Shaolin Martial Arts (1974), starring Fu Sheng, Chi Kuan Chun, Gordon Liu Chia Hui, Bruce Tong Yim Chaan, Irene Chan Yi Ling, Leung Kar Yan and Johnny Wang Lung Wei. Directed by Chang Cheh.

All images courtesy Celestial Pictures.

FOR anyone who likes their Shaw Brothers flicks with Shaolin kung fu, Shaolin Martial Arts will live up to its name for you adequately. The third of four Shaolin-based films made by director Chang Cheh to be released in 1974, it initially attracted moviegoers because of the pairing of rising stars Fu Sheng and Chi Kuan Chun, but it's since been rediscovered in the home video age for the early presence of popular performers Gordon Liu (not yet shaving his head), Leung Kar Yan (not yet sporting a beard) and Wang Lung Wei (not yet using a finger to make his point). With a script by Cheh and the prolific Ni Kuang that deviates some from the convention found in most of these films, it catches the viewer's attention with a low-key, moody story.

Lau Kar Wing

Long after the Shaolin Temple has been burnt down (heroes like Fang Shih-yu and Hung Tsi-qwan are mentioned in the past tense), the Qing court gets word from the province of Guangdong of the discovery of Shaolin rebels at a kung fu school run by Lin Zan Tian (Lo Dik). They arrange to have Wu Chung Ping (Kong Do) open and manage a Manchu school nearby, using it as a subterfuge for rooting out the fugitives. The Manchus finally strike at a ceremony jointly attended by the schools, killing a Shaolin student (Lau Kar Wing) in order to provoke a fight, but their strategy backfires when the agitators trounce the Manchus, including Ping. Not surprisingly, once the Qing authorities arrive, they side with the Manchus, claiming nothing more happened than a "gang fight", thus denying the Shaolin men justice for their slain brother.

left to right: Leung Kar Yan and Johnny Wang Lung Wei

Disappointed Ping and his pupils failed to defeat the rebels, a Qing general (Lee Wan Chung) offers Ping some assistance via his confidante, kung fu master He Lian (Fung Hak On). Lian has summoned his two favorite disciples to help the Manchus eradicate the Shaolin agitators: Ba Kang (Leung Kar Yan) and Yu Pi (Johnny Wang Lung Wei). Kang is highly trained at Steel Armor kung fu, which makes his skin tough and invulnerable to blows; Pi has mastered Qi Gong, which enables him to withstand a blow from an opponent and "rebound the power of the blow", injuring "the one who initiated the punch."

top, left to right: Fu Sheng and Chi Kuan Chun
below, left to right: Bruce Tong Yim Chaan,
Tino Wong Chueng and Gordon Liu Chia Hui

Soon enough, the dissidents find out Kang and Pi are forces not to be trifled with when the duo leads a group of Manchus on a visit to Tian's school; once there, they kill his two best students in brief, one-sided matches. Among those who witness the spectacle are Shaolin aspirants Li Yao (Fu Sheng), Chen Bao Rong (Chi Kuan Chun), He Zhen Gang (Gordon Liu Chia Hui) and Mai Han (Bruce Tong Yim Chaan). Knowing they're in over their heads if they fight this deadly twosome, they flee from the Manchus and report what's transpired to the ailing Tian, who lives in seclusion with his daughter, Lin Zhen Ziou (Irene Chan Yi Ling), and his niece, Ah Wai (Yuen Man Tzu).

Lo Dik

Once he's been updated, Tian knows exactly what kind of kung fu they're dealing with, and he believes the Eagle Claw and Rolling Eagle Claw styles will best take out Kang and Pi, respectively. However, he's no expert on those martial arts, so he has Gang and Han go to a reclusive sifu known as the "King of Eagle Claw" (Chiang Nan) for a few months of special training, while Yao and Rong stay with him and continue their Shaolin training.

Eventually, Gang and Han complete their training, but on the way back to see Tian, they get word four Shaolin students have been recently captured by the Manchus, prompting them to go into rescue mode. For an instant, it looks like their new abilities put them on equal footing with Kang and Pi, but they fall short of that. Gang and Han are killed, but the pupils manage to escape the Manchus' grasp and tell Tian about the bad turn of events.

left to right: Simon Yuen Sui Tien and Feng Yi 

Realizing he tragically underestimated Kang and Pi's advanced skills, Tian has Yao and Rong seek out two other sifus whose areas of expertise may be more helpful toward ending the murderers' reign of terror. Yao goes to Master Liang (Simon Yuen Sui Tien) to learn Tiger and Crane Fist (to stop Kang), while Rong locates Master Yan (Feng Yi) so he can learn Wing Chung (to stop Pi). In the beginning, the workouts are long, tiring and exasperating (Yao has to wait a whole month before Liang agrees to work with him!) to the point both consider quitting, but they quickly change their minds once Ziou and Wai disclose how Tian defiantly committed suicide when Kang, Pi and the Manchus came calling on him not long after they left. Now refocused, the young men dive into the training with a passion. Months later, Yao and Rong, eager to avenge the deaths of Tian and their many Shaolin brothers, are finally prepared for a showdown with Kang and Pi, mano-a-mano....

top, left to right: Irene Chan Yi Ling and Yuen Man Tzu
bottom, left to right: Kong Do and Funk Hak On

As a whole, Cheh and Kuang's screenplay for SMA doesn't get mired in formula because the formula is a work in progress. The narrative fares better when shown from the viewpoint of the Shaolin rebels. Vicariously, we feel their anger when their comrades are slain; their camaraderie as they hide out from the Manchus; and their disappointment and elation as they go through the rigors of learning kung fu. What doesn't come off as well are the villains. Kang and Pi are intimidating enough, but their limited screen time lessens their menace; with Ping and Lian, their roles are way underdeveloped, and a good rewrite could drop either of them without harm to the story. Some have reserved their loudest complaints for Ziou and Wai. It's possible the women were added at the suggestion of the Shaws (the romantic angle is played up in the original movie trailer, included on the IVL DVD), over the objections of director Cheh. (Did Kuang write them in?) I have no hangups about the ladies (though their girlish behavior is laid on thick), and it's to the credit of Kuang and/or Cheh they're not depicted as damsels in distress.

Despite having young ladies in his yang gang scenario, Cheh directs SMA assuredly, with as much attention given to the pensive moments as are the boisterous ones. The photography by Miyaki Yukio (Kung Mu To) helps to set the proper atmosphere, particularly with a good usage of darkness in well composed low-lit scenes. Kwok Ting Hung's editing is adroit, enhancing the grace, beauty and intensity Lau Kar Leung and Tong Gaii bring to the choreography of the training sequences and the fights. (Only the climatic battle ends with a whimper, but that's more of another script problem.)

The cast handles their parts capably. Fu Sheng and Chi Kuan Chun make a great team, both at (or near) their physical peaks, and while Chun gets his fair share of acting opportunities (and is very good), Sheng carries the picture with his winning personality and an underplayed performance, even during his comedic scenes with the winsome Yuen Man Tzu. Irene Chan Yi Ling (forever "Princess" in Cheh's Young People) shows impressive range in what time she gets to be seen as Tian's daughter (and Rong's girlfriend). Lo Dik, Feng Yi, Chiang Nan and Simon Yuen Sui Tien are great as the Shaolin sifus, with Tien a true scene stealer as the obstinate Liang, who gives Yao no mercy. Supporting player Bruce Tong Yim Chaan gets a rare weighty role as the Shaolin student fated to die at the hands of Pi; why this above average actor and fighter didn't get a chance at stardom is mystifying. As already noted, Kong Do (Ping) and Fung Hak On (Lian) are given skimpy roles, but they give enough of a spark to them they don't come across as cardboard cutouts. As always, other familiar Shaw faces are present throughout, including the likes of Tino Wong Chueng, Dang Tak Chueng, Chan Dik Hak, Li Chen Piao, Lo Wai and Lam Fai Wong.

left to right: ? and Leung Kar Yan

What about those three newcomers mentioned earlier? For Leung Kar Yan and Lang Lung Wei, SMA was their second Shaw movie (but the first to be issued), while Gordon Liu had a few more films under his belt prior to this one. So it stands Liu is the more accomplished actor and gets to show off his kung fu capabilities in a memorable fight with Yan, demonstrating his potential as star material years before he got his big break with The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. As the efficient killing machines, Yan and Wei play don't get to display any depth but they are convincingly tough. However, Yan arguably gets the meatier role as Kang, highlighted by one of the movie's best scenes where a prostitute's attempt to arouse him fails because, thanks to his Steel Armor training, he's capable of retracting his sex organs into his body cavity!

The IVL DVD is the best way to experience SMA. It boasts a remastered, anamorphic picture, the original mono Mandarin soundtrack and English subtitles. Extras consist of bios and newly made Shaw trailers by Celestial Pictures. (I first saw this years back in bootleg form with the English dub, which I didn't like much, thanks to the overly sweet voices given to Ziou and Wai. Seriously, you get a better feel for the emotional tone of the movie if you see the legit DVD. Watch that, not the bootleg.)

SMA is early in Cheh's "Shaolin Cycle", and it has the bumps in the script to prove it. Fortunately, the modest imbalance (a.k.a. the weak villainy) doesn't hurt what is an exciting and fun (even thoughtful) film. Most of all, with Fu Sheng, Chi Kuan Chun, Gordon Liu, Leung Kar Yan and Lang Lung Wei participating, it's definitely not boring.

Brother Fang cuts to the chase: "A special dose of Shaolin, featuring the ascending Fu Sheng and early looks at Gordon Liu, "Beardy" and Lang Lung Wei. Recommended!"

Keeping it trivial....

Brother Fang, Shaolin Temple.

The Prodigal Boxer (1972), starring Meng Fei, Pai Hong, Maggie Lee Lam Lam, Wong Ching and Yasuaki Kurata. Directed by Choi Yeung Ming.

(All images courtesy Warner Home Video, unless noted otherwise.)

ON the surface, The Prodigal Boxer (a.k.a. Kung Fu the Punch of Death) looks and sounds like a typical early '70s "old school" martial arts flick from HK (especially if you watch the version with the English dub, which I did). However, based on what little information is available online about the movie, there's more to it than being a mere 91-minute diversion. It's reported to be "a Shaw [Brothers] independent film" (which may be why there are more than a few Shaw regulars in front of the camera and behind the scenes), and because it depicts the story of the Chinese martial arts hero Fang Shih-yu, it's also linked to Shaw director Chang Cheh's "Shaolin Cycle" series of movies. Further, with a HK release in '72 (the exact date is unknown), it came out roughly over a year before Cheh began developing his first Shaolin feature (Five Shaolin Masters, the first of four Shaolin features to be filmed for '74, but the last to be issued), so circumstantial evidence suggests TPB might have inspired Cheh to undertake the Shaolin pictures. Did it? More on that later.

the crickets

When his cricket is triumphant in a fighting match, Fang Shih-yu (Meng Fei) winds up in a scrap with the sorehead owner of the losing insect. During the short skirmish, Shih-yu accidentally delivers to him a mortal blow, and he dies hours later. As it turns out, the dead man was the top student at a kung fu school run by Iron Fist Tan (Yasuaki Kurata) and his brother (Wong Ching), so the call for vengeance on Shih-yu (with whom they've had trouble previously) is swift. While he's out with friends, Tan and his sibling go searching for him at the Fang residence. Finding his mother (Pai Hong) and his father (Shut-Ma Wa Lung) there, the two thugs decide to go on the offensive anyway, but they succeed in slaying only the old man.

left to right: Meng Fei and Pai Hong

Upon returning, Shih-yu tries to ask his mother who killed his father, but she says nothing, knowing his kung fu is not strong enough for him to take on the brothers. Instead, she whisks him away into seclusion to work on his training, but when he soon finds out the brothers are responsible, he recklessly goes off after them. Of course, Shih-yu is in over his head, but lucky for him, he escapes certain death by the arrival of his mother and the authorities.

left to right: Maggie Lee Lam Lam and Meng Fei

Under the treatment of his mother and Siu Pin (Maggie Lee Lam Lam), a woman he befriended on the night of his father's murder, Shih-yu rebounds from his injuries and resumes his training. Even though his kung fu improves greatly, his mother insists he's not ready yet. He discovers this the hard way when a chance meeting with some of the brothers' students leads him right to the brothers themselves, followed by another round of combat where he's on the receiving end of a thorough beating. 

left to right: Yasuaki Kurata and Wong Ching

Again, Shih-yu goes back into recovery, and this time, in addition to even more training, he also gets the extra benefit of taking prolonged herb baths (lasting for several weeks) which make his skin nearly invulnerable. Once he's fully prepared to confront the brothers, he delivers to them a challenge to duel, which they accept. A last minute complication arises when Shih-yu's mother falls ill, and since he wants her well so she can see the fight, he's forced to endure a little more humiliation from the brothers in order to get the battle postponed for a few days. Fortunately, she gets better swiftly, and before too long, Shih-yu is facing down the scum who murdered his father for (hopefully) the last time....

Meng Fei

Did TPB specifically influence Cheh to create the "Shaolin Cycle?" Not likely; I think action director Lau Kar Leung, with his extensive knowledge of Shaolin martial arts, might be the one most responsible for that. I can imagine a scenario where he pitched the idea to Cheh, who then passed it along to Shaw Brothers, and Shaw, not completely sold on the concept, proposed a "test" film to gauge moviegoers' interest, which became TPB. However it actually got made, TPB was a catalyst in Cheh's undertaking of the Shaolin movies, and the connections it has with Shaw can't be disputed. If you're in doubt, consider how TPB director Choi Yeung Ming went on to co-direct Police Force with Cheh, and star Meng Fei was later cast in Cheh's Five Shaolin Masters. (As fate would have it, those were the only Shaws they worked on.)

left to right: Yasuaki Kurata and Meng Fei

On its own terms, TPB is okay as an "old school" martial arts movie. Ni Kuang's screenplay is straightforward with a linear plot that's not adorned but has sufficient characterization given to the good guys to make you root for them. Choi Yeung Ming's direction is workmanlike with some artistic flourishes and inspired placements of the camera in certain shots. Wong Pau Gei (who doubled as an assistant director) and Lau Kar Wing's fight choreography doesn't lack for energy or intensity, though some of its impact is dimmed by the film editing. The English soundtrack is a bit loud and harsh, but with familiar Shaw vocal actors on duty, it's tolerable. While most of the voices are (inevitably) ill-matched to the performers, the quality of the production is assured enough such quirks (including the translation) don't spoil the viewing experience. If you love "old school," you can't go wrong with TPB; just don't expect a "campy" affair.

How does it stack up to the movies of Cheh's "Shaolin Cycle?" Notably, the story is smaller in scale (focusing on Shih-yu before he entered the Shaolin Temple), the fights keep mostly to the ground and the extent to which women are featured goes contrary to the average Cheh Shaolin feature. To think that frequent Cheh collaborator Kuang wrote this is surprising, low key as it is, but back then, he probably saw it as a "one-shot" picture and wrote it as such, not knowing what lay ahead of him. (Eventually, he would write the majority of scripts for Cheh's Shaolin films.)

Continuing with the comparisons, Meng Fei's portrayal of Shih-yu contrasts greatly with that of Fu Sheng's memorable interpretation for Cheh. Part of this is due to the story, but some of it may relate to his acting experience. (It was his second film.) However, the fact Fei doesn't look and act "larger than life" like Sheng works well within the confines of the movie, making him an ideal choice for playing an underdog. (Not an easy observation to make with that ridiculous English voice he's given.)

Gratuitous picture of Maggie Lee Lam Lam.

As for the rest of the cast, standouts are Pai Hong as Shih-yu's mother, Maggie Lee Lam Lam (Mrs. David Chiang) as Shih-yu's girlfriend and Yasuaki Kurata as Tan, who manages to be menacing without overacting (unlike his "brother," Wong Ching). Within the supporting players, watch for Fung Hak On (in a rare "nice guy" role), Shut-Ma Wa Lung (as Shih-yu's father), Tung Choi Bo, Lau Kueng, Lo Wai, Yeun Cheung Yan and Danny Chow Yun Kin.

(Google images)

My copy of TPB comes from the 2006 Warner Martial Arts Double Feature DVD that combines it with Militant Eagle (1978), and it's also on Warner's 2007 two-disc 4 Film Favorites set, where TPB and ME are joined by  Moonlight Sword and Jade Lion (1977, with Angela Mao) and The Bloody Fists (1972, with Chen Kuan Tai). It's presented in non-anamorphic widescreen with a picture quality that ranges from very good to fair. As already mentioned, the sound on the English dub (the only language option) is noisy with a few moments where the dialogue is hard to decipher, but not enough that you can't keep up with the story. If you can't get your hands on an import version of TPB, the Warner DVD is better than nothing.

THE END

If you want to consider TPB as a companion piece to Cheh's "Shaolin Cycle" like Showdown at the Cotton Mill (1978) is, then alongside that later production, it's a minor offering. If Shih-yu's name was changed, and the bathing in herbs was cut out, the movie would become a routine "revenge" picture redeemed only by decent acting and good action scenes. Otherwise (whether you care anything about the film's history or not), while lacking the polish of better martial arts movies made around the same time, TPB is comparably entertaining and worth a look.

Brother Fang cuts to the chase: "This nearly-forgotten curio in the annals of films with Fang Shih-yu lacks the Shaolin Temple, but it's still fun for what it is. Any Meng Fei fan who doesn't have it yet needs to buy it. Everyone else should either rent or watch on YouTube."

Keeping it trivial....

Fang Shih-yu, Shaolin Temple.

P.S.-- Buy The Prodigal Boxer here.

Delightful Forest (1972), starring Ti Lung, Tin Ching, Chu Mu and Yu Feng. Directed by Chang Cheh and Pao Hsueh-li.

"This one's dedicated to the fine people over at the Heroic Sisterhood Facebook
page who love their Ti Lung on Tuesday-- and every other day of the week!"
 (Google images)

(All movie images courtesy Celestial Pictures)

***AUTHOR'S NOTE: More than a few reference sources, including contemporary HK posters, cite the movie's title as just Delightful Forest, with no "The". I'll refer to it in the same way. In addition, my experiences with anything relative to the literary Water Margin stem only from Chang Cheh's four movie adaptations and Li Han-Hsiang's 1982 Shaw Tiger Killer, plus online material about the novel, such as the writings on Wikipedia. Based on this, my review is focused on the movie, with an occasional nod to the online breakdowns of the novel and its characters, which helped me to understand what was going on in the movie substantially.***

ONE interesting bit of trivia related to Wu Sung, one of the better-known fictional heroes from the Chinese novel Water Margin (a.k.a. Outlaws of the Marsh), comes from Wikipedia. It says his story "is probably the only one that has been remade many times in Chinese media, due to the fact that adultery in China was a serious offence (and a huge dishonour to the family)", which says a lot about their culture. (How much of that same adultery contributed to the rise in population over the centuries, I can't begin to guess.)

So when Shaw Brothers director Chang Cheh decided to to produce a series of films based on the book, it was inevitable one of them would spotlight the honorable, wine-drinking tiger killer. Of course, in keeping with the filmmaker's "yang gang" philosophy, as Delightful Forest (the prequel to his The Water Margin, released in HK 2/17/72) was being made, he decided to pass on the earlier "soap opera" elements of Wu Sung's tale and focus on the events that led him to join the 108 bandits on Mount Liang Shan (in northern China) in rebelling against Hui Zhong, an emporer (non-fictional) of the Song Dynasty who reigned during troubled times from 1101-1125 AD.

Lau Kar Wing

The picture opens on Wu Sung (Ti Lung) avenging the murder of his brother. He's already slain his adulterous sister-in-law, and he now spots her lover/co-conspirator, Ximen Xing (Lau Kar Wing), entering the nearby Lion Restaurant. In short order, Sung confronts him, and after a fiery brawl, kills him quickly. Once the authorities arrive, the former head instructor (policeman) of Yang Wu County surrenders peacefully, ready to accept punishment.

left to right: Ti Lung, Yu Feng and Wong Kuong Yue

As two sheriffs escort him to the magistrate for sentencing, a chance to escape is offered by the proprietors of an inn, Zeng Qing (Wong Kuong Yue) and Suen Er Niang (Yu Feng); they are two of the Liang Shan outlaws, who know of him and his righteous reputation. They feel he'd be better off fleeing and joining their ranks, but Sung passes on the proposition (for now), resigned to his current fate.

left to right: Tin Ching and Wong Ching Ho

Upon arrival at An Ping Fortress, the prison chief (Wong Ching Ho) only spares Sung from a flogging due to the intervention of Shi En (Tin Ching), his son. En also knows a lot about Sung, and he asks him for his help in dealing with a pressing problem he has. Its name is Jiang Zhong (Chu Mu), an imposing bully who has taken control of the village En oversees, Delightful Forest (best labeled by an anonymous reviewer as a "Sin City"), extorting business owners for money under the threat of violence. Sung agrees to teach the thug a lesson, asking only in return that En gets him plenty of wine to ingest (a perceived boost to his brawn) at each roadside stop they encounter on the way.

left to right: Ti Lung and Chu Mu

Countless bowls of wine later, they reach Delightful Forest, and when a wasted Sung raises a ruckus while imbibing even more at an establishment managed by Zhong's wife (Kwok Chuk-Hing), he finally confronts Zhong himself and gives him a thorough trouncing. Sung makes him apologize for his misdeeds, repay the taken money and leave the village as soon as possible, En providing Zhong and his spouse adequate transportation out.

left to right: ?, Ti Lung and Chiang Nan

They wind up at the residence of corrupt Governor Zheng (Chiang Nan), who sent Zhong to Delightful Forest in the first place. When Zhong mentions he got clobbered by the great Wu Sung, Zheng knows he's got a mess of trouble on his hands. With help from his brother (Nam Wai-Lit), Zheng plots to get rid of Sung so they can easily reclaim Delightful Forest. Inviting Sung to his place, Zheng kills him with kindness, and by observing Sung's kung fu in action, he now knows how to deal with him. Under the veil of a bogus charge of stealing from Zheng, Sung is captured, and with his powerful arms rendered immobile for fighting, he is beaten into near unconsciousness.

Ti Lung

Sent back to prison, Sung escapes certain death at the hands of two bribed jailers, thanks to Jail Warden Tong (Li Min-Lang), a friend of En. The plot failed, Zhong suggests to Zheng having Sung killed as he is sent back to the magistrate again, and Zheng agrees. However, a recovered Sung is aware he's still a marked man, and after he slaughters his would-be assassins, he sets off for a final confrontation with Zhong and Zheng....

Considering Chang Cheh had The Water Margin, Delightful Forest, All Men are Brothers and the "White Water Strand" segment of Trilogy of Swordsmanship in various stages of development concurrently, and DF fared as well as it ultimately did aesthetically (and, presumably, fiancially), seems miraculous, but it's not a surprise. DF (co-directed with Pao Hsueh-li) is another reminder of how Cheh was more adept at creating smaller movies than big-budgeted epics. This is not to say he couldn't conceive an epic, but the point eventually came where he got in over his head with making them. Later ambitious films like 7-Man Army and Boxer Rebellion (both 1976) simply lacked the box office success of earlier Cheh classics like One-Armed Swordsman or Boxer from Shantung because it was obvious the money was put more towards the onscreen spectacle rather than help sustain the screenplays. Fortunately, back in 1972, Cheh had yet to hit the wall creatively, regardless of the scale of the movies he worked on.

DF (released in HK 9/20/72) is a unique concoction, best described as a wuxia/martial arts variation on a Spaghetti Western. As Italian director Sergio Leone is said to be among those who influenced Cheh's style, what we see as DF plays out confirms this. It's more than the heavy usage of music cues from (according to critic Brian Camp) Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West and Duck, You Sucker. It's there in the script (by Cheh, Ni Kuang and Chin Shu-Mei), how some scenes are lit and how cinematographer Yuen Teng-Bong sets up shots within his widescreen lens. After that, there's the acting, the foley work, even in the pacing and editing of the fight scenes. As a whole, DF is a veritable ode to Leone. On the other hand, one need not have seen a Spaghetti Western to appreciate the look and feel of DF, which ranks high as one of Cheh's most stylish films.

For the women, a gratuitous shot of Ti Lung without a shirt.

DF is an ideal showcase for Ti Lung's talents. While King Eagle (1971) proved he could carry a picture on his own without David Chiang, DF helped to cement the fact he was star material. Granted, Lung doesn't get to show much range here (acting like he's a cat with a perpetually arched back), but because Wu Sung is such a larger than life character, Lung embraces the role of the tough, abrasive (but honorable) badass with enthusiasm. He's also at the top of his physical game, tackling the fight choreography by Lau Kar Leung, Lau Kar Wing, Chan Chuen and Tong Gaai with energy and great leg work. (According to the Kung Fu Cinema site, it's an early use of traditional kung fu, or "shapes" fighting, found in a Cheh film.) While he doesn't resemble the man depicted in old drawings, Lung's interpretation of the part of Wu Sung is involving and anything but boring.

Chu Mu is convincingly rotten and mean as Jiang Zhong, who is truly a bully by definition, even with the crazy beard and eyebrows. (How this brute ever got a wife is mystifying.) Unlike Mu's later role as General Che in Heroes Two, he's more involved (and animated) in the fight scenes he undertakes with Lung, which makes the outcome of the climatic battle between Sung and Zhong more satisfying than the one with Che versus Hung Tsi-kwan and Fang Shih-yu.

For the men, a gratuitous shot of Yu Feng.

The rest of the cast is comparably good, but I'll point out my favorites. Wong Kwong Yue and Yu Feng aren't on long as the two Liang Shan bandits (both would reprise their roles in AMaB), but they make an impression, especially the breathtaking Feng. The camera captures her smoldering beauty, and she exudes sexiness as Suen, making quite an impression on Sung at first sight. As Shi En, Tin Ching is fun to watch as a straight man reacting to Sung's antics, including his excessive consumption of wine. Chiang Nan is suitably oily and crafty as Governor Zheng, who manages to snag Sung more with brains than by brawn. In addition, watch out for Wang Ching (Mobfix Patrol), Danny Chow (Police Story), Fung Hak On (Warriors Two), Li Min Lang (The Shadow Boxer) and Tsang Choh Lam (often a waiter in many Shaws)!

(Well Go USA)

With the IVL DVD out of print, the cheapest way to currently get a copy of DF is to buy either the DVD or BD from Well Go USA. Both have trailers as "extras", an anamorphic widescreen picture, vivid colors, subtitle options (Chinese or English) and language options (Mandarin or English dubs). The differences between the two are in the picture sharpness and the audio. The DVD features a good picture, plus both soundtracks have additional music and sound effects dubbed on by Celestial Pictures. In contrast, the BD (which came out months after the DVD) has a very sharp picture (though the resolution is 1080i, not 1080p), and both soundtracks are in their original, undubbed forms. The only problem comes from Celestial's English subs, which are (as on all their Shaw reissues) from a new translation that doesn't always flow and contains just enough inconsistencies, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors that make following the plot a bit of a challenge. (Those who know Mandarin or prefer the English dub are truly blessed.) If you have the option of choosing, your best bet is the BD. Those who aren't picky may be content with the DVD, but if they're clamoring to listen to the movie without the enhanced audio tracks, they should invest in a Blu-ray player and get the BD without haste.

For anyone who's interested in experiencing Cheh's Water Margin movies, a good starting point may be DF. With fewer people to keep track of than in TWM or AMaB, it's easier to watch and keep up with. In fact, it stands well on its own and can be enjoyed without seeing the others. It's not perfect, but it's a solid, well-paced film, skillfully balancing atmosphere, bloody action and drama with dashes of comedy as seasoning. For Ti Lung fans in particular, they get to see him deliriously dive into the role of Wu Sung, a nice respite from David Chiang and playing wandering swordsmen. If I had to give DF a numerical rating, I'd give it eight bowls of wine out of ten. Cheers.

Brother Fang cuts to the chase: "Easily the best of Chang Cheh's Water Margin movies. Whether you see them all or only Delightful Forest, you'll find yourself returning to it again and again. Recommended."

Keeping it trivial....

Fang Shih-yu, Shaolin Temple.

P.S.-- Buy Delightful Forest here.

Four Riders (1972), starring David Chiang, Ti Lung, Chen Kuan-tai and Wong Chung. Directed by Chang Cheh.

(All images courtesy of Celestial Pictures.)

MUST a movie make sense to be enjoyable? Not really, and don't believe any high-brow film critic who says different. (Once in a while, they like something a little illogical, too.) Even if there's a followable storyline, it doesn't take much from the filmmakers' side of things to unintentionally envelop the audience in a fog if they're trying to establish a particular look or style to their picture. Sometimes, the results can come back to bite them on the butt, artistically and financially; when they work out favorably, it can be a unique anomaly of cinema, if not a cult classic. That said, does the Shaw Brothers oddity Four Riders measure up with the other entertaining doses of yang gang from the formidable Chang Cheh?

Somewhere in South Korea, it's the end of the Korean War. A Chinese veteran of the conflict, Feng Xia (Ti Lung), drives to Seoul for some relaxation after collecting his pension (in American currency) and liberating a jeep from an army colonel (Lo Wai) he recently decked. Along the way, he picks up a fellow soldier, Gao Yinhan (Wong Chung), who's heading in the same direction to see Li Weishi (Chen Kuan-tai), a retired First Lieutenant recuperating at a hospital from wounds received in battle.

Not long after the two part company in the city, Xia stumbles upon some guys who've just pummeled an American GI to death; to be exact, they're members of a drug cartel run by Boss Hawkes (Andre Marquis), and they killed the man for his refusal to be a mule on his return trip to the US. Xia is overwhelmed by them before he can leave, and Hawkes' second-in-command, Lei Tai (Yasuaki Kurata), frames him for the crime. As fate goes, until a trial date is set, the injured Xia is confined by SK MPs in the prison ward of the same hospital where Yinhan's visiting Weishi. Yinhan is certain Xia is innocent, and since Weishi feels he has no chance at being found not guilty, he suggests Yinhan get a gun that his nurse, Song Hua (Ching Li), can smuggle to Xia and use for a quick escape.

Meanwhile, when Xia's army buddy, Jin Yi (David Chiang), reads of his plight in a newspaper, he knows something fishy's going on, too; based on all the time he's spent visiting lovely hostess Wensi (Lily Li) at the Hello John Club owned by Hawkes, he knows of the illegal activities going on. He calls out Tai about what's being done to Xia, but he's soon beaten up by him and Hawkes' other flunkies. Only Hawkes' brassy girlfriend, Yinhua (Tina Chin Fei) saves him from a premature demise; after a night of sex with her, he sneaks off.

After a few leads that go nowhere, Yinhan finally gets lucky when he's offered a gun...by Tai; Hawkes wants Xia dead immediately, and he says he'll pay anyone who'll do the task. (I'm guessing the payment consists of hot lead.) Shrewdly, Yinhan pretends to accept the offer, and before too long, Xia breaks out of the hospital with Weishi and Yinhan. Tragically, Song Hua is shot by Hawkes' men as she flees with them, to the horror of Weishi.

Eventually, Yi joins up with the three fugitives. On the run from the SK army (while keeping one step ahead of Hawkes' confederates), they devise a plan to bring down Hawkes' operation and exonerate themselves in the eyes of SK military justice. While Yi returns to the Hello John to look for incriminating paperwork, the other three confront Tai and Hawkes' other men in a free-for-all at a gymnasium. There's only one complication to all of this; unknown to the four, the SKs are now on their way to the gym, and they believe the Chinese are part of Hawkes' gang....

The title Four Riders (re-titled as Strike 4 Revenge in the US) comes from a scene when Weishi reads aloud his favorite piece of Biblical scripture to his nurse; it's the only time this reference shows up in the entire film. In turn, the only things these four heroes ride are jeeps, and they're more concerned with saving their own hides than unleashing an apocalypse on the world. It's their urgency to rescue Xia, along with the need for all of them to survive long enough to stop Hawkes and have their names cleared, which propels this testosterone-drenched melodrama (with a hint of swagger) that could've only been directed by Chang Cheh.

The kick I've gotten out of watching FR all the times I have (over a dozen, so far) does not distract me from the fact that some-where between the completion of the script (by Cheh and Ni Kuang) and the wrap-up of filming, the setting of South Korea in July, 1953, was forgotten in the process. Money appears to have been the main reason why, and if Cheh had a few movies in various stages of production at the time, it might also explain why the story never got reworked. Getting down to basics, with all the '70s hair, wardrobe and other trap-pings on the screen, the lapse of historical accuracy in FR doesn't detract from its entertainment value, and it shouldn't bother you, either. (Imagine it's one of those dramatizations on America's Most Wanted or the History Channel.)

The film shot on location in SK by Kung Mu To is wonderful and fascinating to see, be it snow-covered ground or the narrow streets within Seoul. The scenery is so unique and refreshing (especially if you're not familiar with SK), when the movie cuts to a tell tale Shaw location (indoors or out), the contrast is great enough you feel cheated by this budgetary consideration because the SK footage makes the stuff shot at the studio look like crap. Anybody who gets easily bored with any studio-bound Shaw picture will relish this change of pace.

Each of the main players contributes good performances. Ti Lung exudes machismo as Xia, and the opening where he belts his former superior is a brilliant, dark-humored vignette that plays like an outtake from M*A*S*H. David Chiang is low-key and smooth as Yi, the brains of the quartet, though one of his early bits at the club (fine as they are) could've been dropped so he could join up with his comrades sooner to jumpstart the plot. As Yenshi, Chen Kuan-tai believably goes from the young guy in love with Song Hua to an anguished man who wants payback for her death. As Yinhan, Wong Chung (in his biggest role prior to being cast in The Deliquent) manages to avoid being the "fifth wheel" of the group with his athleticism and likeability, best illustrated by his first scene where he plays with some children. Only Lily Li (as Wensi) and Ching Li (as Song Hua) get short shrift with the usual type of parts Cheh often limited them to, but they elevate their minor contributions to another level through their acting.

Let's now give praise to the featured villain. Bypassing the laughable pastiness of Andre Marquis as Hawkes, Yasuaki Kurata is an inspired choice as Tai. During 1972, Kurata was relatively early into his career at Shaw, so his acting was still evolving, but the aura of suaveness he projected into performing "heavies" is already prominent. His martial arts moves are equally dynamic; he's into Lau Kar Leung and Tong Gaai's fight choreography with an intensity that threatens to overwhelm the abilities of the four leads. While his efforts only lose steam with his hilarious English dubbed voice (used when he talks to Hawke) and being (unconvincingly) clobbered by Chiang in one sequence, the man can successfully convey nastiness without overacting, which makes his work here (and in other movies) engrossing to watch.

For all the unevenness of FR, the picture doesn't lack in thrills and drama. Would FR be a better movie if Cheh had the money to make the production appear more authentic for the time period depicted? That notion can be debated, and Cheh's later historical epics like 7 Man Army, The Boxer Rebellion and The Naval Commandos are (for some) three good arguments that giving him bigger budgets didn't always yield better motion pictures.

Anyhow, I finished with trying to understand why Cheh let this film veer off course like he did a long time ago. I decided to stop making sense of FR and just enjoy it.

Brother Fang says: "Another 'sleeper' from Chang Cheh that's been nearly forgotten by people and shouldn't be! Warts and all, Cheh delivers the violence and suspense more than capably!"

Keeping it trivial....

Fang Shih-yu, Shaolin Temple.

P.S. - While you still can, purchase it at PlayAsia by clicking here.

Police Force (1973), starring Wong Chung, Lily Li, and Fu Sheng. Directed by Chang Cheh and Tsai Yang-ming.

(All images courtesy Celestial Pictures.)

ALLOW me to make a statement that can be considered a lesser form of heresy: if there were no Fu Sheng in Police Force, this Shaw Brothers movie would be no less watchable than it is now. Anyone could've been cast in his part, and fortunately for Sheng, Chang Cheh saw something in this newcomer and gave him those fabled fourteen-plus minutes at the beginning. Whether he was intentionally offering a taste of Sheng to pique the interest of HK moviegoers or hedging his bets by limiting Sheng's involvement in the film, that's unknown, but we certainly have an idea what happened to Sheng after its release (eventually). For now, Cheh's goal was trying to establish Wong Chung as a star, and months after audiences watched him play a juvenile delinquent, they now got to see him in the mature role of a cop (his first of many) in this "slice-of-the-'70s" crime drama, filmed with the cooperation of the (then) Royal Hong Kong Police Force.

The plot of PF is an uncomplicated one. When Liang Guan (Fu Sheng) is murdered while protecting his girlfrend, Shen Yan (Lily Li), from harm during a robbery gone awry, his best friend, Huang Guodong (Wong Chung), decides to join the HK Police Force, vowing to Yan he will track down the perpetrator and kill him in an act of revenge.

In five years, Guodong goes from being a cadet to Inspector, and when he discovers a recent police sketch of a man spotted dumping a body matches the one made of Guan's murderer, his most important manhunt begins in earnest.

The suspect, Gao Tu (Wong Kuong Yue), is soon found out to be connected with one Sun Zuozhong (Wang Hsieh), and the last thing the counterfeiter needs is the police bugging him because of this association. Soon, Tu's a marked man, and it's Guodong who saves him from being killed by some of Zuozhong's men. When Yan (with Guodong at the time, coincidentally) confirms Tu's ID, Guodong's moment to avenge Guan's death has arrived, but he realizes he can't do it because he is a policeman; Tu must be used to help bring down Zuozhong's criminal organization. Yan's disappointed in Guodong, but when she gets a chance to shoot Tu dead, she's unable to follow through, knowing Guodong is right.

With Tu in custody and ready to help police investigators, Zuozhong decides it's time to get out of HK, and he begins to flee on his yacht, hoping to escape to international waters. Guodong sends his four detectives off on a fast boat to pursue him (taking Tu along to help identify the yacht), while he gets on a police helicopter and flies off after them to provide backup....

After an intense release like The Delinquent, PF seems subdued, by comparison, but considering the movie was made with the blessing of the HKPF, there's little doubt they had final script approval. This is why parts of the screenplay by Cheh and Ni Kuang feel like a recruiting ad, but it's the HKPF's participation that gives authenticity to the police procedures we see within an hour and 41 minutes, as well as make the film look like it cost more to make than what it actually did. Cheh used his access to police buildings, equipment and personnel to positive results.

As for straight drama, while a lot of it is familiar stuff, the movie's pacing never lags, so the cliches don't get to hang around. The exception is Yan; Lily Li makes the most of what's written for her (and models a cool '70s wardrobe), but her character lacks real depth. Only when Yan stops obsessing over her boyfriend's killer to assist Guodong during his investigation does she get to be interesting, but it's too little, too late. To top it all off, she has to go into the old bit of getting cold feet when a choice moment to kill the murderer herself arises, which is the only serious lapse in an otherwise decent story. (What? Not even a flesh wound?) Her departure from the film after Tu's apprehension is abrupt as it is anticlimatic; what a waste of talent.

On PF, Cheh works with another co-director, Tsai Yang-ming, whose first film was the '72 independent production The Prodigal Boxer (a telling of the story of Fang Shih-yu that predates Heroes Two by two years). Cheh's style is so dominant throughout, Yang-ming's contributions are hard to decipher, so it's best to consider it more as a Cheh film. At any rate, he's on top of his craft here, with stylish location shooting in HK and involved action sequences, with fight choreography overseen by Lau Kar Leung and Tong Gaai. Save for a few continuity errors (like a "quick dry" Guodong after a dip in the ocean), this is one of the more slicker Cheh movies set in contemporary (1973) times.

There's a lot of good acting to enjoy here. Wong Chung is is ideal as Guodong, a guy who can smack a felon around along with the best of HK's lawmen. Wang Hsieh (The Lady Hermit) as Zuozhong is menacing like a bulldog, and Tung Lin (The Delinquent) looks properly authoritative as Chung's boss, a senior inspector. Among the many other supporting players, watch out for Fung Ngai (Fist of Fury), Bruce Tong, Teung Tak-cheung and Lee Yung-git. In the offbeat casting category, regular "heavy" Fung Hak-on is fun to watch as Guodong's partner (seen in this screencap with the obligatory ugly jacket).

As for Fu Sheng, he handles his screen debut better than expected. He manages to convey his acting range in what little screentime he has as Guan, and his performance is a natural one. He handles his action scenes equally well; his skills are sharp and focused during his scene at a karate tournament, where he takes on Lau Kar Wing (who appears later in two other minor roles). Guan's established quickly enough as a likeable fellow (and loving boyfriend) that when his death comes at the hands of Tu, it is poignant as he expires in a modern version of "heroic bloodshed", and the nasty nature of hs demise makes the desire for revenge Guodong and Yan share all the more potent.

PF is a transitionary film in the genre of crime dramas, HK style; it's a "last gasp" of an era where characters and situations were defined in terms of "black and white", and it's one of the earlier attempts to bring an audience realism through blood, urban grittiness and antiheroes. Guodong's initial motivation for joining the police force (vengeance) is as emotionally complex as the film gets, and for all the violence there is, it's not elaborately staged and meticulously edited. It's still years away from anything like Police Story or Hard Boiled, so anyone who sees PF on the merit it's a Cheh film should expect an "old school" movie and nothing more. In summary, Wong Chung as a '70s "Supercop" is one hell of an experience worth undertaking.

Brother Fang says..."Chang Cheh, Wong Chung and Fu Sheng: three good reasons to check ths out!"

Keeping it trivial....

Fang Shih-yu, Shaolin Temple.

P.S. - While you still can, purchase it at PlayAsia by clicking here.