According to RZA, Wu-Tang Clan members grew up on “geek culture” like kung-fu movies and comic books, all the while being subjected to the volatility of street life. This sounds like an unusual combination, but it makes a compelling story – just like how 36th Chamber of Shaolin became a surreal experience when paired with hip-hop music.
I recently attended the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) for RZA’s Creator Talk which introduced me to the world of the talented producer and leader of Wu-Tang Clan. It provided some insight on his creative process as well as his love for movies. RZA talked about how he constructed his first album to be like an “audio movie,” and went on to demonstrate his prowess in musical storytelling during the live-scoring of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Vancouver.
The kung-fu movie is already a classic, but adding a Wu-Tang spin on it was ingenious. RZA heightened some of the film’s most dramatic moments when he was at the keyboard pounding out ominous sounding chords. Old school hip-hop techniques like scratching complemented the bloody combat unveiling onscreen. Without the live-scoring, it would’ve been an entirely different viewing experience.
During the Creator Talk, RZA recounted his days scoring a scene from Kill Bill for Quentin Tarantino and how he had to do it repeatedly before Tarantino was satisfied. Tarantino’s years of tutelage honed RZA and his craft, made possible by RZA’s own sheer motivation to do better. His rendition of the movie through the soundtrack gave life to the character’s ambition, especially whenever the overpowering bass shook the whole Orpheum theatre like a nightclub on a Friday night. The music served as a reflection of the main character San Te’s determination to learn kung-fu, as well as a nod to RZA’s personality and drive for success. A soundtrack can make or break its visual counterpart because it has a significant role in creating atmosphere, establishing impressions, and driving the story forward. In this case, it did not disappoint.
The energy of the crowd was on par with that of the music, contributing to a very entertaining night. The film’s comedic moments relied heavily on the mismatching dubbed English voiceover and subtitles, reminiscent of the 240-pixel bootleg movies available in Chinatown. One particularly funny moment was when, at one point, the subtitles read “open sesame” while the character was saying something along the lines of, “there’s danger coming.” Overall though, people were supportive of San Te’s prodigal kung-fu skills, cheering every time he moved on to the next Shaolin chamber.
The live-scoring of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin struck all the right notes with the audience as we collectively suspended our disbelief for a magical 120 minutes. It was my first time at VIFF and it exceeded my expectations – I encourage anyone who’s never been to attend at least once!