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Restoring the Transnational from the Abyss of Ethnonational Film Historiography: The Case of Chung Chang Wha

2011; Rowman & Littlefield; Volume: 16; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/jks.2011.0020

2158-1665

Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park,

Japanese History and Culture

Chung Chang Wha is the godfather of Korean action cinema and the director who internationalized Hong Kong action cinema when Five Fingers of Death (天下第一拳 C. Tian xia di yi quan, King Boxer, K. Chugŭm ŭi tasŏt sonkarak, 1972) became a $12 million global box office sensation. Chung delivered on his xia ethos promise to Hong Kong cinema mogul Sir Run Run Shaw to get the job done, no matter what. Despite Chung’s stellar achievement, his rightful status within the annals of film history for both Korea and Hong Kong is compromised due to the practice of ethnonational film historiography. This project rescues Chung’s historical preeminence by focusing on his transnational contributions to global film history.