What is a classic, my answer is that the classic is never outdated, because each era can draw nourishment from it and get some reflection on the problems of the moment. And I think "Huang Feihong's Boy Should Be Self-Reliant" is such a movie.
Wong Fei Hung stills
Each era has the unique glory of that era, and also has the pursuit of the people of that era. The 1990s were the golden age of Hong Kong cinema, and it was also the youthful youth who advocated martial arts and was happy to take revenge. When I was a child, I only remembered Jet Li's neat and neat actions and magnificent soundtrack in the movie, and even the beauty of the thirteen aunts was not noticed, not to mention Xu Ke's interpretation of the roles of various parties in the late Qing Dynasty and the criticism and reflection of the people.
Each character in the film carries a tragic color that they cannot get rid of, or because of their pursuits, or because of their duties, most of them are muddy. Just as Huang Feihong's helplessness about the country's poverty and the ignorance of the people, as well as his feelings for the thirteenth aunt, can never get rid of the shackles of etiquette and inferiority in his heart; Lu Haodong and Sun Wen's exploration of revolution and concern about national superstition; and Nalan Yuanshu is not simply labeled with villains, he only insists on his duties. And that group of White Lotus Cultivators is a ragtag bunch, and it is also the truest portrayal of our ordinary people. And that little girl is the most heart-wrenching character and the loudest slap in the face to our reality. I originally thought that when Huang Feihong's Foshan Shadowless Foot kicked the Nine Palaces to death and exposed the steel plate that could not be penetrated, people should always wake up. Who knew that the steel plate had long since become pseudoscience, pyramid schemes, and health maintenance, and the Nine Palaces had also become the current masters and gods.
The pace of the film is slow and urgent, with ups and downs. There are both tense and hurried fights, as well as romantic and soothing flirts and humor. Sometimes it can make people depressed to the point of suffocation, but there is also the pleasure of letting go! Just like the soundtrack "Surprised To Remember Qiu Juan" and "Knife Club Overture" and "General's Order". Originally thought that the fight between Huang Feihong and Nalan Yuanshu was over, and the climax of this film ended, who knew that the real climax was when Sun Wen unfolded the broken blue sky and white sun full of red flags, and said "May the morning sun shine on my land for a long time, and do not forget the heroic martyrs who donated blood all over the earth!" It also expresses the director's true intentions, and at this moment the action and stunts in the film become the side dishes of the film's story, not the whole thing.
If a movie can skillfully integrate and show a variety of elements such as kung fu, funny, family and country feelings, personal feelings, and national inferiority, then the director's skill is really quite powerful, so every time I watch this movie, I always think of two words: all-encompassing, blood boiling. This movie that reflects the present is really worth watching repeatedly!