Hong Kong's Jackie Chan, who is to receive the extraordinary citizenship of the city of Rotterdam today, is more than just a movie star: he's a legend in his own lifetime, writes Richard James Havis.
Chan's mixture of acrobatic kung-fu and death-defying stunts, along with his genial persona, have seen him become Asia's biggest star.
Chan takes screen action to a higher plane: as with the works of director King Hu, his films elevate the genre to the balletic. Chan moves with grace and ease, whether he is hurling himself over high walls, out-fighting numerous opponents, or, as in First Strike, taking on adversaries with the aid of an A-frame ladder. He's Buster Keaton with muscles.
Road to stardom
Jackie Chan was born in 1954 in Hong Kong, and received an early training in a Beijing Opera School.He moved into Hong Kong's then-prolific martial arts industry as a bit player and stunt-man. Early starring roles in the 70s saw an attempt to launch him as the new Bruce Lee: when this didn't catch on with the public, he was cast on the kind of traditional roles that Lee had avoided. The revenge-laden Dragon Fist, made in 1978 is an example of this earlier image.
Snake In Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master (both 1978) made Chan a star, bringing acrobatic comedy to the martial arts genre. Project A (1984) and Police Story (1986) went on to become that very special event , a Jackie Chan Film. Humour, martial arts, action and great stunts all merged together to form a then-unique style of kung-fu film.
Superior to Western hard men
Jackie does all his own stunts, and nearly killed himself while making the 52-foot jump in Project A. He's rumoured to have broken nearly every bone in his body at one time or another - it's not for nothing he claims to be superior to Western hard men like Arnold Schwarzennegger. From Project A on, there's a very special reason for staying to the end of a Jackie Chan film: the stunt out-takes are presented under the closing credits, emphasising the danger of many of the moves.
Rumble In The Bronx (1995), which was accompanied by a massive trans US publicity blitz, saw Chan finally establish himself in America. An earlier attempt to lauch him in the US during the Eighties had failed. Chan has now signed to the William Morris Agency to represent his "international interests," although he still protests his loyalty to Golden Harvest, of whom he is a shareholder.
Good-hearted superstar
Chan went Bond in last year's First Strike. The physical action is somewhat subdued, as is Jackie's usually optimistic character, but there are still some knockout scenes, including a Bond-like caper with some snowboarding villians and some cheeky underwater kung-fu.
The English title of his latest film sums up his secret of success: Mr Nice
Guy. On screen, he's your favourite uncle, possessed with super powers. Off screen, he's a modest and good-hearted superstar who appears to have time for everybody. Long may he reign!
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