San Diego Asian Film Festival 2009

This film takes off the rose-colored lenses on this very romantic aspiration. The martial arts romance, particularly with kung-fu and the Shaolin Monastery has been stoked by the screen -- which, is being used here in this film as a means to sharpen focus, (instead of furthering blurry romanticism) on the reality of what devotées of its elusive goals of: the daily practice of martial arts, meditation, enlightenment and power. This is the opposite of idealized fiction, but grim and gritty reality. Though sobering, it allows you to decide if being sober is a good thing, or a bad thing, through the experiences of 4 very different people. In letting you decide, it is a rare and very mature film experience in America. I saw "The Real Shaolin" as part of the San Diego Asian Film Festival, and I believe if you enjoyed this film it is well-paired with the film, "Dancing Across Borders", which is the antithesis of "Real Shaolin". "Dancing" follows a young traditional Cambodian temple dancer as he finds himself not of his own impetus and to his chagrin, immersed in traditional Western dance. He did so without the goal of becoming a star, but instead he grew into his new discipline from within his own already nascent daily passion and discipline for human expression with his body and personality. I wonder, had he wanted to become a star, would he have succeeded so well? This makes it the antithesis of "The Real Shaolin".