere of Hong Kong still today they call it "big brother", nickname had to the times of the group "Seven little fortunes" composed young actors between which Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao. Also Sammo in fact has entered young in the famous school of the Work of Beijing to Hong Kong, directed from master Yu Jim Yuen, where they are you form also Jackie Chan and Yuen to you Biao. Just with these its "siblings of kung were" would then have consolidated famous golden the trio protagonist of many films of years Eighty, many di.le which directing from same he. Regarding its two connect, Sammo has had senz' other the more versatile career since its filmografia can be subdivided in films in which it has had the role of stuntman, coreografo of combat scenes, director and finally of actor. Like for many other authors of the cinema made in Hong Kong, also for Sammo the Small I dredge has been source of inspiration and admiration. After the dead women of Bruce Lee, Sammo is called in order to turn some scenes of "the last combat of Chen" (Game of death, 1978), film in which it appears also in front of the machine from taken fighting on the ring against Bob Wall. In the same year it has turned the better Enter decidedly the fat dragon, than it is not from getting confused with a parody of "the three of the Operation I dredge" but, even if intriso of comicità, is its personal I pay to Bruce Lee. In effects Sammo Hung, with to Jackie Chan, it is the more representative figure for the birth and the affirmation of what it comes called "kung was comedy" (contrapposto to "kung was drama", like to times comes defined the traditional kind).
There are but some experts del Asian cinema that prefers "modern day action" in order to define the new film generation of kung was signed from Sammo and Jackie because, also coming down they give it to tradition delle martial limbs, renew it inserting all the elements del typical film of action. Dragons forever (1987) of is a perfect example. E' a classic of the mixed action to commedia and is probably the better film, after "Project To - Operation pirati" (Project To, 1983), in which they have worked entirety Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao. Unforgettable also "the mystery of conte the Lobos" (Wheels on meals, 1983) where they will face the turn bad ones you interprets from two authentic champions Americans of martial limbs, Benny "The Jet" Vital Urquidez and Keith to you, "My lucky star - the gang of it unscrews" (1985 to you), "Twinkle twikle lucky stars - Dolls and botte" (1985) and "Hearth of the dragon - first mission" (1984). Jackie is considered indiscusso the king della commedia kung was, but behind alla cinema camera there was Sammo and, in those years, it has directed it better than how much it could make Jackie same. The contamination of kinds seems to be one prerogative of this creative director. Sammo Hung is in effects also the first one riscoprire Chinese, miscelandola fantastic mythology with kung was and commedia, like it can be seen in Close encounters of the spooky kind (1981). With Eastern Condors (1987) it is the time of war the movie, new ingredient to add to that base of the commedia. Sammo and Yuen Biao put in scene their spectacular martial evolutions in one weft acclimatized during the war of the Vietnam (one curiosity: in the cast we find again also Corey Yuen and Yuen Woo Ping, two monster sacred of the martial choreographies let alone directors, here in quality of actors). As example of its production of Sammo Hung of years Ninety we could not that to choose Skinny tiger, fatty dragon (1990). Sammo, alias "fatty dragon", ago brace with Karl Maka, cioé "skinny tiger", other popular one star of Hong Kong, in order to interpret two policemen in bourgeois protagonists of esilaranti sketch: imperdibile the rifacimento of the combat to the Colosseo, on the tracks of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, between Sammo and Mark Houghton (the expert English of kung was hung gar).
The collaboration with the friend Jackie Chan, like director, coreografo or actor, continues with Thunderbolt (1995) and "Mr. Nice Guy - Before you fight, we speak after" (1997) until arriving to the most recent "The medallion" (the 2003) and "turn of the world in 80 days" (2004). Sammo has directed also others star of the cinema of martial limbs: then the emergent Jet Them in "was once in China and America" (1997) and by now the star in descendent phase Jean Claude Van Damme, solo like director of the action scenes, is in "Double Team - Game of square" (1997) that in "Knock Off - Hong Kong blow on blow" (1998). In quality of action director we always find Sammo Hung in "Kung Fusion" (Kung-Fu Hustle, 2004) film detection, exited from we the slid year, that it has carried definitively to ribalta international the genius of the director and actor Stephen Chow. For Sammo Hung American from the title has had to arrive the offer of a television series it Martial Law (1998), than from we it has been sent in wave from Italy 1 with the title it inspired to Bud stronger Spencer "boys", where she interprets a policeman of Shanghai that as a result of a USA-China exchange comes sent to Los Angeles to carry out its job. Beside Sammo we find good actors like comedian Arsenio Hall and the beautiful Kelly Hu ("X-men 2", "the king scorpion" and, I know that you will not believe to us, has been the Kaori of the spot of the Philadelphia cheese!). Between the last jobs of Sammo, date to you 2005, we have Dragon Squad (one curiosity: Steven Seagal is the executive producer) where it is R-at the head of a square of young agents of the interpool that it must face a group of terrorist guides to you from Michael Biehn ("Terminator" and "The Rock") and, always of the same kind, Spl (Sha po lang) where we find again it in the unknown role of cruel head of the triade that it faces in a epico final combat the policeman interpreted from by now asserted star cino-American Donnie Yen ("Hero", "Seven Swords"). In order to obtain information modernized on its films www.sammohung.com