Endorsements to Follow Jet Li is arguably the best martial arts actor alive, and his career has crossed numerous cultural and geographic boundaries, from mainland China to Hong Kong, from Hollywood to France. In Jet Li: Chinese Masculinity and Transnational Film Stardom , Sabrina Qiong Yu uses Li as an example to address some intriguing but under-examined issues surrounding transnational stardom in general and transnational kung fu stardom in particular.
Presenting case studies of audiences' responses to Jet Li films and his star image, this book explores the way in which Li has evolved from a Chinese wuxia hero to a transnational kung fu star in relation to the discourses of genre, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and national identity. By rejecting a text-centred approach which prevails in star studies and instead emphasising the role of audiences in constructing star image, this book challenges some established perspectives in the study of Chinese male screen images and martial arts/action cinema.
As one of the first book-length studies on Chinese stars/ stardom and transnational stardom, Jet Li: Chinese Masculinity and Transnational Film Stardom is essential reading for students and researchers in Film Studies.
Sabrina Qiong Yu is Lecturer of Chinese and Film Studies at Newcastle University.