Yip Man is No More A Legend; Production Begins in March

Donnie Yen, who will be playing the Yip Man, says, "As Yip Man was not only a great master of his times but also the mentor of my idol Bruce Lee, I have never encountered any role that has brought me greater pressure or challenge than this. While I have been training in Wing Chun for 2 months, I don't think I'm qualified to say that I truly understand Wing Chun. A few months of training won't be sufficient to be able to propagate its essence. But I'll rely on my foundation in martial arts and my hard work to promote Wing Chun, to let more people know about Wing Chun, about Yip Man."

Wilson Yip adds, "To Donnie Yen, his biggest achievement lies in playing a true historical figure, unlike fictitious characters he had been doing in the past. So, he'd have to try his best to understand the thoughts of Yip Man, to be him, and to fit in within the past. So, he's often under some stress."

Donnie Yen says he'd do his utmost to portray this great master, his wushu cultivation, his inner worlds. Donnie Yen has been having meals with Yip Man's son Yip Chun, who's the film's consultant, enquiring about Yip Man's daily life, habits and his relations with his disciple Bruce Lee. He has also arrived at Foshan earlier in order to conduct surveys on Yip Man's hometown, to better understand the cultures in Yip Man's times. In Donnie Yen's mind, Yip Man was a scholar, a very low-profile person, and one who is very unassuming.
 

"I hope that this will not be a pure kungfu film, but one with warmth and affections." says Wilson Yip. Yip Man's family will be one of the main themes in the film. Lynn Hung plays Yip Man's wife, one who supports her husband's career in wushu initially. However, later on, she becomes upset at her husband for neglecting his kids.

On why Donnie Yen's not both action directing and acting this time, Wilson Yip says, "We hope that he has more time on his role, and that he can fight with more ease. The pressure will be much bigger when you have to direct and act simultaneously."

Donnie Yen is not the least bit worried about clashing with Wong Kar Wai's version of Yip Man starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai, "Everyone would want to adapt successful materials. While I might not be as polished as Tony Leung in terms of acting, I'm now fully immersed in Ip Man's world, so I still have confidence in myself."

Sammo Hung says that the material sparks his interest greatly, for it's a form of pursuits of wushu, of beliefs of life. However, he'd only be the martial arts director, "My role is to shoot the martial arts scenes, I won't be acting." On being asked how he'd work with Donnie Yen to direct the action scenes, Sammo Hung replies matter-of-factly, "With my mouth."

When being asked about what kind of moves will be shown in the film, Sammo Hung rebuts, "It's not something I'd be able to say clearly, to the uninitiated, action films are nothing more than you give me a punch, I give you a kick. It's very hard to explain in words. Why don't you spar with me?" Subsequently, he smiled, saying that he won't promote himself, adding that it is the approach - the way the moves are handled - that sets one film apart from the other. Nanfang Daily, Information Times, New Express Daily, Sina | Photos: XinhuaNet, Sc168.com

Videos: Sina, Sohu