MovieChat Forums > Wo hu cang long (2001) Discussion > One thing I never quite got

One thing I never quite got

posted 10 years ago by bonniehudson
15 replies | jump to latest

I've seen this movie a gazillion times, one of my favourites, but there's a little moment I've never quite understood.

During the scene where Li Mu Bai fights Jade Fox the first time, there's a bit where Jade Fox falls to the floor and clutches her breast, and Li Mu Bai gives her a slight smile. What... happened there? At first I thought he sliced her breast, but I've looked again and that doesn't happen and it also seems a little misogynistic for a man like Li Mu Bai.

Also, how on earth did that man get attached to a huge long bungee chord type thing? When he goes bouncing back?

Are these just little slapstick moments that have gone over my head because I don't know much about the genre?

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[–] FaithNoMore33 10 years ago

I know the father daughter duo sneakingly chained the third character to the cord so as to prevent his involvement in the fight. They wanted to kill Jade Fox on their own. The father was an undercover law enforcer who probably wished not to involve an innocent. The daugher was looking to revenge her deceased mother, whom Jade Fox had killed. They felt killing Fox was their duty alone. Plus, JF was formidable and would've likely killed the man easily.

I think Li smiled at Jade simply to acknowledge that she wasn't as skilled as she should've been having stolen their technique manual and with 10 years to master it. Li was rather surprised that her skills hadnt progressed and that he was beating her easily.

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[–] bonniehudson 9 years ago

Ah, the chaining him to a (slightly inexplicably placed) bungee cord does make sense, and the slight smile means more to me now as well :) However I still don't really understand why Jade Fox clutches her breast.

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[–] mrkovacs1 9 years ago

I believe she's just clutching her chest because she's out of breath.

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[–] windquake 8 years ago

Just watched this last night (again).

She is definitely stabbed/slashed/smacked around that area right before.

Li Mu Bai, throughout the movie, uses the flat of blades to smack people. And it looks like he might have done the same thing here, or perhaps inflicted a very slight wound.

I hate IMDB's Signature policy...

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[–] bonniehudson 8 years ago

I'm about to watch this again, I'll keep an eye out for it, thanks :)

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[–] wodo26 7 years ago

You are correct. On a closer look, you can clearly see that he hits her across the chest with his sword without actually cutting her. Obviously done to show her how superior his skills are, and to embarrass her. This way he wants to show her that even with all her trickery she is no match, and the only reason she was able to steal the scrolls and kill his master is because of deceit and murder.

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[–] rpe78 8 years ago

Misogynistic? Because he smirked at her? Gimme a break.

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[–] bonniehudson 8 years ago

No you wally, because I thought he cut her breast.

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[–] rpe78 8 years ago

Andy why would that be misogynistic? They're fighting to the death.

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[–] bonniehudson 8 years ago

... Because it would be a man slicing open a woman's tit. I'd find that vaguely misogynistic as much as I'd find it vaguely misandrist if Jade Fox had kicked him in the balls.

I think you're going to try and imply I'm some sort of ultra feminist social justice warrior and I'm not. I don't have a problem with breast violence or testicle wallops in movies, it just seemed out of place with the characters in this movie who fight with such grace and beauty. It's more Street Fighter than Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

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[–] rpe78 8 years ago

What? They're fighting and trying to kill each other, not playing games. If she kicked him in the balls or he sliced her tit, so what?

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[–] bonniehudson 8 years ago

... Yes, but this isn't a fight scene from Charlie's Angels. This isn't *punch* *kick* *block* *somersault* *wisecrack* *kick in balls* *explosion*. This is incredibly complicated and intricate choreography. And because the choreography in this movie is exquisitely beautiful and resembles dancing more than fighting, a kick in the balls would look a bit odd to me. This isn't fighting dirty. I'd also be surprised if Jade Fox smashed Li Mu Bai's head in with a rock, or if Li Mu Bai broke a bottle in half and said "'AVE IT".

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[–] fede_4488 8 years ago

You're being *beep* ridiculous. Way to inject your western SJW politics in a Eastern period film.

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[–] bonniehudson 8 years ago

HOW in the name of black baby Jesus does saying that "slicing open a woman's tit looks a bit out of character" make me a social justice warrior??

Think about when Zhang Ziyi's character sliced open Michelle Yeoh's arm in the final fight between them, Li Mu Bai was horrified that she'd done something so dishonorable. He'd obviously been watching the whole fight until then but only intervened at that point and told her "You're not worthy of that sword".

Don't be so unpleasant when people ask innocent questions because it makes you look like a mong.

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[–] Druff (1529) 3 years ago

There was only one person here who came off looking like a jerk, and it was you. People like you, people who go around scrutinizing everything hoping and praying to find some ridiculously insignificant thing they can virtue signal about, are why assholes like Trump, Gaetz, Boebert, MTG etc. keep getting elected. It's pushback against fuckheads like you.

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