Reading the Kung Fu Film in an American Context: From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan

Abstract The author argues that Jackie Chan's success in the United States should be understood in terms of the transformation of Kung Fu cinema from its preoccupation with racial politics envisioned by Bruce Lee to its current embracing of multiculturalism stipulated by Chan's Kung Fu comedy. Chan's sense of “multiculturalism” has nothing to do with racial politics or cultural diversity but points to the fact that Kung Fu cinema now aims to accommodate the tastes and needs of the middle class on a global scale for profits and entertainment.