Prejudice

It's going to be a shit movie. I told my brother who had just finished downloading this Chinese movie and now, was eager to watch it no matter what day of the Ramadan it was. He has been like this since forever, wanting to do things as soon as he plans to and, I like the way he is.

I have always felt a connection with the country, and China has always fascinated me; God knows better why exactly. The movie started with some Chinese text floating on the screen, that was obviously out of my understanding. The screen turned dark with a hint of beige lining decorating the screen. It is going to be another tense action filled movie he loves, I thought to myself and declared it a flop already.

The title of the movie was Ip Man. There was a hostility to the name and I could not understand what was more weird, the name or my thoughts! 

The story began with men fighting men, Kung Fu and stuff. Ah! I hate this movie, I concluded. It has been over 20 minutes and I was still watching it with a keen interest. Strange! I doubted my earlier thoughts.

The movie indeed was engaging and as I later learnt, it was not about the Kung Fu and all the fighting that was going on, it was a subject far more captivating, it was for the love of the country and the fellow countrymen. Patriotism. I smiled at the thought.

The story revolved around Master Ip and his skills of Kung Fu. And you talk of modesty, here was a man too humble and modest. He shied away from accepting any laurels for his talent, and yet he remained the best. The later half of the movie told the story of the slaved China when Japan invaded the country and robbed it off in 1937. Master Ip was living a life so secret with him being a name too respected and yet denying any favor from any friends. He had given up Kung Fu, after all what was there to fight for, once the freedom was gone.

But, what happens when your friend is sacrificed via enemies in the name of patriotism. A new patriot is born. Master Ip didn't want a revenge for his friend Lin, he wanted a revenge for his country and all he had was the little Kung Fu that was left in him.

So, Master Ip goes and challenge the enemy, fights him down and wins the heart of all his countrymen. But, rarely a non - Hindi movie has a happy ending. Hence, the traitor Japanese shoots him down once he's done fighting their General Miura. Hell is broken loose and people takes the traitors down. Master Ip survives, thanks to the love of his fellow beings. What a perfect end!

That happens in the movies only. 

But, when the credits started towards the end of the movie, I was shocked to realize that it was based on a real life story. And Master Ip was actually the master of the well famous Bruce Lee. 

Judging the book by its cover isn't right, I was told. 

The movie was a good watch and what makes it nicer is the prejudice that marked its beginning for me.