Kung-Fu Master!

Kung-Fu Master!

Year: 1988

Runtime: 80 mins

Language: French

Director: Agnès Varda

DramaRomance

He was fifteen, she was forty. A solitary forty‑year‑old woman discovers an unexpected, taboo attraction to fourteen‑year‑old Julien. Their bond forces her to question whether it is true love or a desperate bid to reverse the passage of time as she faces middle‑age uncertainty.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Kung-Fu Master! (1988)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Kung-Fu Master! (1988). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Mary-Jane's home, Lucy's school, a café, a hotel, a remote island, an arcade, England

The story unfolds across a suburban home where a party catalyzes a forbidden attraction. It also traverses Lucy's school, local cafés, a hotel, and a remote island that becomes a private stage for the romance. An arcade and England-bound travel set the backdrop for shifting loyalties and hidden desires.

❣️ Domestic 🗺️ Travel 🎭 Drama 🕊️ Scandal

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:29

Main Characters – Kung-Fu Master! (1988)

Meet the key characters of Kung-Fu Master! (1988), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Mary-Jane (Jane Birkin)

Mary-Jane is a married woman and Lucy's mother who pursues a forbidden relationship with Julien. Her actions reveal a longing for youth and passion, but they also expose vulnerability and a willingness to gamble with her daughter's stability. She grapples with guilt, social stigma, and the fear of losing her family.

❣️ Complex emotions 🧭 Risk 💔 Scandal

Julien (Mathieu Demy)

A young teen whose eagerness and charm pull him toward Mary-Jane. He is both curious and impulsive, chasing closeness and affection. His actions catalyze the family crisis, and his adolescence collides with adult desire.

💫 Teen 🌀 Impulsiveness 🎭 Drama

Lucy (Charlotte Gainsbourg)

Mary-Jane's daughter, a teenager who observes the affair with a mix of astonishment and fear. She becomes a witness to the shifting loyalties inside her family and the pain that secrecy causes. Her reactions reveal resilience and a desire for stability.

👧 Teen 🕵️‍♀️ Observation 🎭 Drama

Mother (Judy Campbell)

The maternal elder figure who pushes back against the relationship and threatens legal action; Her stance tests the bonds within the family.

👩‍🦳 Authority ⚖️ Scandal 💬 Family

Father (David Birkin)

The father figure in Lucy's life, present in the home and impacted by the upheaval; He stands as a counterpoint to Mary-Jane's actions and the family's exposure to scandal.

👨 Family 🧭 Influence 🎭 Drama

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:29

Major Themes – Kung-Fu Master! (1988)

Explore the central themes of Kung-Fu Master! (1988), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💔 Forbidden Love

A romance defies age and social norms, forcing the trio to navigate secrecy and risk. Julien's eagerness and Mary-Jane's curiosity propel their affair, regardless of consequence. The relationship fractures trust and triggers consequences that ripple through Lucy's life and the family.

👪 Family Strains

The romance disrupts the mother-daughter dynamic as Lucy witnesses her mother with a younger boy. Custody and family stability hang in the balance as secrets surface. The narrative uses these tensions to explore boundaries, judgment, and the costs of passion.

🌴 Escapism and Consequence

The island escape embodies the desire to escape consequences, but reality intrudes as loyalties fracture and legal and social repercussions loom. The pursuit of closeness pushes characters toward risky choices and blurred moral lines. The story then confronts what remains when the escape ends and ordinary life resumes.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:29

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Kung-Fu Master! Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Kung-Fu Master!, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Kung-Fu Master! Summary

Kung-Fu Master! Timeline

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Kung-Fu Master! Timeline

More About Kung-Fu Master!

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More About Kung-Fu Master!

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