Original subtitles

Presented by

the weinstein company, annapurna pictures

block 2 pictures, sil-metropole organization ltd

a production of

jet tone films ltaq, sil-metropole organization ltd

executive producers

song dai, chan ye Cheng, Megan Ellison

producers

wong kar wal, jacky pang yee wah

action choreographer

woo ping yuen

starring

Tony leung

zyl zhang

Chang chen

zhao benshan

xiao Shenyang

and song hye kyo

directed by

wong kar wal

Don't tell me how well you fight,

or how great your teacher is,

or brag about your style.

Kung fu: Two words.

Horizontal. Vertical.

Make a mistake, horizontal.

Stay standing and you win.

Isn't that right?

Not bad.

A master of wing chun.

The new hope of the south.

What's his name?

Ip man.

We're from foshan.

My father ran the family business.

He exported goods to Hong Kong.

The ips are an old foshan family.

They named a street after us, that's how wealthy we were.

Before I turned 40, life was easy.

I lived on family money,

and had one passion:

Wing chun.

My wife, zhang yongcheng,

was the descendant of an imperial minister.

She was a woman of few words because she knew their power.

We understood each other well.

When I went out, she lit a lamp

and left it lit until I came home.

If life has seasons,

my first 40 years were spring.

In 1936, foshan was a prosperous city.

Life was peaceful and good.

Men socialized in brothels.

Foshan's finest was Republic house.

Its walls were covered in gold,

so we called it the gold pavilion.

It was the first to have an elevator.

Enter a prince, exit a pauper.

You'd spend money like water.

It was like a social club for martial artists.

Good men can be found among rogues...

And hidden masters, too.

People saw it as a pleasure palace.

But to us, it was a battleground.

I claim three accomplishments in life.

I united xingyi and bagua styles.

Second, I became the director of the northern martial arts union,

bringing together tongbeil, Cannon fist,

tai chi, yan qing, and other schools.

Third, I took the northern masters south.

In 1929,

I supervised the founding of the Southern martial arts academy

after talks here in the gold pavilion.

I'm getting old.

It's time for new blood.

I held a retirement ceremony up north.

You invited me to hold a second one here.

To bid farewell to my Southern comrades.

Up north, the one who took part

was my top disciple, ma San.

He'll be my successor.

I hope you'll give him your support.

I'd always wanted

to take the Southern styles north.

Sadly, my time is up.

I want to hold a demonstration match

with a Southern martial artist.

Someone you all support.

Pick one.

How could I represent the south?

Among the great Southern schools,

there are many besides wing chun.

In rank, you're all senior to me.

You're the leaders and masters.

I have no standing.

The reputation of the south is at stake.

We southerners may be petty,

but we don't run away from a fight.

We're not afraid of these northerners!

This is a challenge.

We will rise to it. Isn't that right?

Absolutely!

It must be you.

Think you're good enough to challenge the grandmaster?

Let's keep it simple.

- I'll take you all on. - Get him!

Go tell ip that at the ceremony up north,

I had the honor.

To worship at the feet of the Buddha,

first pass the guardian of the gate.

That's me.

Do you know why a knife must have a sheath?

Its real power lies not in sharpness,

but in concealment.

You're too sharp a blade.

You have to stay put.

My sheath... is you, master.

With you around, I'm under control.

I can no longer control you.

Youre too anxious to make your Mark.

For now, leave foshan.

Miss that train,

and I'll break your legs.

Central news broadcast:

Mounting anti-northern sentiment in the region

has turned the match by the northern visitors into a challenge.

The Southern clans have begun blocking off entrances to foshan

to prevent hostilities.

Halt!

Let us pass.

Sorry. This street is closed off.

No one bearing arms can enter.

Do you know who's in that rickshaw?

It's master gong's daughter!

Miss gong, it's good you're here.

He must call this off. Win or lose, it's a disgrace.

In all his years of fighting, he's never lost.

How dare you?

She's impossible.

Your northern colleagues disapprove of this match.

It's a huge honor that this lp doesn't deserve.

It's not how things are done.

Don't follow the herd.

If the old never let go, when will the young ever get a chance?

Ip man has talent.

Let's see if he can prove himself.

The gong family has never lost before.

With you here,

what can he prove?

I once had a temper like yours.

Winning was everything.

But life's bigger than that.

Take a longer view.

Past the mountains, the world opens up.

Not to see the good in others,

not to admit their talent,

is to lack generosity.

Our high standards in martial arts

apply to character as well.

- Father. - Hm?

Why did you bring me to a brothel?

If you don't see something...

Does it not exist?

No harm in seeing.

The first time I came here

was before you were born.

Twenty years have passed in a flash.

In life, ability isn't everything.

Some thrive in light,

others in shadows.

The times make us what we are.

I asked you to come south

to bring things full circle

and to let you see

how I step down.

Since you were little,

you've watched me fight.

This is the last time.

I wish you could've been my successor.

But in the world of martial arts,

there's no place for you.

Become a good doctor.

Live a peaceful life.

This is my greatest wish.

Master ip.

You'll be challenging their grandmaster.

Your big day is coming.

We're here to show our support.

I'm humbled, uncle deng.

It's a pleasure. You're very welcome.

Please.

The ladies and staff congratulate you.

That's quite a battle formation.

Sister San heads our Peking opera troupe.

She dabbles in bagua.

She'd like to offer a few pointers.

Please.

- After you. - Bagua is based on swordplay.

Single reverse palm is a single blade.

Double reverse palm is a double blade.

The feet arc out and in.

There are 64 transformations.

Attack comes out of nowhere.

Sister San, it's just practice.

No need to smash the ancestral tablets.

I've done that many times before. No big deal.

Mr. lp, bagua is underhanded.

Beware.

Thank you.

Ah, Mr. ip.

Today is a happy day.

We in accounts wish you well.

Xingyi began with general yue fel.

It uses the fist as a spear.

Drill!

Chop!

Cross!

Blast!

Crush!

Such sensitivity. Impressive!

That crushing fist is quite something.

Mr. ip,

each challenge leads to a higher peak.

Xingyi is brutal.

Don't underestimate it.

Let's see how high the peaks get.

Hmm. This will be fun.

My turn now, master ip.

And what have you got for me, yong?

A string of firecrackers.

That move, isn't that hung gar?

I'm a Jack of all trades.

- You do mix it up. - What's wrong with that?

So long as it works.

Their 64 hands have endless combinations.

Your wing chun is a three-trick pony.

Spade, pin, sheath.

- How can it compete? - Three's enough to take care of you.

An!

Spade.

Pin

sheath.

Yong, your fireworks have fizzled.

What of it? I'm an old man.

Youth trumps skill.

He might be a grandmaster, but don't hold back.

You'd better win.

This has been a real privilege.

To victory!

Good luck.

Every generation produces new talent.

Mr. ip, we were fated to meet.

For my final contest,

I suggest we match wits, not skill.

Do you accept?

As our guest, it's up to you.

When our union was founded 25 years ago...

Aman came from the south

and offered a challenge.

He held out a flat cake and asked our master to break it.

Our master wasn't offended.

He even named the man our first chairman.

It wasn't because of his kung fu,

but what he said:

Kung fu divides north and south.

Must the country divide as well?

Mr. ip,

can you break this cake in my hand?

A tai chi master stopped a bird from flying

by giving it no perch from which to fly.

The old master's skill is too great.

Mr. ip is a sparrow in his palm.

I don't think he can do it.

The world is a big place.

Why limit it to north and south?

It holds you back.

To you, this cake is the country.

To me, it's much more.

Break from what you know and you will know more.

The Southern arts are bigger than just north and south.

- Would you agree? - Well said.

All my life, I've been the Victor.

My technique has never failed me.

I never thought I'd see the limits of my own vision.

Mr. ip,

today I've made you famous.

In the future, you'll face challenges at every step.

I hope you'll be like me.

Pass on the torch.

Never give up the faith.

Keep the light burning.

Tonight, following northern custom,

the winner will host a banquet.

You'll represent me.

Don't worry, I'll do the right thing.

Let's go!

Miss gong, you mustn't do this.

The gongs have never been defeated.

To me, this contest isn't over yet.

Give this to Mr. ip. He'll understand.

I have no chance to be as great as my father.

It wasn't my choice.

But I'll make my Mark.

Go.

Of master gong's martial arts,

ma San inherited the steel

and his daughter the silk.

She's the sole heir to the 64 hands.

Her moves are deadly.

This isn't just a banquet.

She's here to redeem the family honor.

Don't underrate gong er.

The martial arts world has four taboos.

Monks, taoist priests, women, and children.

Grappling with them is a bad idea.

If their 64 hands are that good, how could I not accept?

It's said that all encounters in this world

are a kind of reunion.

And that was how we first met.

She was nothing I could've ever expected.

Three days ago,

my father sat here.

Tonight,

it's between us.

- Please. - Pity about the lovely décor.

Kung fu is about precision.

If anything gets broken, the win is yours.

In those days,

there were many rituals in our world.

A challenger was an honored guest,

welcomed with a banquet and sent off with gifts.

The night gong er left foshan, I suggested a rematch.

It went your way this time.

Who knows what next time will bring.

Come to the north.

I'll be waiting.

Take care.

I dream of seeing the 64 hands again in the snow.

I'm waiting. What's keeping you?

Ip.

Does it fit?

Foshan's never this cold.

Better to be ready.

You'll go sooner or later.

Pick a day.

We'll take a family portrait.

In October 1938, the Japanese invaded foshan.

Their army took over our home.

If life has four seasons,

we went from spring straight to winter.

I'll be back with dinner.

Help me prosper?

Rescue me from poverty?

I've never been poor in my life.

The country is in crisis and everyone is suffering.

10 be poor is no big deal.

I'd rather starve than eat Japanese rice.

I won't collaborate. Enjoy your dinner.

Theyre brand-new.

I was going to the northeast. But that's impossible now.

Sell them and I can feed my family.

Why's there a button missing?

Is there?

Must've dropped off.

I began studying kung fu at age seven.

Before I turned 40, I was never beaten.

When that happened,

it was life that dealt the blows.

In eight years of war, I lost everything.

Money, friends...

China will never diel

finally, I lost my family.

Ever taught before, master ip?

To teach for a living is a new experience.

- So why now? - I'm starting a new life.

You've got your things. You must be confident.

- Saves running back and forth. - We've never heard of wing chun.

- Any special moves? - Not really.

Three basic hands: Spade, pin, sheath.

How many forms?

The concept, the bridge,

and darting fingers.

Weapons?

Double knives, and the six-and-a-half point pole.

- Anything else? - That's it.

Bone-setting, internal energy,

I don't do any of that.

Street performance, lion dancing,

I won't work like that.

Why not?

Kung fu's not a circus act,

so I won't teach without a proper school.

Lion dancers jump at firecrackers.

They're always brawling and showing off,

all for a bit of cash.

It's crude.

I'll ask you straight.

Ever been in a real fight?

It's wall-to-wall kung fu schools here.

Fights start over nothing.

Master ip, have you got what it takes?

Try me and find out.

Fight! Fight!

I've had a few years of training.

Show me your stuff, master ip.

- Have you had lunch? - Barbecued pork and rice.

I suggest you wait a bit. It'd be a shame to waste it.

Waste it?

Brother hung, are you ok?

- Where's the tea? - Tea?

To give to your new master!

Is there a hammer?

Master ip, the boys and I want some lessons.

Eighty cents a head. Cheap enough.

But call yourself a master, you'd better deliver the goods.

No snake oll. How good is your kung fu, anyway?

Lock the gate.

Hey! Little fucker.

Shut the door and it's on for real.

You've got two hands and two feet. How you gonna beat us all?

You're mistaken.

I have two hanas, but... Wing chun has eight kicks.

Never mind your boys.

There's more than enough for you.

More than enough for me?

That one's free.

First kick.

Fourth kick.

One more left.

The life of an exile is rarely easy.

It's full of ups and downs.

Some look ahead.

Others live in the past.

In hard times, even a kung fu master might serve tea.

Back then, the streets were competitive,

kung fu masters all around.

Just accepting a stranger's cigarette could be dangerous.

People, they change with the times.

Wear shoes that suit the crossing, and pants that fit your ass.

In Hong Kong, I can only afford these cigarettes.

Back home, I smoked real manchurian tobacco.

Now that was smoking.

"Be good, respectful, deferential.”

"Deferential" is the key.

Let's say I'm smoking.

A stranger sits down.

I defer to him: "Have a smoke."

Even if he doesn't smoke, he must accept

or he'll make me lose face.

Mr. ip...

Have a smoke.

- Thank you. - You're welcome.

You've got the gift.

Twenty years ago, we could've sparred.

What a shame.

That year, refugees flooded into Hong Kong.

Among them were many northern masters.

They brought their martial arts skills with them.

One was the fabled baji master, "razor."

He called himself a barber.

Some said he was once an assassin,

even the last emperor's bodyguard.

His blade was swift and untouchable.

But a blade not blocked never sings.

And he sought the music of steel.

How about a game of chess?

It won't cost you much.

I don't throw money away.

They say wing chun uses knives,

and you never strike twice.

Scary.

- Want to see? - I want to hear it,

this priceless sound.

This razor hasn't seen an equal for a long time.

Let me try.

What will you use?

Wing chun has a saying:

You need both master and opponent.

A great master is like a scale,

a genuine opponent, a mirror.

A well-matched opponent is as rare as a good friend.

Razor put away his blade.

But he never forgot that music

and he gave bajl to Hong Kong.

China closed the border with Hong Kong later that year.

I was separated from my family.

For the identification photo,

a student lent me a suit so I'dfitin.

I never wore one again.

If I couldn't go home,

I'd never fit in, no matter what I wore.

The day I left foshan...

I was sure I would be able to return.

Never thought it'd be the last time I saw her.

After that I only had the path ahead.

There was no turning back...

And no road home.

Having lost track of her for many years,

I finally found gong er in Hong Kong.

She was no longer involved in the martial arts world.

She had become a doctor, as her father once wished.

Well, sir, what might you want on this new year's fve?

Haven't seen you here before. Where are you from?

You wouldn't know.

I'm here to see the doctor.

The doctor?

Must be serious.

You don't look too sick.

I'd like to see the 64 hands again.

If you don't mind my saying...

You lost. I won.

Have a seat.

If you'd said that at the door,

I wouldn't have made it so easy

for you to get in here to see me.

Thank you.

You know,

I'd hoped to visit the northeast in 1937.

There was a challenge waiting for me.

I had a warm coat made.

But the war stopped me from going.

I didn't keep the coat...

Just one of its buttons.

Call it a memento.

The 64 hands is too important a legacy.

Why let it disappear?

In centuries of martial arts history,

so many things have vanished.

Why should the gong family arts survive?

Mr. ip,

no art is higher than heaven,

no gift more solid than earth.

Nothing lasts forever, and that's fine.

I'll keep this button, but...

As for what may and may not be seen,

let's not talk about it now.

How could it be?

I never expected to see him again...

Especially under such circumstances.

Perhaps it's fate.

He still cares for you.

Why hesitate?

Your father would approve of him.

Miss gong, the old rules don't apply here in Hong Kong.

The vow you took,

no one has to know.

Heaven would know.

Farth would know.

Father would know.

No arrow can return to its bow.

Others may live without rules.

Not me.

Mr. ip,

do you know what happened ten years ago?

Do you remember what I taught you?

Yes.

Never put yourself first, show respect.

There's always someone better.

To yield is not to lose.

Master, you've taught me

to be modest

and know my place.

I took you in as an orphan.

You brought credit to our school.

Let's go over my supreme move.

"The old monkey hangs up his badge."

- Have you practiced it? - Yes.

You know the key to it?

I was never told.

It's looking back in reflection.

It's not the upward move, but the turning back.

Understand what I'm saying?

A warrior molds himself to the times.

What if... I can't turn back?

Then the gong family legacy

cannot live on in you.

Stay back.

Let him go.

Never darken my door again.

Get lost.

Master!

Oh ye gods and spirits,

guide this soul to paradise!

Halt!

We have orders from master ma San to escort the grandmaster's body.

Jiang!

Tell ma San he's a dead man.

- Let's go! - Let's go!

Guide this soul to paradise!

They're here.

Stop her.

Keep her back.

Let me at her.

Stop her.

- I - Stay back. We're here for ma San.

Since you're my senior, I won't force my way in.

But know this.

You can't hide from me forever.

I'll take back my family's legacy.

Come out!

"Better to advance than to stop."

The old master taught me this.

It became my philosophy of life.

It's a shame he couldn't follow his own advice.

His precious teachings are mine now.

You want them,

send someone who's entitled.

Youre just a woman.

You don't count.

Miss, it's too much of a sacrifice.

Is it really worth it?

Think it over.

Once you take the vow, there's no turning back.

"Better to advance... than to stop."

It's the only way to honor my father.

I can only advance.

I can't stop.

Is it hard to kill a man?

Miss gong, it's not like in the old days.

Murder is punishable by death.

Is ma San worth it?

Miss, we make our own path in life.

Should we go home, or keep waiting?

It's new year's fve.

He'll be here soon.

- We have to Walt. - All right.

We'll Walt.

This is between miss gong and ma San.

Everyone else stay out of it.

There you are,

still playing with your monkey.

- Deal with him! - Get him!

Hm... you're worse than a debt collector,

trying to ruin my new year's Eve.

Your dinner may be waiting at home,

but it won't be yours to eat.

I let you off before

to avoid destroying the gong clan.

You should know when to give up.

Those needing salvation burn joss.

Those who are hungry, eat.

What I must do,

I will do and nothing can stop me.

The gong family legacy

must return to me tonight.

Fine.

It's a part of me.

You want it...

Come and get it.

Master!

Keep away.

Ma San, speak!

That day...

The old master spoke to me...

About his supreme move:

"Old monkey hangs up his badge."

He said the key to the move...

Was turning back.

At the time...

1 didn't get it.

I thought he couldn't keep up with the times.

The gong family legacy...

1 return to you.

I et's be clear.

You didn't return it.

I took it back myself.

Miss gong!

In the winter of that year,

gong er stopped seeing patients.

Her old injuries from the fight with ma San

had driven her to opium.

I last saw her at a teahouse.

Do you know this opera”

I think I heard it before in foshan.

- Something about a dream. - "A dream of love."

Love is just that, a dream.

It's said no instrument is as lovely as a voice.

Words always sound better sung.

- Has miss gong studied opera? - Just the basics.

Back then, if I'd put my mind to I,

I'd be an opera star.

All those tales, happy and sad...

If I tired of Yang family women generals,

I'd sing "waking from a dream.”

Think of it,

me on stage, you in the audience...

Meeting that way.

Wouldn't that be something?

But what if it was sold out?

You flatter me.

If you came, I'd save you a seat.

You've performed well in the opera of life.

Unfortunately, you never saw beyond your role.

I'd no idea you watched me like an opera.

This opera of mine, applauded or not,

will play on to the end.

I asked you here to bring things to a close

and say what needs to be said.

Are you going somewhere?

We have a saying in the north:

A tiger never quits the mountain.

We've both been living on foreign soil.

I'm so very tired.

I want to go home.

But I wanted to return this to you first.

As for the 64 hands...

I've already forgotten them.

I was lucky to meet you in my prime.

Sadly, my time is running out.

To say there are no regrets in life,

is just to fool yourself.

How boring it would be without regrets.

Mr. ip, to tell you the truth...

I cared about you.

I don't mind telling you that.

It's not a crime to love.

But that's all it can ever be.

I never said that to anyone before.

Seeing you tonight,

I don't know why, but it just came out.

Let's say we suspend this game of chess between us.

Take care.

In life, as in chess,

a move, once made, stays on the board.

What we have... is simply fate.

Your father once said,

never give up the faith.

Keep the light burning.

I hope that one day, I'll see the 64 hands once more.

My father said, "mastery has three stages:

Being,

knowing,

doing."

I know myself.

I've seen the world.

Sadly, I can't pass on what I know.

This is a road I won't see to the end.

I hope you will.

I grew up watching my father fight.

The sound most familiar to me was that of bones breaking.

My father was the first to merge xingyi and bagua.

When father practiced bagua, he allowed no one to watch.

He only taught his disciples xingyi,

for bagua was lethal.

Father always said that if I was a singer I'd rule the stage,

if a nun I'd run the temple,

for I lose myself in my passions.

It's a pity I wasn't a boy.

What I learned from my father wasn't skill

so much as a code of honor.

Those were my happiest days.

Like her father, gong er never lost a fight.

She only ever lost to herself.

At seven, I started learning kung fu.

My master was chan wah-shun.

Wing chun was still a secret art, and disciples were rarely commoners.

Pledging loyalty cost 20 silver dollars,

back then, it was only for the rich.

The day I became a disciple, my master tied my sash himself.

This sash stands for school and teacher.

It stands for commitment to honor and respect our legacy.

You are now a martial artist.

I lived through dynastic times, the early Republic, warlords,

Japanese invasion and civil war.

Finally, I came to Hong Kong.

What kept me going was the spirit of wing chun.

Ok, begin.

They say I popularized wing chun.

I hope they're right.

I hever did it for fame.

The martial arts belong to all.

We're all on the same quest.

It all comes down to those two words:

Horizontal. Vertical.

The grandmaster

a wong kar wali film

co-starring wang qingxiang, zhang Jin, shang tielong

special appearances by woo ping yuen, lo hoi pang, lau ka Yung

lau shun, wang mancheng, and cung le

screenplay by zou jingzhi, xu haofeng, wong kar wai

story by wong kar wai

You can call me ip man.

Or even old ip.

We can learn from one another. I really believe that.

But fists and feet do what they do.

Our fate is up to the gods.

Would you agree?

What's your style?

Director of photography Philippe le sourd

additional cinematography song xiaofei

production design by William Chang suk ping, Alfred yau wai ming

costume design by William Chang suk ping

edited by William Chang suk ping, Benjamin courtines, poon hung yiu

original score by shigeru umebayashi, Nathaniel mechaly

sound design by Robert MacKenzie