Money, money, money

Yesterday, I watched this new released movie, “IP Man” recently with few friends. I have to admit it was not my kind of movies. But, surprisingly it was to my liking as I was quite impressed with the movie.

The chronological as well as the history of China and its people, in my opinion are rather off the trail, I gotta say. But, anyway, I’m not gonna comment about the authenticity of the history in the movie. After all, it’s a story, not a documentary movie. I was rather intrigued with the lifestyle of the people in the past, especially during the pre-Japanese invasion in 1940 something in China in the movie.

It showed here, quite evidently, the status of the person was very much depended on his Kung-fu skills. It’s amazing how people looked highly upon their Kung-fu Master. They gained respect due to their strengths, agilities and capabilities in their Kung-fus. And people loved them because of his personality and the charismatic leaderships to lead his people. Sure, some of them self-proclaimed to be one of the best of Kung-fu Masters, do abuse their power and resort themselves into violence and suppressing those who are weaker than them for their own purposes, but there is one well-respected Master, the IP man, so they called, was truly a person who was potrayed as someone with true sense of leadership in his own class.

It reminded me of one of my favourite movie, “The Last Samurai” (I know, I know people hated Tom Cruise in this movie). It showed that they would die in honouring their dignity as well as their people. They showed no fear whatsoever with the fact that they were about to go into the battle with only a handful of them, and to confront their enemy almost in triple-sized batallions with one of the most advanced ammo(s) and military equipments at the time, much in pale comparison with what the samurai had as a defence.

The IP man gave the the same sense of such harsh reality as the Samurai as potrayed in the “The Last Samurai”. The movie further displayed, as the Japanese guy drawn an open fire upon the Kung-fu Master despite that he (the latter) has won the fight against the General, it proved to show that the bare hands were no match to such powerful weapon. He succumbed to the near defeat but the ego struck within him that he would rather die than having to surrender to the enemy.

That’s what we would call men’s ego. And it’s so ironic to see that such ego seemed perfect, as his action were almost dignified with everything he believed in, and it was approved by the rest of his people.

Nowadays, men are pure egoist; the ego to be the best and powerful but it only circled around themselves. I’m not saying that to have an ego is a bad thing, as each person, regardless whether you are a man or woman, we do, shamefully have to admit to the fact that we have our own filthy egos. But can we truly believe that our ego could gain the same respect as them in the past?

As I walked out from the cinema, I can’t help it but to wonder what our society has become. The fact that the men were looked upon based on how much money that they have in their bank, what car they drove, what brand they choose to flaunt their appearances; the shirts, the pants, the watch, the wallet; or which shop they go to cut hair or do facial or which place they hang out to see and be seen.

They were also based on the powerful-circled friends; how many and how powerful they are. And their girls were obviously amongst the well-off family and they ought to have the specified looks as well as the right body just to secure themselves within the powerful circle.

It doesn’t matter now whether the man has a brain to work with. Apparently it doesn’t matter anymore. What I’m trying to say is, that’s how the people nowadays perceived another and we could even put a price to it in order to reach a certain status symbol. People in the past, (as displayed in the movie) has elevated their status based on their kung-fu skills and worked their way up to gain such respect and eventually became one of the respected man in the village. Nowadays, people could gain one by simply buying it off.

Note:
I think I’m gonna agree with my dear friend of mine. She used to say that you could even buy friends when you have the money. Well, what do you know..