Discussion: Fists of Legend As you’ve seen from this week’s discussions, many martial arts movies are loosely based on the exploits of real figures in Chinese history – Wong Fei-hung, Li Shen-zheng, San Te, Ip Man, Yim Wing-chun, and many others. In many cases, the fictional accounts of these historical personages become more well-known than those of their real-life counterparts, and sometimes people don’t even know that there even was a historical figure in the first place. It’s not even that unique to Chinese culture – you can’t imagine how many people didn’t realize Titanic and Dunkirk were based on true events. What do you make of this?
What are the consequences of fiction being taken for fact and vice versa, particularly in the context of past discussions about the responsibilities of filmmakers and audience members?
