Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China III

Within a first viewing of Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China III one is visually bombarded. So much so that the invigorating fight sequences and Dragonhead costumes dizzying the screen leave little room for an uninitiated viewer to fully absorb Tsui's messages. Perhaps most prevalent is his character study of how Chinese tradition adjusts to the invasion of foreign influence. Use of the word invasion is limited to the fact that the Russian foreigner is clearly the antagonist to China as a whole in the film.

Our attention is kept on the conflict seen between the feuding martial art schools, but this quarrel is belittled by the larger political conspiracies that surface in the story's climax. The Russian spy disguised as ambassador is seen helping along production in the factories as chaos ensues in the streets. Tsui may have been commenting on how the threat of foreign influence results in a nation's internal conflicts.

As Stephen Teo writes in his essay National Style and Polemic, in the first Once Upon a Time in China film, Tsui "proffers the theme of foreigners engulfing China, provoking violence and xenophobia." As much as several technological symbols such as the steam engine and movie camera represent the cultural threat to China, the film's heroes embrace them to fight fire with fire. Just as the Russian proclaims to Wong Fei-hung, played Jet Li, that his Uncle's factory must utilize the steam engine to survive economically.

Most interestingly is the character of Aunt 13, as she takes on several progressive roles to enact change in the other characters. She is the camera operator and one who introduces the movie camera to the village as a beckon of progress. She herself is a lure into sexual progress in challenging taboo and acceptance from Wong Fei-hung's uncle. Through her character we see the analogy of her flirting with the Russian as China's flirting with the idea of technological trade with the west. As much as this threat of technological change is a thematic conflict, Tsui ensures that China is not left behind as the Heroes use the camera to trick the Russians before the assassination.

At a more intimate level Aunt 13 helps Wong Fei-hung make a personal change. As she films him in action with his lighting fast movements we hear others jokingly talk of tricks of the camera's speed. This scene is not only a tongue in cheek comment from the filmmakers, but has relevance in the aforementioned characters' relationship. Aunt 13, through her forward personality and forward thinking nature, enables Wong Fei-hung to become the Hero others see him to be. As also mentioned by Stephen Teo much of Tsui's cinema addresses that "speed is of the essence", and this can be interpreted doubly in Once Upon a Time in China III. It can be taken lightly in referring to Jet Li's movements on camera and also deeper thematically in China keeping up to speed in technological progress.