Yuen Woo-Ping’s True Legend is a psychological martial arts drama from Hong Kong starring Vincent Zhao with a guest appearance of Michelle Yeoh.
This is the story of Su Qi-Er, better known as Beggar Su, who is a legendary figure in the martial arts world. He is also known as the master of drunken boxing. This character has appeared in numerous movies such as Drunken Master (1978) in which he was the master of Jackie Chan.
In True Legend, Su Qi-Er is a military leader whose dream is to open a martial arts school and start a family with his wife. Tragedy leads him to start drinking. As a result, he becomes a penniless beggar who just travels from city to city with no purpose whatsoever. Dramatic events will bring him back on his feet and allow him to become a hero.
True Legend features magnificent cinematographic work; great camera angle, camera movement and lighting with a splendid soundtrack.
On the martial arts front, Yuen Woo-Ping has managed to successfully combine drunken boxing with breakdance. The result is drunken boxing with a lot of kicks that reach multiple opponents on the head.
Another area this movie explores is psychology. This is where viewers might consider True Legend to be Hong Kong’s version of A Beautiful Mind. With all the drama our hero goes through, no one can blame him for becoming crazy. As such, there are moments when viewers may wonder whether it’s real or all in his mind. Nonetheless, his psychological setbacks allow him to regain his sanity and learn to let go.
Overall, True Legend is the story of man’s journey towards acceptance. This movie will appeal to people who like martial arts as well as those who like breakdancing. The small psychological aspect will leave you wondering: what do the poison, herbs and wine represent? What do the “gods” represent?
“The drunkenness is fake. The fist is real.”