MOVIE
Lessons from Ip Man 3
I have just watched Ip Man 3 on Netflix and man, it was nothing short of exciting!
Yes, I was late on board the hype train ever since Ip Man’s initial release in 2008. That was a decade back where I recalled, standing in awe with the others outside a DVD store where they showed a snippet of the action choreography. It was an incredible scene to see a furious Ip Man (Donnie Yen) taking out 10 Japanese army fighters in a sparring contest, all at once.
It was satisfying and glorious, partly because Ip Man was still able to suppress his grief (the loss of a friend) while methodically beating the heck out of them all. This scene alone probably is enshrined and stands among one of the best fight scenes of all time.
The final trilogy (I think?) is a continuation of the struggles faced by Ip Man during the post-war period when Hong Kong was under British colonial rule. It was a time where vice and corruption were rife, to the extent where the manpower- crunched local police had little choice but to forge mutual associations with martial arts schools in order to suppress the triads under control.
Overall, I loved the direction of this final installment.
The insidious opponent versus the grandmaster.
Unlike the previous two where Ip Man faces a major adversary, the latest was more of an emotional one; coming face to face with the silent, incurable disease.
His wife was diagnosed with cancer.
Frank (Mike Tyson), the head of the triads, was downplayed as nothing more than the usual thug boss. I admit here that there wasn’t much of a surprising plot but a predictable game of cat-and-mouse between the good guys and the police.
Cancer, however, takes a surprising take on the emotional journey from a let-the-fist-do-the-talking Ip Man to a helpless action figure. Cancer prevailed and forces him to redefine his priorities in life until his wife finally succumbed to the disease.
Worth watching again.
In conclusion, I think the movie was well directed.
It has that consistent, self-actualizing arc, coming full circle to the main message about living a life with purpose and usefulness to the community. All these, one can learn despite facing the shortcomings in life.
There is especially a scene in which I remember where Ip Man admonished Fat Po (Kent Cheng) about the principles of being a good role model, regardless of how insurmountable the odds are.
When being told about how futile their actions are regarding the school, his response bears a profound rationale that can be applied to everyday use.
It’s about the message we send.
“Yes, the world is unfair.”
“Yet, moral standards apply to all. The ruler isn’t always superior, and the ruled isn’t always inferior. The world doesn’t belong to the rich or even the powerful, but to those of a pure heart.”
“Have you considered about the children? All that we do, they’re watching us.”
“We need to be good role models. All that we do, is not for today.”
“But, for their tomorrow.”
