The Grandmaster

"In Martial Arts there is no right or wrong, only the last man standing."

2013 2h 10m ZH

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6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 1,020

ActionDramaHistory

Synopsis

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The fall of China's last dynasty, a time of chaos, division and war, is the golden age of Chinese martial arts. Legendary kung fu master Ip Man, who will eventually train Bruce Lee, finds his peaceful life interrupted by vengeance.

“In Martial Arts there is no right or wrong, only the last man standing.”

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Cast

Tony Leung Chiu-wai
Ip Man
Zhang Ziyi
Gong Er
Chang Chen
Razor
Zhao Benshan
Ding Lianshan
Xiao Shenyang
San Jiang Shui
Song Hye-kyo
Zhang Yongcheng
Wang Qingxiang
Master Gong Yutian
Max Zhang
Ma San

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Writers: Xu Haofeng, Wong Kar-Wai, Zou Jingzhi
Languages: Cantonese, Japanese, Mandarin
Countries: Hong Kong, China, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 13 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Cantonese, Japanese, Mandarin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Hong Kong, China, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Directed by Wong Kar-Wai, shot by Philippe Le Sourd. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Shigeru Umebayashi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor William Chang Suk-Ping shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "In Martial Arts there is no right or wrong, only the last man standing.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Wong Kar-Wai directs. Philippe Le Sourd behind the camera. Shigeru Umebayashi scores. William Chang Suk-Ping cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in Hong Kong, China, United States of America. Dialogue in Cantonese, Japanese, Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 13 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Cantonese, Japanese, Mandarin.
3International production across 3 countries: Hong Kong, China, United States of America.
4Directed by Wong Kar-Wai, shot by Philippe Le Sourd. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Shigeru Umebayashi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor William Chang Suk-Ping shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "In Martial Arts there is no right or wrong, only the last man standing.".
9IMDB entry: tt1462900 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Released under 19 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Philippe Le Sourd
Original score: Shigeru Umebayashi
Editing: William Chang Suk-Ping
Production design: William Chang Suk-Ping
Costume design: Shandy Lui Fung-Shan
Makeup / hair: Kwan Lee-Na
Runtime: 130 min · 2h 10m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $38,600,000
Box office: $64,076,736
Return: 166% of budget
Original language: ZH
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: The Grandmaster (2013)

Awards

Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards for Best Film
Hundred Flowers Award for Best Picture
Asian Film Award for Best Film
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Wong Kar-Wai

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-05-09
★ 7/10
I'm a fan of Wong Kar-Wai's films but I reckon that I still prefer Wilson Yip's 2008 version of the Ip Man story. Set amidst the turbulent times in China that saw the end of the rule of Manchu dynasty, the embryonic republic established and then the Japanese invasion, we meet a man (Tony Leung) who lives peacefully in the small town of Foshan until he meets Wing Chun grand master Gong Yutian (Qingxiang Wang) who is looking for a successor. That is the beginning of a journey that will see him become a grand master of the martial art himself, whilst meeting, marrying and surviving! It's a superb looking film but for me just a little too over-stylised. The combat scenes are creatively choreographed but the use of the slowed-down visual effects didn't always work. Leung and the director are clearly on the same wavelength, and the story itself is a fascinating look at the rise of one culture through the wreckage of an ancient one. It's also clear that women too had their place in this society - and it wasn't always where stereotype might assume. A strong contribution from the adept and nimble Ziyi Zhang (Gong Er) demonstrates that well as battle lines between the old and new, the powerful and the aspirational are drawn and a good old dose of ancient tribal warfare sets up a proud story of heritage, loyalty and skill. Though a little soporifically scored at times, this is an enjoyable mix of history with touch of romance and plenty of action, and is well worth a couple of hours.

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