On July 19, 2024, an uncalming thing happened in the Chinese film industry, martial arts actress Zheng Peipei passed away.
How did the news get around? Let's start with a Weibo posted by the host Cao Kefan. He just expressed his condolences in a relatively simple way, but it suddenly sparked heated discussions on the whole network.
Immediately afterwards, directors Sun Mengjin and Hu Xuehua, actors Liu Tao and Hu Ge posted on social platforms to express their memories of this predecessor in the film industry.
When everyone was speculating about the truth or falsehood, Zheng Peipei's brokerage company Kaiyi International issued an official statement, clearly pointing out that the rumors were untrue.
At this moment, the hearts of fans are broken into pieces.
Zheng Peipei, as our "martial arts actress", are you leaving?
Her death is not only the end of the entire era of martial arts films, but also the beginning of a new chapter.
Don't worry, let's count them slowly: Zheng Peipei, Michelle Yeoh, Hui Yinghong, Zhang Lanxin, Wang Zhi...... Which of these people is not famous? They rely on strength to eat, not just on the vase of face.
They are all real kung fu masters.
Since her debut film "Baolian Lantern", Zheng Peipei has shown superb acting skills and excellent martial arts skills in her acting career.
In 1969, she played the classic role "Golden Swallow" in the martial arts film "The Drunken Man", and her outstanding performance in this role strengthened her position in the martial arts film industry. In the end, she won the honor of "Martial Arts Actress" for this role.
Don't think that Zheng Peipei will only fight and kill.
In the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", 60-year-old Zheng Peipei has attracted the attention of the world, and she has successfully created the image of a rebellious villain "fox" with her superb acting skills. Through this role, she not only won the honor of Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards, but also pushed her acting career to a new peak.
Zheng Peipei's death is not only a loss for the entertainment industry, but also the end of an era. But will the spirit of martial arts actresses disappear? We'll have to wait and see.
Wait, don't rush to sing elegy for martial arts actresses, let's talk about a recent blockbuster - "The Wandering Earth 2".
Do you remember the handsome Han Duoduo in "The Wandering Earth"? That's right, that's what Wang Zhi played. The performance of this post-85 Xiaohua in the film has fascinated many audiences.
Her neat movements and handsome style completely subverted everyone's impression of her.
Oops, isn't this the "Qiuya" in "Charlotte's Troubles"? That's right, it's her. From the first love of the people to an action actress, Wang Zhi used his strength to prove that the hard currency of an actor is real kung fu.
Speaking of which, we have to go back in time to the golden age of martial arts films.
In the entertainment industry at that time, Michelle Yeoh, Hui Yinghong, Zheng Peipei, etc. were all very famous big-name stars.
The first thing to say is Michelle Yeoh. Surprisingly, the starting point of this Oscar-winning actress turned out to be ballet. From ballet dancer to kung fu actress to international superstar, Michelle Yeoh's path has been difficult and tortuous.
Michelle Yeoh's success is not accidental, but stems from her hard work and strength in martial arts films.
In order not to be laughed at by martial arts instructors, she had to train for 7 or 8 hours a day, and this dedication was rewarded in "Police Story 3", which made Michelle Yeoh famous and popular in Asia, and also became a stepping stone for her to enter Hollywood.
Hui Yinghong's life is as wonderful as a martial arts movie. She grew up selling chewing gum in bars and gradually moved towards the position of an Academy Award movie actress. Her story is even more legendary.
Cheng Dainan's bravery and fearlessness in "Changliao" left a deep impression on people, and that courage is still unforgettable.
Hui Yinghong hit a real fire, she once said: "At that time, when actresses wanted to come out, they either slapped their fists or slapped their pillows. "
However, she chose what seemed to be the most difficult path, and fought her way through the male-dominated martial arts film market with her "fist".
Finally, let's talk about Zheng Peipei. From "The Drunken Man" to "Tang Bohu Dots Autumn Fragrance" to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", every role she plays is a classic.
She not only represents martial arts films, but also a symbol of the entire era.
Zheng Peipei has her own understanding and views on martial arts action scenes. She believes that in order to make the work more realistic and touching, it is necessary to show the martial arts scenes of "flesh and blood, falling flowers and flowing water".
Looking at the glorious history of those martial arts actresses, and thinking about Wang Zhi in "The Wandering Earth 2", do you still think that the era of martial arts actresses has passed? Perhaps, they are just showing the "martial arts" of the new era in a new way.
The rise of martial arts actresses is inseparable from Michelle Yeoh's legendary career, and her transformation from ballet to kung fu is an extraordinary spectacle.
Imagine a girl who has been studying ballet since she was a child and suddenly decides to become a martial arts star, doesn't that sound like a fantasy? However, Michelle Yeoh did just that.
From Miss Malaysia to Hong Kong film rookie to international superstar, her success at every step has been hard-won.
Perhaps it is precisely because of the inextricable connection between dance and martial arts that Michelle Yeoh chose to give up ballet and devote herself to martial arts films.
But despite her dancing skills, she still worked hard in order to gain a firm foothold in martial arts films.
She wakes up very early every day and trains for seven or eight hours, why is that? Her goal is not to be laughed at by martial arts instructors when filming films.
The persistence she insisted on was finally responded to in her debut work "Royal Senior Sister", which established her status in the film industry in one fell swoop.
Let's talk about Hui Yinghong, her upbringing is embarrassing. During the Cultural Revolution, at the age of 6, she had to sell chewing gum to United States GIs on the streets with her mother.
Hui Yinghong's starting point is not high. When she was 14 years old, she was favored by director Zhang Che while performing singing and dancing in a bar, and became a signed artist of Shaw Brothers.
Although the image of Mu Nianci in the masterpiece "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" did not make her an instant hit, her sharp teeth still attracted a lot of attention.
With the full help of Liu Jialiang, Hui Yinghong's performance in "Changliao" made the audience look at her with admiration, and her character Cheng Dainan's image and performance also won the Academy Award actress in one fell swoop.
Until now, she is still the only action actress to win the Academy Award.
Looking at the growth history of these martial arts actresses, are you also moved by their fighting spirit? Their rise is not only a personal success, but also a microcosm of this era.
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is undoubtedly a classic, it is not only the masterpiece of director Ang Lee, but also brings the pinnacle showdown of Cheng Peipei and Michelle Yeoh's acting skills.
Do you remember the thrilling bamboo forest fight in the movie? Michelle Yeoh's Jade Jiaolong shows extreme agility and agility, flying back and forth in the bamboo forest, like a swallow.
That picture is really breathtaking! And the blue-eyed fox played by Zheng Peipei is a ruthless and vicious character with deadly moves.
The duel between these two can be called a textbook-level performance in martial arts films.
Do you know? In fact, the success of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" also hints at the turning point of the era of martial arts films.
Why? Because after this movie, there are fewer and fewer martial arts films that can really fight. Special effects have replaced real kung fu, and flower fists and embroidered legs have replaced real action scenes.
This change has made many martial arts stars feel threatened.
Recalling Zheng Peipei's early film works, I was particularly impressed by the role of the Golden Swallow in "The Drunken Man", whose heroic posture and outstanding demeanor are unforgettable.
This role affirmed her status in martial arts films, and in 1969, she won the crown of "Martial Arts Actress".
In addition, we also want to talk about Mrs. Hua in "Tang Bohu Dots Autumn Fragrance". Is the domineering villain she played in the film still memorable? Especially Zheng Peipei's superb performance, even Stephen Chow is full of praise.
He once spoke highly of Zheng Peipei as "the most proficient actor", not casually.
Zheng Peipei has a unique understanding of the fighting scene, and she insists that in order to make the work more real and touching, it is necessary to present the "flesh and blood flying, falling flowers and flowing water" fighting action.
Zheng Peipei's villain role of "Fox" in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" won her the award of Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards, and pushed her acting career to a new peak.
However, after the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", the golden age of martial arts films seems to have been eclipsed.
The number of special effects is increasing, and the real effort is getting less and less. Those all-round actors who can both play and act, which can be described as one in a hundred, have gradually decreased.
This change makes people can't help but sigh: the era of martial arts films may really have passed. However, don't forget that even in this era of rampant special effects, there are still martial arts actresses like Zheng Peipei who interpret the "martial arts" of the new era in their own unique way.
Perhaps, the future of martial arts films will no longer be just a contest of fists and feet. Perhaps, what we need is an all-round actor like Zheng Peipei, who can both have superb kung fu and excellent acting skills.
In any case, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is a milestone for martial arts films.
After chatting about the older generation of martial arts actresses, let's gossip about the new generation.
First of all, let's talk about Zhang Lanxin. Maybe you're not familiar with this name, but her background will definitely surprise you.
I am a taekwondo athlete of the national team, I once studied at China Sports University, and I have been playing taekwondo for more than ten years. I have won a national championship in the 55kg category.
How did Zhang Lanxin enter the entertainment industry? In fact, she entered the modeling industry after retiring, and then she was caught by Jackie Chan's big brother at a glance, and she began to get involved in the showbiz.
So, her acting career started like this.
Since the debut of the movie "Zodiac", Zhang Lanxin has won the love of the audience and the Huading Award for Best Newcomer with her superb performance and outstanding talent.
Jackie Chan once praised: Martial arts actresses are most needed in this era, as long as they have strength, they are easy to be remembered by the audience.
However, Zhang Lanxin's path was not an easy one. This is because when she debuted, the era of martial arts films had already begun to decline.
Zhang Lanxin felt very annoyed, there was nowhere to show real kung fu here.
Let's talk about Wang Zhi again. She started learning martial arts at the age of seven, followed by six years of dancing experience. Graduated from the Performance Department of the Central Academy of Drama.
Wang Zhi's outstanding performance made her role as "Bai Xiaodie" in the TV series "Ma Yongzhen" deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and she was in a vicious battle from beginning to end in the whole plot, which impressed the audience.
As a result, she has won the reputation of "the new generation of kung fu actress".
However, times are changing. The number of martial arts scenes is decreasing, which makes Wang Zhi have to transform. The "Qiuya" in "Charlotte's Troubles" made her quickly popular, but at the same time, she also fell into the label dilemma of "vase".
It's so uncomfortable.
Fortunately, "The Wandering Earth 2" gave Wang Zhi a chance to fight back, and the role of Han Duoduo allowed the audience to see another side of Wang Zhi: not only beautiful, but also able to fight! This time, she finally turned over.
Through the experiences of Zhang Lanxin and Wang Zhi, it can be seen that the road to a new martial arts actress is very difficult.
Talking about this, we have to face a cruel fact: with the rapid development of special effects technology, the status of real kung fu on the screen is becoming more and more embarrassing.
Hui Yinghong gave her own answer, and we can't help but think of her wonderful performance in "Blood Guanyin". She completely faded the label of a martial arts actress, and touched countless audiences with her superb acting skills.
This drama made Hui Yinghong win the Golden Horse Award, and it also proved the second spring of martial arts actresses. From fist and foot kung fu to acting skills, Hui Yinghong has embarked on a path that is exclusive to herself.
However, we can't help but ask: Is martial arts movies really coming to an end?
Don't rush to conclusions, first look at Wang Zhi in "The Wandering Earth 2", and then look at Michelle Yeoh in "Oppenheimer".
These former martial arts actresses are still active on the big screen, and they are using their personal ways to interpret the "martial arts" of the new era.
Perhaps, in future martial arts films, the addition of fists and kicks is no longer the only element. Perhaps, we are more looking forward to an excellent all-round actor like Zheng Peipei, who can not only shoot martial arts scenes, but also show rich acting skills.
Martial arts films may be a thing of the past, but we still can't forget the tenacious spirit and indomitable will shown by martial arts actresses.
Looking back on the experience of martial arts actresses, whether it is Zheng Peipei, Michelle Yeoh, Hui Yinghong, or Zhang Lanxin and Wang Zhi, each of them is a legend.
From their stories, we can know that no matter how the times change, as long as they have strength, they will never be eliminated.
Therefore, the future of martial arts actresses depends on themselves. It could be continuing to shine in action movies, or it could be trying to transform and challenge more types of roles.
In any case, as long as you maintain that indomitable fighting spirit, the spirit of martial arts actresses will be passed on forever.