Customer Reviews

Iron & Silk [VHS]

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I saw this recently on TV, and had to scour the internet to identify this incredible film. While the movie was not subtited (simply the version I saw..?), my inability to understand chinese did not effect the impact of the movie. Emotion and intent is very well communicated, especially by Mark Salzman and Pan Qingfu. I am not often a fan of foreign films, but this one easily held my interest, and I was very satisfied after watching it. For anyone interested in Chinese culture, I recommend this movie.

I have read Mark Salzman's books and his film is true to style. It is a movie that tries to side step all of Hollywood's shallowness, and strikes at a simple truth that resonates across cultures.

"Iron and Silk" is a delightful book and film. I had the pleasure of reading the book awhile ago; but was delighted to see the film in a local Asian film festival in my community.

The author Mark Salzman plays Mark Franklin in the movie of the same name. It is a memoir (a true story) of Mark's travel and teaching experiences in China (Changsha, Hunan Province). The events took place during 1982 - 1984 and Mark became as much of a student of Chinese life, martial arts, calligraphy, tai chi as he was a teacher of the Middle Aged English Teachers (a group of Chinese Russian teachers at the Hunan Medical College who had been told to forget Russian and now learn English).

Mark always wanted to be a Kung Fu master growing up, and he took lessons from a local teacher; but always felt like the smallest kid on the block. From a young age, he loved all things Asian. His mother was a musician and his father a social worker; but he found that he had developed an exceptional talent for the cello. He was admitted to Yale at 16 because of his cello expertise; but soon decided that he would major in Chinese languages and philosophy (again not much of a surprise). As part of a Yale program, he found himself traveling to Changsha, Hunan Province, China to teach English to a group of Chinese Russian teachers who were being asked to retrain. For two (2) years he lived, taught and learned a great deal in China about the Chinese people and also about himself.

He always wanted to study martial arts from a true wushu master and was fortunate enough to find as his teacher, the grand master himself: Pan Qingfu (known as the Iron Fist). Pan was the best in the world and was known as the Iron Fist because he punched a heavy iron plate 10,000 times a day! Mark was also learning Tai Chi and Chinese manners and etiquette from Teacher Wei and calligraphy as well from other teachers.

Mark soon found that "as a student in America, he had searched for ancient wisdom, as a teacher in China, he learned to find it in himself." Mark Salzman, when interviewed, stated: "Learning about another culture doesn't mean you have to reject your own, It allows you to see yourself from another perspective, see your good side and your bad side and appreciate what you have." Some will say that the book and the movie focus on martial arts and in part that is one of the major themes; but the blending and the co-existence of the two cultures in the classroom and in social interactions is illuminating.

There are many humorous and philosophical revelations in both the book and movie. Telling Mark that he has a big nose by saying, "You have a very 3 dimensional face"...is probably the most diplomatic way of stating the obvious. Mark might have been able to name the book, "Let's Make a Regulation" if he wanted to only focus on the difficult aspects he faced in being a foreigner living in China. The Washington Post reviewed that "Salzman demonstrates with skill and subtlety just how China society works."

This Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1987 is dated; but describes the undercurrent that still exists in part today. The movie's script stayed true to the book; yet the movie was shot in Hangzhou and not Changsha. Make sure to stay for the vignettes and movie credits at the end; they are another joyful experience of the film and you will not be disappointed that you waited. Mark found out that happiness was not a simple thing in China and though he valued being well liked and mastering a skill; his Chinese friend felt that "these goals can be achieved easily. All you have to do is to be kind and work hard. But to eat and sleep well that is a difficult wish, because you cannot control these things yourself."

One interesting note is that on the last night of the shooting of the movie, the brutal crackdown occurred in Tiananmen Square (June 3, 1989).

I loved this book and the movie and the delight that two very different cultures shared in learning about each other. All that I can say is "very well done" (Manhaodilei!)

Mark really learned Qong Fu: a skill that transcends mere surface beauty!

Bentley/2007
Iron and Silk

This was such a great movie. Very down to earth. Based on the author's own real life, his performance as the staring role is actually quite good for being an unknown actor. The whole movie is very low budget, but with such a great story and such intriguing, real characters that it blows away many bigger films that try to do more.

As a young 20-some year old that wants to visit the orient with many of the same expectations, I related very well to the main character and so this movie touched me more than most, but still a movie I would recommend to everyone.

I discovered this movie about 10 years ago in a college library and was thrilled to find it on DVD. It is a tremendous slice of life that opened my mind, a true story that I still enjoy, and a cultural eye-opener everyone should have.

Iron & Silk is not a glossy Hollywood production, which makes the experience much more visceral. There is no dramatic training montage, no series of Wushu fights leading to a climactic confrontation. There is plenty of heart and soul in the characters. The conflict/resolution is of the every-day style and reminds one that our world is small only when our minds aren't.

Remember the idealism we had in our early twenties, that we could make things right by sheer force of will, or becoming self-defined iconoclasts? Mark Salzman's story captures that spirit without indulging in vainglorious self-aware examinations. And it holds true to the dreams of being something more, for the sheer joy of it.

A nice movie that shows some of the contrasts between the way we live and the things that we take for granted can be quite different in other cultures. This is the story of a young teacher, Mark Salzman, who goes to China to teach english. He finds that China is not at all what he had expected, in some ways it is so much more. It explores the relashonships that this young man establishes and how they evolve. There is also some stunning martial arts footage in this film, this an easy movie to watch and should be enjoyable for most.

Iron and Silk is a very fitting title...the movie is about contrasts, between the East and the West, between reality and perception.

Mark, an American who has had a passion for China and Chinese culture since he was young, lands a job as an English teacher in China. He learns a lot about life from his students.

Having watched many kung-fu movies, Mark asks Teacher Pan, a famous wushu master in the area, to teach him martial arts. At first, Teacher Pan refuses, claiming that Americans don't know how to "eat bitter", but eventually gives in. Neither Mark nor Teacher Pan know what to expect from each other----Mark is a fun-loving American in a foreign land, Teacher Pan is a tough guy with the nickname "Iron Fist".

Mark also falls in love with a woman named Ming, but he comes to understand that their love can never be a reality.

In the movie, Mark encounters all kinds of discrimination; despite his ability to speak Mandarin, he is still perceived as a foreigner. He also experiences closeness and friendship.

Mark gains an understanding of the nuances of Chinese culture, how China is a combination of politics, ancient history, and the individual lives of people. The movie has great images of serpentine rivers curving through canyons, as well as everyday scenes like busy markets and streets. This movie really appealed to me because I often feel caught between two cultures(my parents are rather traditional Chinese-Americans), though in a different way than Mark does.

[This is more of a comparison btwn the movie and book] I had to read the book and watch the film for an English class. I found the book to be an easy and fun read. The film and book in many ways are completely different but good in their own ways. I recommend seeing the film and reading the book for a thorough coverage. But knowing what really happened to Salzman remains a question because the "love story" seems to have two different sides. Btw, I think he wasn't such a bad actor considering he was also the author (in response to someone's previous review). Oh, I did find that although I really enjoyed the book that when it came time to writing a paper some of the movie's scenes stuck with me more when discussing cultural mis/understandings. Finally, I enjoyed the book and found it a great insight into the Chinese culture (especially during the 80's- check out Salzman's shorts in the film, ha!). Sometimes I felt it was a bit too focused on Salzman. But in this way I feel it's also a book about being a student of life (or just wushu, calligraphy, tai chi, etc...).

Mark Salzman's BOOK Iron and Silk is great for many reasons. It's one of the best travel books ever written. It's a great book about martial arts. It's a great look at the differences between East and West. And it's a great look at Chinese culture and society. The book is really good.

The film adaptation of the book is interesting. It is very low budget but I think that is what adds to the films charm. The film is the opposite of a slick hollywood production. Instead the film is very down to earth and wonderful.

Salzman changes some names around and adds a bit more of the romance aspect. The girl was a small part at the end of the book but a major part of the film.

Bottom line is that like the book, the film is a great glimpse at China, Chinese culture, and the differences between the US and China.

My best suggestion is this: read the book and then watch the film. If you do both you will come out ahead and knowing a lot more about China.

Iron and Silk is a look at China through the eyes of an American, Marl Salzman, in the period 1982-84. It is a China in transition. It is also a reality check for westerners visiting the country. There are still concerns about too much western contact, as Mark discovers. His first meal in the communal dining hall is illustrative. It isn't apparent at first but Mark is on a fairly short leash. In spite of all this, he is able to make contact with citizens who in their own way are able to broaden his outlook and change his preconcieved notions.

This is a great family movie and the local talent that is used makes all the difference to this movie. Looking at the credits at the end, you realize that the people in supporting roles who makes this movie successful. The location photography also goes a long way to make this movie a good one to have in your personal library.

Anyone with an interest in China in the 1980s should have this.