THE DUEL (1971) #64

THE DUEL (1971)

Released on April 21^st, THE DUEL (1971) is yet another well-loved movie produced by the elder brother Shaw: Runme Shaw. It is written by, surprise, surprise Chiu Kang-Chien, the writer of THE SINGING KILLER (1970) but not so surprisingly, also the writer of THE BELLS OF DEATH (1968). THE DUEL (1971) is a tale of intrigue set on the backdrop of the birth of The Republic of China. The great Chang Cheh is the director working once again with the action direction team of Yuen Cheung-Yan and Tang Chia putting in their most exciting work to date! Let’s get busy!

Ti Lung as Tang Ren Jia

David Chiang as Jian Nan, the Rambler  and  Cheng Kang-Yeh as Xiao Mao

On the surface of it THE DUEL (1971) is a tale of a fateful duel between two fighters. Tang Ren Jie is fighting to avenge his godfather’s death at the hands of a journeyman in the underworld (the Rambler), Jian Nan, a highly skilled fight with no ties to any one gang and as such can be persuaded to help one gang or another. In this case however, Jian Nan is deceived in killing Tang Ren Jie’s godfather, Shen Tian Hung, an elder gang boss who is actually retiring from the criminal life after taking revenge for a friend of his who was also killed recently. Jian Nan must fight Tang Ren Jie but he is sorrowful for what he feels is an unworthy kill for him since his victim was going to retire from the gang life and become a civilian. 

Tang Ren Jie saves Jian Nan's life during a battle

THE DUEL (1971) takes place during “The Warlord Era” or the period after the Qing Dynasty from 1916 to 1927. Whether they were called warlords or bandits or gangsters, these people wrecked havoc on life in Mainland China where it was a “man’s world” and if you were weak or a woman you could be forced to do whatever you were told and corruption was everywhere and justice was whatever the powerful said it was. I mention this because the more you know of China and this era the more there is for you to experience in THE DUEL (1971), it is that deep.  There are double crosses galore and everybody has deep characterization if you care to look for it. A look at life in China after the Qing Imperial government and before Communist Party rule, THE DUEL (1971) is a must have for everyone's library of Asian films.   

Chuen Yuen steals this scene but ONLY if you are paying attention to details

CAST REPORT

the “good”:  Ti Lung as Tang Ren Jie. David Chiang as Jian Nan, the Rambler. Chang Kang-Yeh as Xiao Mao. Ku Feng as Tang Jen Lin. Wang Ping as Hu Die.

the bad: Chuen Yuen as Gan Wei Bin. Hung Lau as Shiu Li. Wang Ching Ho as Jau Hai Shan. Lee Wan-Chung as Senator Fung.

HONORABLE MENTION: Chuen Yuen is absolutely repulsive as the big bad, excellent acting especially when you are not suppose to focused on him. 

FIGHT TIME: THE DUEL (1971) was choreographed by the fight team of Tang Chia and Yuen Cheung-Yan. Their design style could certainly be called “fast and furious” and it was again difficult for me to grab screen shots of action without any blur. They also like to keep multiple fights working simultaneously making for some very exciting scenes where you could get caught up in just trying to follow everything. I counted twelve (12) fight scenes making this one of the most fight filled movies to date. No wonder this one is a fan favorite!
HONORABLE MENTION: The all-star cast of henchmen used throughout the film. Including: Liu Chia-Yung, Yuen Woo Ping, Fung Hak-On, Cliff Lok, Wang Chung, Yuen Shun-Yi, Chen Kuan-Tai, Bruce Tong Yim-Chaan, and more!

RECOMMENDATION: Any Shaw Brothers, David Chiang and Ti Lung co-starring project needs no one's recommendation, especially mine. It is entertaining and collectible. It is automatically a must-see and a must-have. See you next time!

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NEXT UP: THE EUNUCH (1971)

KING EAGLE (1971) #058

KING EAGLE (1971)

Our first movie of 1971 is KING EAGLE (1971) released on January first it is an all-out fight fest featuring Ti Lung for what (I am guessing) is the hunt for Wang Yu's successor based on the one-note characterization of the protagonist. Sir Run Run Shaw is the producer, Chang Cheh is the director, I Kuang is the script writer, and action directors are Tang Chia teaming up yet again with Yuen Cheung-Yan   (VENGEANCE 1970). King Eagle is basically a murder mystery without the mystery!  Let's get busy!

TIEN YI TONG

TIEN YI TONG HEADQUARTERS

Tien Yi Tung is a orthodox clan that has done many good deeds for the common people. It is a clan with a headmaster and 8 chiefs. But one of the chiefs, First Chief Hung Sing Tien, wants to be the headmaster himself. He wants to be the headmaster for his own personal gain and not to continue the good work of the Tien Yi Tung. To that end he has assassinated the current headmaster and has arranged partnerships with heretic clans to support his take-over by murdering his own clan brothers. Unfortunately Jin Fei, known as King Eagle witnessed the death of the Sixth Chief, Chu Hung. Jin Fei is not a member of any clan and wants nothing to do with the politics of the Jiang Hu and he makes this quite clear. However, First Chief Hung Sing Tien, has decided that Jin Fei might get in the way in the future and decides to kill Jin Fei anyway. Dude, bad idea! 

CAST REPORT

the good: Ti Lung as King Eagle Jin Fei. Li Ching as Seventh Chief An Yuk Lin. Lee Sau-Kei as Headmaster of Tien Yi Tong. Wang Kuang-Yu as Fang Shing. Wang Chung as Second Chief Fan. Yau Lung as Sixth Chief Chu Hung. Cheng Lui as Chief Koon.

the bad: Chang Pei-Shan as First Chief Hung Sing Tien. Li Ching as Eighth Chief An Bing Er. Cheng Miu as Deadly Fingers Wan Hau Ba. Chen Sing as Fifth Chief Chen Tang.

HONORABLE MENTION:  Bruce Tong Yim-Chaan, Tang Chia, Tung Li, David Chiang and Yuen Shun Yi have minor roles and Li Ching plays two roles as younger and older sisters. 

FIGHT TIME: KING EAGLE (1971) is action-packed! I counted nine (9) fight scenes including the finale. Tang Chia and Yuen Cheung-Yan are the action directors. They have worked together before [VENGEANCE (1970) and HAVE SWORD WILL TRAVEL (1969)] and once again do an excellent job here with mostly sabre (dao) fights that are really fast paced and not just under-cranked. I was thrilled to watch this movie and it was very hard to capture a fight still without any blurr. Kudos!

RECOMMENDATION:

KING EAGLE (1971) is Ti Lung's first movie where he is dominate for the entire movie and is not sharing the lead role with Wang Yu nor David Chiang. In fact HKMD credits David Chiang with a very small role as an extra or stuntman but I could not spot him. It also introduces Bruce Tong Yim-Chaan in a featured role above extra or stuntman. As I have stated earlier the action is spot on and the only flaw in this movie is with its story. I called it "a murder mystery without the mystery" which you will understand in the first five minutes of the film but there is another point not made clear. Why don't they just leave him alone? Why murder the people in the restaurant? Who were they waiting for in the restaurant if not him? Anyway these questions are forgivable if you are just looking for a good time and I certainly recommend KING EAGLE (1971) for a good time and, any film with Ti Lung in it from Shaw Brothers Studios is an automatic collector's item. That's all for now, see you next time! 

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NEXT UP: THE LADY HERMIT (1971)

VENGEANCE! (1970) #049

VENGEANCE! (1970)

Chang Cheh is back and he is once again turning the new wuxia genre on its head with his creativity. Producer Runme Shaw presents VENGEANCE! (1970), released on May 14th it was directed by Chang Cheh, written by Chang Cheh and frequent co-writer I Kuang. The action is directed by Tang Chia and Yuen Cheung-Yan, two of the best in the business working together once again. Let's get busy!

Guan Xiao Lou is a man on fire as he sets out to kill everyone involved with the murder of his older brother over their desire for his older brother's unfaithful wife. 

CAST REPORT

the good: Ti Lung as Guan Yu Lou. David Chiang as Guan Xiao Lou. Wang Ping as Hua Zheng Fang. 

the bad: Alice Au Yin-Ching as Hua Zheng Fen. Ku Feng as Feng Kai Shan. Yeung Chi-Hing as Jin Zhi Quan. Chuen Yuen as Adjutant Gao Hong Tu. Hoh Ban as Generalissimo Hu Hu Cheng. Wong Ching-Ho as Yin Nan Ting. Chen Sing as Li Qi.

HONORABLE MENTION: This is Chen Kuan-Tai first appearance in a Shaw Brothers movie. Wang Kuang-Yu, Cheng Lui, Wang Chung, Cliff Lok, Yuen Woo-Ping, and Jason Pai Piao also have small roles as henchmen.

CHEN KUAN-TAI

WANG KUANG-YU

CHENG LUI

WANG CHUNG

CHEN SING

FIGHT TIME: VENGEANCE (1970) starts a new sub-genre in the category of wuxia films: namely modern kung fu. The movie takes place in the twentieth century, so the weapons and techniques used are more up to date than those wuxia tales of the dynasties of ancient China. Tang Chia and Yuen Cheung-Yan do the action direction that mostly involve hatchets, small throwing knives and huge bowie like knives. I counted four (4) fight scenes but there is still plenty of action throughout the movie. Excellent work!

HONORABLE MENTION: Ti Lung's athleticism in his youth is showcased in his opera performance, don't miss this! 

Chang Cheh has done it again! VENGEANCE (1970) is another Shaw Brothers classic movie that is truly deserving of the designation "classic". There are so many firsts and guest stars and cameos of future stars in this movie it is an instant collectors item. As far as the movie watching experience, it is a rather grim but entertaining and thought provoking showcase that no one should miss! See you next time!

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THE WANDERING SWORDSMAN (1970)

THE WANDERING SWORDSMAN (1970)

Sir Run Run Shaw produces another masterpiece by the director / writer team of Chang Cheh and I Kuang. THE WANDERING SWORDSMAN (1970) was released on February 4th and is a look at the day in the life of a swordsman walking the Jiang Hu who is highly skilled but is still very inexperienced.  At the root of the film is an unusual  heist that our hero stumbles into. Yuen Cheung-Yan and Chan Siu-Pang share the action directing duties and Yang Sze (who becomes known as Bolo Yeung) has his acting debut. Let's get busy!

You Xia-er is a young wandering swordsman. Although he is very highly skilled he is also inexperienced and very happy-go-lucky. Strictly by chance he follows a pair of horsemen and overhears them plotting the robbery of a rich family. While he makes no attempt to stop the robbery, he does take the booty from one of the robbers after the event and gives it to a large number of refugees from a river flooding. Then, because of a misunderstanding, he haplessly gives the refugees all of the money he has on him.

This causes him to have no money to pay for his meal which forces him to attempt to pawn his weapons to the restaurant owner. However during the owner's refusal, a nearby ruffian, seeing an opportunity to gain an advantage of some sort, buys You Xia-er's weapons and then quickly leaves the premises. Anxious not to permanently lose his weapons You Xia-er follows the ruffian to attempt to get his weapons back.  

During the chase You Xia-er realizes if he had a horse he could catch up to the ruffian and reacquire his weapons. While figuring out how to do just that, he happens across yet another ruffian about to victimize a young girl after killing her companion. He saves her by chasing off her attacker.  He then escorts her to safety and borrowing a horse once again goes after his weapons.   While searching for the guy with his weapons he decides to go to a gambling house to get into some trouble and sure enough he gets on the wrong side of the casino manger by cheating the house at dice.

While getting away from the casino with his cheated money, he spots the ruffian he sold his weapons to. He follows him back to where the ruffian is staying and then decides to steal his weapons back and to rob the ruffian of his personal belongings including the guy's silver. While fighting the ruffian he just robbed, little by little all of the people that he has had "issues" with turn up and they want his ass. However, the leader of these ruffians also shows up, is briefed on what is going on, and appreciating the You Xia-er's kung fu skills has a much better idea on what to do with him. A day in the life of a wanderer, indeed!

CAST REPORT

the "good": David Chiang as You Xia-er : the star of the show and perfectly cast for his smile and charm and brilliantly showcased by director Chang Cheh who informs us with the first close-up of this character not to think of him as the same character from Have Sword, Will Travel (1969) because no matter what the similarities may be they are very, very, different. Lily Li as Jiang Ning who adds just a dash of female to the mix, and Cheng Lui as Security Chief Jiang Wei, the little guy with the big muscles. 

the bad: Chang Pei-Shan as "Fail Safe" Kung Wu, the mastermind of the heist. Wan Kuang-Yu as Single Swordsman Jin Li Loi. Wu Ma as Foxy Hou Jiou, and Chen Sing as Iron King Jung Sze Hu.

HONORABLE MENTION: Yang Sze (Bolo Yeung) in his first movie, Wang Cheung, the Yuen Clan: Yuen Cheung-Yan, Yuen Shun Yi and Yuen Woo-Ping and the late Hsu Hsia.

FIGHT TIME: THE WANDERNG SWORDSMAN (1970) has plenty of action, I counted eight (8) fight scenes including the heart stopping finale in its one hour and forty-eight minutes. The two fight choreographers do an excellent job of telling the story of the action, although one of them: Chan Siu-Pang, I am not familiar with, but the other one: Yuen Cheung-Yan is very well known today but even in 1970 his work is quite good. No disappointments here.

THE WANDERING SWORDSMAN (1970) is by no means David Chiang's first appearance on film but it is the first time his smiling persona and his charm is used as a character trait that will become his trademark in the years to come. That fact and the fact that this is a very good movie makes it a no-brainer to recommend for all viewers and collectors alike. See you next time!

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NEXT UP: THE WINGED TIGER (1970)

HAVE SWORD WILL TRAVEL (1969)

HAVE SWORD, WILL TRAVEL (1969)

HAVE SWORD, WILL TRAVEL (1969) is an eastern-western / wuxia extravaganza with an all-star cast of the next generation of knight errant stars in the Shaw Brothers stable of extraordinary talent. Produced by the elder brother Runme Shaw, script written by the prolific novelist I Kuang, the action directed by Tang Chia and Yuen Cheung-Yan and directed by the master himself Chang Cheh. Let's get busy!

Swordmaster In Ko-Fong and his security company escorts the government's newly minted silver from Yaman to the capitol every year about 200.000 taels. This year will be particularly dangerous as the government has heard rumors that the Flying Tigers Stockade have plans to rob the next shipment and has stressed Master In accordingly. What the government does not know is Master In has been quite ill and unable to use his kung fu for months. What Master In does know is no matter how ill he is, he has no choice but to escort the silver or be charged with treason. 

Knowing he is in dire straits, Master In has sent for Master Yun Chi-Nian, a swordswoman known throughout the Jiang Hu as a master of the sword and flying darts. The problem is his message to her arrived too late as she had already left for the Miao Territories and would be gone for months, much too late for the time the government allotted Master In to begin the transport.

Enter Yin Siang Master Yun's prize disciple and her niece Yun Piau Piau. They received Master In's message but only learn of his dilemma upon arriving at Invincible Village. Once there, Yin Siang decides that they must help Master In and should be able to escort the silver safely.  

Top  billed stars Li Ching and Ti Lung

Lo Yi is a wandering knight errant. A stranger we only know two things about. One thing is, he is down on his luck and out of work. The other thing is he is very skilled in the martial arts. He is hoping to be picked up by one of the many security escort companies in Loyang however, he carries no letter of recommendation from a former employer nor does he claim to be a disciple of a famous master. Yeah, he is going to have a problem.

From this scenario, master storyteller I Kuang lays out a memorable wuxia tale of heroic bloodshed.  

CAST REPORT 

The good: Cheng Miu as Swordmaster In Ko-Fong (he absolutely nails the feeble, weakness of his dilemma when facing the Flying Tigers), Ti Lung as Yin Siang (comes off justifiably snobbish and entitled and he and David Chiang have great chemistry as rivals), Li Ching as Yun Piau Piau (she plays it reserved and kind and not at all haughty), David Chiang as Lo Yi (a young swordsman that seems angry at himself for being down on his luck). 

The bad: Ku Feng as Jiau Hong, Chief of the Flying Tigers (superbly powerful and menacing), Chen Sing as Pestilence, and introducing: Wang Chung as "Mute Buddy"

HONORABLE MENTION: plenty of eye candy here with many extras that will become famous in movies to come such as:  Cliff Lok, Wong Kwong Yue, and Cheng Hong Yip. 

FIGHT TIME: HAVE SWORD, WILL TRAVEL (1969) boasts Tang Chia and Yuen Cheung-Yan as action directors. When Chang Cheh directs it is usually the team of Tang Chia and Liu Chia-Liang but this time Yuen Cheung-Yan (brother of Yuen Woo-Ping) steps in and, I cannot front, does a bang up job on this movie. I wish I had some inside info on why this happened, but I don't so this is all I can write on this detail. I counted four (4) fights scenes but it is an over twenty minute action filled finale so I was fine with it.

HONORABLE MENTION: while no one individually stands out in this movie it can be considered the one where the action choreography steps out above everything that has gone on before it ushering in a higher quality of fights in the Shaw Brothers wuxia genre. At least it is so in my humble opinion. 

Like THE FASTEST SWORD (1968) one year earlier, HAVE SWORD, WILL TRAVEL (1969) shows the Shaw Brothers' love and willingness to adapt the United States western cinematic themes to their own unique wuxia themed movies to great benefit and I am very excited to see a whole new generation of American people discovering what we loved about these movies growing up thanks to Celestial Pictures through Netflix and Itunes and the like. I wholeheartedly recommend this movie to collectors and movie-goers of all ages! See you next time!

If you liked this review please comment on the blog, become a follower of the blog, join me on my Facebook account by sending me a message first and then a friend request so I know who I am friending (  https://www.facebook.com/Michael529P   ) and like my Facebook page: SHAW Brothers Kung Fu Movies 1965-1986. I thank you and would appreciate it very much!

NEXT UP: TWELVE GOLD MEDALLIONS (1970)