The Deadly Breaking Sword (1979), starring Ti Lung, Fu Sheng, Shih Szu, Michael Chan Wai Man, Ku Feng and Lily Li Li Li. Directed by Sun Chung.

(All images courtesy Celestial Pictures, unless noted otherwise.)

BACK when The Deadly Breaking Sword was released on 4/12/79, the second movie by director Sun Chung to co-star Fu Sheng and Ti Lung had to contend (primarily) with the kung fu comedies then trending at the HK box office. As a result, the Shaw Brothers production simply (according to writer Mark Pollard) "appeared at the wrong time", and it wasn't long before it was gone, replaced by other Shaw pictures of varying quality. Today, the film lingers in the shadow cast by its predecessor, the cult classic The Avenging Eagle (1978), rescued from obscurity as much by Fu Sheng's untimely death in 1983 as it is by recent critical reassessments of Chung that rank him as one of Shaw's better directors.

left to right: Fu Sheng and Ti Lung

Somewhere in the martial arts world, there are two heroes. The experienced one is Tuan Changqing (Ti Lung), who is called "The Deadly Breaking Sword" because his dead adversaries wind up with a piece of his sword punctured in their chests. He's arrogant about his proficiency with a sword; in fact, he's a bit of an eccentric about it, which is reflected in his pre-fight customs of arriving early, wearing a new change of clothes and providing coffins to those he slays. Then, there's Xiao Dao (Fu Sheng). He's "The Little Dagger" because his weapon of choice is a knife. Though he's a scoundrel, barely getting by on his wits and kung fu prowess, he's anything but evil.

left to right: Ti Lung and Michael Chan Wai Man

Changqing's latest battle is with Lian Shan, "The Throat Piercing Halbred" (Michael Chan Wai Man). Where he has taken out only bad guys, Shan's own high body count has partly come through indiscriminate killing, so Changqing knows he must be done away with. Unfortunately, it ends as a draw with both wounded, though Shan escapes with a bit of broken sword embedded in him.

In a town not far from Changqing's location, Dao finds himself temporarily working as a security guard at a gambling house, owned by Luo Jinhua (Lily Li Li Li), in order to pay off his gambling debt. If that wasn't bad enough, Jinhua's smitten with him, and she's determined to keep him there permanently. As soon as Dao earns any taels of silver, she tricks him out of his money.

Shih Szu

Changqing and Dao eventually cross paths due to their mutual interest in Lin Linxyu (Shih Szu), a high class prostitute who's recently set up shop at the local brothel. In secret, she's looking for Guo Tiansheng, who she knows by the nickname "The Killer Doctor" (Ku Feng). She wants him dead for double-crossing her thief of a brother, Chen Yinggang (Ngaai Fei), collecting the reward for his capture and leaving him to rot in prison. Initially, she tricks Changqing to see her and proposes to pay him to slay Tiansheng. As a hero, Changqing won't take money and isn't sure Tiansheng (a doctor with good standing in the community) is "TKD", but, liking Linxyu, he goes to see him and determine if he's "TKD". He's not convinced.

left to right: Lily Li Li Li and Fu Sheng

Undeterred by this setback, Linxyu hires the desperate-for-money Dao to kill Tiansheng, but Changqing, who has grown to respect him after their many hot-headed encounters, persuades him not to follow through, paying off Dao with a money order double the amount Linxyu offered him. Ecstatic, he returns to the gambling house and shows Jinhua the money order, bragging he now can pay off the debt and be free of her. As he boasts about this victory, she quietly sets the piece of paper on fire. Finally deducing she's responsible for hindering his exit, Dao grabs her and carries her to a nearby well. He holds the screaming lady by the ankles over the top, optioning whether to drown her or not....

left to right: Michael Chan Wai Man and Ku Feng

All the while, the wounded Shan has been recovering at Tiansheng's residence after the doctor removed the sword fragment from his chest. Discovering Shan is a rare survivor of a battle with the great Changqing, Tiansheng realizes he has at hand a fighter superior to all his hired goons combined. Through the wonders of acupuncture, he nurses Shan back to health, making him stronger than he ever was, and after his confrontation with Changqing (who threw wine on the old man), Tiansheng's resolved to use Shan to kill the hero as revenge.

left to right: Ngaai Fai and Ti Lung

Meanwhile, Changqing tells Linxyu he stopped Dao from killing Tiansheng, still believing he's not "TKD". She begs him to hear Yinggang's side of the story at the prison. Listening to her brother, he finds out she was right after all and frees him. With help from Yinggang and Linxyu, he plots to lure Tiansheng to the brothel and kill him. When Tiansheng shows up, he brings with him the new and improved Shan, and the guy's got a score to settle with Changqing....

Unlike Chung's previous two wuxias (The Proud Youth and TAE, both '78), Ni Kuang's script for TDBS is not an adaptation from a work of popular Chinese literature, which is a big plus. Minus the hang ups of a complicated scenario with too many characters to keep track of, the story (save for a few hiccups) flows nicely with no trace of padding. Along with a balance of the usual action and suspense is a marked streak of satire that pokes fun at the kind of movies that were Kuang's bread and butter, as evidenced by the narcissistic, quirky Changqing and the "loose cannon", comedy relief Dao. (Some consider Dao to be a Jackie Chan-type of clown, but I think Kuang could've been inspired by Sammo Hung as well.)

The cinematography by Cho On Sun and Lam Nai Choi is rich and atmospheric, notable for some flourishes with the Steadicam and the occasional use of a freeze frame for punctuating some of Dao's antics. The editing by Chiang Hsing Lung and Yu Siu Fung keeps pace with the varying tempos of the film with assurance, particularly giving a spark to Tong Gaai and Wong Pau Gei's fine action choreography, which keeps mostly to the ground except for rare wirework.

Another picture of Shih Szu, just for the heck of it.

With the cast, we have the novelty of some of the lead (and supporting) actors from TAE also appearing here. As Changqing, Ti Lung brilliantly plays it straight, subtly letting the viewer know he's enjoying his role of a pompous swordsman. Though some are turned off by his clowning, I think Fu Sheng gives likability to his grating interpretation of Dao, making him the perfect foil to Changqing. (Like on TAE, Sheng and Lung work well with each other.) Michael Chan Wai Man and Ku Feng are in familiar territory as Shan and Tiansheng, respectively, but they perform their parts well. While Shih Szu doesn't get to kick ass here, she demonstrates her acting range capably (in addition to looking lovely) as Linxyu. Compared to Szu, Lily Li Li Li gets a more involving (albeit limited) role as Jinhua, continually thwarting Dao's attempts to escape her until she goes too far. Among the supporting players, look for Chan Shen, Lam Fai Wong, Shum Lo, Wong Ching Ho and Kara Hui Ying Hung.

(Image Entertainment)

Two versions of TDBS are currently available. The IVL DVD has a good picture, but (like some other IVL reissues of Chung's films) newer music and foley are needlessly tacked on; while this import has no English dub, you do have the option of listening to the feature in Mandarin or Cantonese. The Image DVD is much better, having the original Mandarin and English soundtracks; the picture isn't quite as good as the IVL's, but it's not awful, either. Interestingly enough, after comparing the English subs on both discs, I notice there's a slight difference between parts of the translations, but they're not major ones. "Extras" on these discs are limited, ranging from photo galleries to trailers from Celestial Pictures.

I should say I have a slight bias toward TDBS, having seen it before TAE, and after watching both several times, I still get a kick out of TDBS, while conceding TAE is the stronger picture. With Kuang's original story, Chung doesn't have the (presumed) burden filming an adaptation can have, so he directs with a relish that carries over to the cast and crew. There's a near-perfect balance of light and dark that helps sell the heroes and the leading ladies; if the mood were all somber, it would be hard to find affinity with four people who aren't exactly amiable. Overall, TDBS is another enjoyable film with the winning combination of Chung, Lung and Sheng, and it's lamentable the fates conspired in such a way there wouldn't be any more.

Brother Fang Cuts to the chase: "A subversive send up of 'Old School' wuxia movies that doesn't lack for drama or thrills. An essential addition to your Shaw Brothers collection if you love Sun Chung, Ti Lung and Fu Sheng. Three and a half stars (out of four)."

Keeping it trivial....

Fang Shih-yu, Shaolin Temple.

P.S.-- Buy The Deadly Breaking Sword here.

The Proud Youth (1978), starring Wong Yu, Shih Szu, Stanley Fung Shui Fan, Ku Feng and Michael Chan Wai Man. Directed by Sun Chung.

(All images courtesy Celestial Pictures.)

IN 1978, Shaw Brothers director Sun Chung had four films released. Two of those were wuxia pictures. Of them, only The Avenging Eagle reached US theaters, eventually attaining a cult status with followers of HK action cinema. The Proud Youth (the first to be put out) never made it to American shores. With the recent DVD reissue of TAE still resonating among "old school" fans, I'll now examine the overlooked TPY and see how it holds up to the more analyzed classic.

The story centers around Nangong Song (Wong Yu), the top kung fu student of Luo Chaojun (Stanley Fung Shui Fan). The life Song has been living with Chaojun and the others in the Huashan Clan is about to get turned upside down.

Ling Yun

It starts when Chaojun's number two man, Shi Zhongying (Ling Yun), attempts to retire from the martial arts world. He's afraid the alliance of the Five Swords Clans (which the Huashan Clan is part of) will find out about his friendship with Gao Yun (Yue Wing). The man he plays music with is also a member of the evil Sun Clan, which the alliance plans to eradicate.

When the alliance chief gets word about the men's relationship, he stops Zhongying's retirement, ordering him to kill Yun. Zhongying refuses and pays a harsh price for it as his wife and children are slain. While Yun rescues Zhongying from the skirmish, he's not in time to prevent him from receiving a mortal wound. In seclusion, the two solemnly perform their composition, "Last Sound of the Empty Valley", knowing it will be their final time together to do so.

Wong Yu and Chan Wai Ying

Song misses the retirement ceremony. Encountering the rogue Hao Jeywing (Michael Chan Wai Man) along the way, he follows him and rescues a nun, Huizhi (Chan Wai Ying), from his clutches, getting injured in the process. Later, he happens to be recovering nearby where Zhongying and Yun are, and hearing them play, he and Huizhi go to investigate. After they tell him their story, he's sympathetic to their plight, and when they ask him to give their music to a musician so others may listen to it, he readily agrees. As Song and Huizhi leave, Yun and Zhongying die by a suicide pact.

Returning to the Huashan Clan, Song is punished for being with Huizhi by having to stare at the Cliff of Remorse for a year. Early into his sentence, he discovers an opening in the cliff that leads to a cave. Inside, the walls are covered with writings left by ten dead chiefs of the Sun Clan, who were lured in there by the Five Swords Clans many years prior, fearing the Sun Clan's "Chongyang Nine Swords Style" kung fu would dominate the martial arts world over the style of the Five Swords Clans. As Song ponders this revelation, he learns the "CNSS" (diagrammed on the walls) to pass the time.

Shih Szu

After enduring his penalty, Song searches for somebody to pass along Zhongying and Yun's music to. He finds Bai Yingying (Shih Szu), who he discovers is the daughter of Chief Bai (Ku Feng), the real ruler of the Sun Clan who was imprisoned ten years ago by the devious Sima Wuji (Tin Ching), usurper of his throne. She has recently gotten news that Shi (Wong Chung), a man loyal to Bai, broke out of the same prison and may know where he is. Song pledges to find Shi for her in hopes of freeing her father.

Once Chaojun finds out Song's been in the company of Yingying, he kicks him out of the clan. Song doesn't stop to dwell on it as he begins to look for Shi. Upon finding him, he and Shi then spring Bai from captivity. From there, Yingying joins the threesome in killing Sima Wuji and restoring her father as head of the Sun Clan. Song passes on a job offer from Chief Bai in hopes he can get back into the Huashan Clan.

left to right: Michael Chan Wai Man and Wong Yu

Meanwhile, Jeywing has resurfaced, and he's on a murder spree for a mystery benefactor, killing four of the Five Swords leaders and Chaojun's wife, Shouyi (Lau Wai Ling). Song finds the body of the woman he loved like a mother moments after he arrives home. Recognizing Jeywing's handiwork, Song swears to Chaojun he'll deal with him while his sifu attends a Five Swords conference. It's not long before Song, "CNSS" skills at the ready, locates Jeywing and is on the attack. What develops during the confrontation is the most unexpected thing Song will have to deal with out of all his adventures....

Stanley Fung Shui Fan

Like TAE, Ni Kuang's screenplay for TPY is adapted from a story by Chinese novelist Jin Yong; here, it's The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (serialized 1967-69). While I've yet to read anything of Yong's, I do know from research his writings are loaded with characters and plot twists; in addition, movies derived from his work are often said to come up short because a lot of stuff is left out. To read the plot summary of TSPW on Wikipedia and compare it to the finished movie, it's obvious things are missing from TPY. While the general structure of the script is okay, it's marred by a lack of some heart and unresolved plot points that make the final outcome not as satisfying as it should be (exacerbated by an abrupt ending).

Technically, Sun Chung and his production crew have made a pretty slick feature that make the story lapses tolerable. Key personnel who worked on TAE do their magic here. Cinematographer Nam Mai Choi's photography is never less than great; there's even use of the Steadicam, but it's not used extensively like it will be in later Chung films (like The Kung Fu Instructor). Film editors Chiang Hsing Lung and Chui Sui Lung keep the movie lively, especially making the marvelous fight choreography of Tong Gaai and Wong Pau Gei exciting, by 1978 standards.

Wong Yu

With the material uneven as it is, so it goes Wong Yu bears the most scrutiny by portraying the title character. For an actor who's remembered more for comedic roles (he was utilized most favorably in Lau Kar Leung's movies), he does all right as Song. When moments arise for levity or action, Yu's in his element, but he gets little chance to project himself dramatically, except when he finds Shouyi dead. To a point, he's upstaged by the subplot with Zhongying and Yun (easily the most compelling part of the narrative) due to the quality acting by Ling Yun and Yue Wing. Once the movie focuses on Song, it takes a while to warm up to him.

left to right: Ku Feng (with beard) Shih Szu,
Wong Chung and Wong Yu

The rest of the cast provides considerable support. Among them: Stanley Fung Shui Fan (also known for his work in comedies) is appropriately cold and authoritative as Chaojun. Michael Chan Wai Man gives another "heavy" part some nuances as Jeywing. Shih Szu is charming and elegant as Yingying, even getting to be physical in one of the action sequences. Ku Feng and Wong Chung aren't given much to do here, but their appearances are always more than welcome. (Chung also has the coolest weapon in the whole movie, which looks like a deadly, oversized pizza cutter.) Chong Lee gets the thankless role of Chaojun and Shouyi's daughter, whose pining for Song grows desperate once Yingying enters the scenario. (Why her picture's on the packaging of the IVL DVD is baffling since she's not a major player.) In addition, watch for Yau Chi Ling (Dirty Ho), Chan Shen (The Kiss of Death), Yeung Chi Hing (Disciples of the 36th Chamber) and Chin Yuet Sang (Lion Vs. Lion).

The IVL DVD has added-on music and sound effects, which are totally unnecessary, but most of what's tacked on is harmless except when a synthesizer is employed. Beyond this, it has the usual fine picture (anamorphic), decent sound and "extras" to be expected on IVL Shaws.

TPY is another good movie from Sun Chung, one of many waiting to be rediscovered by those who love TAE. As one of Chang Cheh's most talented disciples (after John Woo), Chung's directing on TPY still shows some of that influence, but his storytelling has evolved since the days of (for example) The Bloody Escape to favorable results. TPY is more ornate than TAE, like one of Chu Yuan's films based on a Gu Long novel, but it's not as confusing. Despite the flaws in Ni Kuang's script, Chung has made a watchable diversion that holds the viewer by great filmmaking, if not by substance.

Brother Fang cuts to the chase: "Not as emotionally involving or cohesive as The Avenging Eagle, The Proud Youth is still quality work from Sun Chung. The guy could direct. Seriously, pick this one up (and any other movies of his you can get your hands on) before it disappears. Three stars (out of four)."

Keeping it trivial....

Fang Shih-yu, Shaolin Temple.

P.S.-- Buy The Proud Youth here. Read more about Sun Chung here.

The Lady Hermit (1971), starring Cheng Pei-pei, Shih Szu, Lo Lieh and Wang Hsia. Directed by Ho Meng-hua.

(All images courtesy Celestial Pictures.)

FOR all the acting ability she showed in a variety of parts through the twenty-three pictures she did for Shaw Brothers, Cheng Pei-pei is best known for her wuxia movies, or, rather, one wuxia movie: Come Drink with Me. While opinions vary over King Hu's film (even its status as a classic), most agree her star turn as Golden Swallow is the model for the character of a strong swordswoman that Hong Kong screenwriters were inspired to copy (if not better) in future wuxias at Shaw and other studios. The way the Shaw experience went down, not one wuxia after CDwM could duplicate its success, including Golden Swallow, the sequel directed by Chang Cheh. Even the prescence of Pei-pei in these follow-ups didn't guarantee a good picture, demonstrating how much the arrangement of the young woman under the guidance of director Hu was one of those "blue moon" occurrences.

The Lady Hermit is among those select few Shaw wuxias that came close to the level of quality found in CDwM. While not as moody or "trippy", after energetic fighting scenes and a "love triangle" subplot, TLH is best remembered for Pei-pei working with the woman who'd try to replace her as Shaw's wuxia queen, Shih Szu.

Three years prior to the events depicted in TLH, the sword-wielding heroine known as Lady Hermit (Cheng Pei-pei) disappeared shortly after fighting the self-proclaimed Number One bad ass of the martial arts world, Black Demon (Wang Hsieh), who wounded her in the abdomen with his "Shadowless Claw" technique. As it turns out, Yeng Yushuang (her real name) has spent that time laying low in the town of Dungan, recovering from the injury while working at Da Am Security Service as a maid for Chief Wang (Fang Mien).

Arriving in town one day is Ciu Ping (Shih Szu), a young lady who knows how to handle a whip as well as she can a sword; she has come to visit her uncle Wang as she searches for LH in hopes of getting her as a sifu. When Ping mentions rumors that LH is in the nearby town of Baijiang, Wang arranges a ride there for her with a shipment driven by Chang-chung (Lo Lieh), a good-looking escort she develops a crush on. Once in Baijiang, she finds out LH is supposedly in Chung Kuei Temple, where the townspeople go to buy charms from her as protection from ghosts that are currently on a nightly murder spree. Ping is skeptical about the whole situation, and not long after she realizes the "ghosts" are flesh and blood, she and Chang-chung enter the temple, discovering this LH is a phony Black Demon is using to lure the real one into a trap. As LH eventually shows up to eliminate the imposter and rescue Ping and Chang-chung, the moment the two hear LH's voice, they realize the mystery woman is Yushuang.

With Yushuang's cover blown, she abruptly leaves the security service; Ping quickly finds her on the road and begs Yushuang to teach her kung fu. United by their common hatred of Black Demon, Yushuang agrees, and as they refurbish an abandoned house for shelter, Yushuang trains Ping, including showing her the "Flying Tiger" style, a countermove to the "Shadowless Claws" where (basically) landing on one's feet like a cat after after being thrown by an opponent may help one to gain the upper hand.

As several weeks pass by, Ping's attraction to Chang-chung has increased since she began teaching him the martial arts she's learned from Yushuang, but what Ping doesn't know is he's had feelings for Yushuang since she was working at the security service. In turn, Yushuang cares just as much for him, but she can't think about romance until she deals with Black Demon. However, when Chang-chung suddenly arrives at the hideout in a mutilated state after barely escaping from Black Demon's men at the security service (because of his ties to LH, they have slain Wang and burned the business to the ground), Yushuang helps him to recover while Ping is away collecting ingredients for some medicine, and in the process, she lets her guard down for him...a little.

When Ping comes back from a month's worth of gathering, she sees the two of them together, and jealousy clouds her mind in a hurry. Twenty-four hours later, her perceptions haven't changed, and on an impulse, she decides to handle the messy affair of killing Black Demon herself. Despite Yushuang's assertion she isn't ready, Ping rushes off to get him anyway. With Yushuang and Chang-chung trailing not too far behind, Ping defies the odds by overcoming all barriers along the way before finally arriving at Black Demon's head-quarters. Bottom line: if Ping can't stop him, can Lady Hermit (lingering injury and all) be there in time to save her and be able to deal with Black Demon on her own?

What immediately stands out about TLH is the superb cinematography by Lin Kuo Chiang, Li Yu Tang and Tsao Wei Chi. After King Hu's movies, such attention to the slightest of visual details is typical of director Meng-hua's best films, and TLH is no exception. Every last shot taken seems to have been given some significant thinking through, from the lighting to camera setups. In conjunction with Chang Hsing Lung's marvelous editing, every scene, whether a quiet one or full of swordplay and arterial spray, benefits from the craftsmanship of these talented guys. For the era, this is one of the best looking "old school" wuxias ever.

Yeh I-Fang's screenplay for TLH wisely reinforces the "less is more" argument with straightforward storytelling without a lot of psychology. (I imagine his version of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon would be called "Tiger and Dragon", for a start.) He keeps the action and Black Demon off at strategic intervals in order to focus more on the sisterly bond between Ping and Yushuang, which is only threatened when Chang-chung (innocently) enters the scenario. As sufficiently developed the low-key soap opera is, the looming prescence of Black Demon should've been emphasized more. As it is now, he comes off as just a big bully. Further, if anyone attempted to bring an end to his reign of terror in the past, no previous contenders are mentioned; this implies only LH (Ping comes later) has stood up to him, which is pushing the limits of all plausability. (Possibly, a more physically imposing actor other than Wang Hsieh could've been cast, but this would've solved only half the problem.)

The acting (aside from what Hsieh brings to the production) does not disappoint at any level. Cheng Pei-pei easily gives style and substance to LH, and the well-written part is in synch with her usual good performance, and this wasn't always the case with some of the wuxias she did after CDwM. Lo Lieh appropriately underplays Chang-chung, the "eye in the hurricane" for the film, whether quietly pining for Yushuang or charming the lovestruck Ping. Among the supporting players, more than a few familiar faces pop up as Black Demon's men; keep watch for Chuan Yuan (The Thunderbolt Fist), Cliff Lok, Yeung Chak-Lam (The Shadow Boxer), Kok Lee Yan and Sammo Hung.

Even though it's Pei-pei's movie, the other reason TLH exists is to showcase Shaw's rising star, Shih Szu, the designated heir apparent to Pei-pei. So it goes she does a lot more in TLH (her third Shaw picture) than Pei-pei, but to her credit, she doesn't upstage Pei-pei. She portrays Ping as a young woman who shows maturity with a sword and whip but is still immature to many ways of the world and life. The acting range she displays is as impressive as the kinetic fighting action (supervised by Leung Siu Chung) and two sequences of elaborate stuntwork (involving a bridge and a pagoda) she participates in. I also get a kick out of the light moments she shares with Lieh where Ping practically swoons over Chang-chung; whenever the lovely Szu acts bashful and flirty, no fan of hers is immune to her charms (especially Brother Fang).

Funimation's last Shaw DVD release (until we hear otherwise) is consistent with their previous reissues. It has a fine anamorphic picture (stemming from a proper transfer with no "combing" in the playback), and the two soundtrack choices (English and Mandarin audio in their original mono, the latter with optional English subtitles) both sound great. The only "extras" found on the disc are advertising.

Through the May '70 issue of Hong Kong Movie News (thanks to venoms5 over at Cool Ass Cinema for the info), we know Pei-pei left Shaw to get married, and move to the US to retire from moviemaking, after finishing work on Lo Wei's The Shadow Whip. Had TLH been her last film, it would've made her exit from Hong Kong that much sweeter; unfortunately, seven months after TLH's January '71 opening, Shaw let TSW drop, an uninspired piece of work in which Pei-pei's character brandished a whip much like Szu did in TLH. (Hindsight is 20/20, but Shaw would've been better off leaving TSW in the vault or putting it out before TLH.) As the business of cranking out motion pictures at Shaw went during the early 1970s, they were staying the course, right down to thoughtlessly giving their departed star one more raw deal.

(Two years later, Golden Harvest would coax Pei-pei out of retirement, but that is a story best saved for another time.)

Brother Fang says... "Fans of Cheng Pei-pei, Lo Lieh and Shih Szu are already sold on this, and all lovers of Shaw Brothers' wuxia films should follow suit. It's a good, affordable DOMESTIC copy of a hard-to-find import; need I say more?"

Keeping it trivial....

Fang Shih-yu, Shaolin Temple.

The Shadow Boxer (1974), starring Chen Wo-fu, Shih Szu and Frankie Wei. Directed by Pao Hsueh-li.

ON January 1, 1974, Chen Wo-fu killed himself on his 24th birthday. Why he did is yet unknown thirty-seven years after the fact. Since what biography there is of him is limited in scope (for those fluent only in English), any speculation the reason he did it because he was unhappy with his personal life or with making motion pictures is pointless. It's safe to say his act was one of a desperate person crying out in pain, but if he was hoping to be saved, only a "higher authority" knows for sure.

 Cheng Tien-Hsuing, Tai chi co-ordinator for the
movie, does a demonstration with Chen Wo-fu.

He had joined Shaw Brothers a mere two years prior, and of the five films he had worked on before his passing, The Shadow Boxer would not only be the first one to get released, it would be the sole one where he had the starring role. It was also unique by virtue of its subject matter; coming out two months after the movie showcase of Hung Fist martial arts in Heroes Two (1974), TSB spotlighted the rarely seen form of Tai chi chuan (a.k.a. shadow boxing, which is from where the film gets its title). Wo-fu knew it inside and out (in addition to having won the title of SE Asian Chinese Boxing Champ in 1971), and it's possible TSB was written for him. Even if it wasn't, writer Ni Kuang, by adhering to many of the basics of Tai chi and the philosophy behind it, crafted a piece of "old school" HK action cinema like no other.

It's sometime in the 1930's, and when the laborers of a road construction crew are forced to roast in the hot summer sun while waiting to collect their lousy monthly wages, worker Wu Bing Lien (Chung Gam Gwai) raises a protest as their de facto representative. This is fine for crooked supervisor Tang Hoi Hay (Yeung Chak-Lam), who'll use any excuse to screw them out of their pay (after taking half for himself) for his employer, Master Jin (Cheng Miu); when he tries to punish Wu for striking him, Wu's friend Ku Ding (Chen Wo-fu) takes the beating for him as a way to keep the situation from becoming chaotic.

His rationale for doing this is because he's been a student of Tai chi for ten years under his sifu Yeung (Yeung Chi Hing); the general idea is for him to "practice martial arts for health and defence, not for bullying others", and he "has to be tolerant". As far as Yeung's daughter, Ah Jen (Shih Szu), is concerned, she's not sold on this and feels Ku is a sap for being smacked around without retaliating. She's content to use only the basic martial arts she's skilled in.

Times are so tough in the town where the workers live, people are desperate to get money anyway they can, so Ku's sweetheart, Ah Bao (Chan Mei Hua), seeks employment at the house of Jin's son, Dai Sing (Frankie Wei), as a servant for his girlfriend. He's a bastard who enjoys all the benefits of his father's dirty money and standing in society. One day, after another boring sparring session with some of his associates, one of them, the be-sotted Chan Tung (Wong Kuong Yue), tells him his kung fu would definitely be tested if he dealt with sifu Yeung's Tai chi. Dai's interested; he sends the four men off to bring Yeung back and challenge him. Yeung declines the invitation, so the spoiled brat orders them to kill the old man.

In the meantime, Wu is still championing his fellow worker's rights (as is Ku Ding, in a more mannered way), and Supervisor Tang feels he's stirred enough trouble that he must be gotten rid of; with Dai's blessing, he hires thugs to murder him.

As for Ah Bao, Dai's been ogling her from day one, and once the moment arrives she's alone and vulnerable, he wantonly ravishes her in the ugliest scene of the whole film. Traumatized, she commits suicide by drowning herself in a river.

"Tolerate."

As each ghastly death comes to light, the weight grows heavier on Ku's shoulders to exercise the option of revenge; initially, he keeps to his Tai chi training of tolerance as he needs to be sure of Dai's responsibility for all of it; an attempt to make Dai confess only gets Ku roughed up, but his training enables him to endure the blows Dai and his men bring upon him. Ah Jen is (justifiably) too full of anger to wait for help from Ku, so she plots to stab Dai one morning. The night before, as luck would have it, when Ku goes off to drown his sorrows over these three losses, he gains as a drinking buddy Chan Tung, who eventually helps to confirm for Ku the guilt of Dai. With this knowledge, Ku now is free to help Ah Jen to properly deal with the privileged scum Dai, Supervisor Tang, and the assorted henchmen.

With TSB, writer Kuang mirrors the Three Styles of Hung Fist featurette that got released before Heroes Two (also shown before the feature in early engagements) and begins the movie with a demonstration by Cheng Tien-Hsuing, who choreographed the Tai chi action; along with a sampling of the techniques, plus the aesthetics behind the training throughout the feature, we get a decent overview of Tai chi and what makes it stand out from other martial arts.

The expertise of Tien-Hsuing helps sell the proceedings notably with the time he spent with Shaw character actor Yeung Chi Hing; his effort on the physical aspect in conjunction with Chi Hing's impeccable acting makes the part of sifu Yeung fully realized. The elderly man with the pock-marked face who interacts with Wo-fu and Szu looks more like what we think a master of Tai chi should look like than the sweaty, stout man at the film's beginning!

As director Pao Hsueh-li once did cinematography for Chang Cheh, we're given an approximation of what TSB would be like if Cheh had directed it, but more than that, he adds his eye as a former cameraman to the visual experience. Yeung Teng Bong is behind the camera here, but Hsueh-li brings a lot of the style he brought to Cheh's movies. He keeps the somber thread running through the film with little relief, the roadworkers in the heat looking miserable, Dai's raping feeling like the dirty, despicable act it is, and the murderers killing in a relentless, callous fashion; only in the Tai chi training sequences is there some peace, dashes of slow motion used to catch some of the movements, all accompanied with appropiate music cues.

As the villainy goes, they are all of the "one note" variety, but the most sour note of them all is Frankie Wei. (Yeung Chak-Lam is a worthy second.) When he smiles, it's never for a nice reason, and it has the same impact on me fingernails being dragged across a chalkboard does. As Dai, he plays a even more repulsive type than his roles in some Shaw exploitation pictures, which makes this statement the highest of compliments to his craft! As leader of the bad guys, he pulls off the "regular" (non-Tai chi) fight choreography by Yeun Woo-ping very well for an actor, too. His last confrontation with Wo-fu makes for a suitably apt ending.

In keeping with a story where the combat is earthbound, Shih Szu doesn't come on like the upstoppable hurricane she was in The Thunderbolt Fist, but she manages to hold her own in what feels more like life-or-death situations than in the previous movie. She gets the one funny scene in the whole production where the lovely Ah Jen gets thrown like a sack of potatoes by her father when she shows skepticism over the practicality of Tai chi; only when Ku Ding rescues her from Dai Sing near the end does she finally begin to realize kung fu isn't the only game in town. As always, she's also agile in the dramatics department, and her reaction over her father's slaying grabs at your heart. Her naturalistic work on this picture can be all too easily overlooked by the flash and color of the wuxia films she did, and this movie needs to rediscovered by more of her fans.

As Ku Ding, Chen Wo-fu is likeable and has charisma to spare, which makes his abrupt exit from the world all the more saddening because TSB convincingly conveys the "spark" behind this gifted athlete and budding actor. (For all their brevity, his bit roles in posthumous releases like Friends and All Men are Brothers confirm his work in TSB was no fluke.) Knowing Tai chi certainly helped him get the job; he was fortunate nobody considered taking another Shaw player and teaching them some basics, because more than a few actors could've done this part. (What those results would've been, I cannot guess, which suits me fine.)

Going beyond the off-screen tragedy, TSB is a very watchable diversion in which the plot is the "ying" to Tai chi's "yang". The fact Tai chi never figured again in other Shaws makes it a special novelty worth looking at, whether you know anything about Tai chi or not. Most of all, watch out for the ending, one of the better surprises I've seen in a long time; regardless if you can predict what happens or not, you'll (at least) agree it's... different.

The Image DVD has adequate picture, audio and your choice of English or Spanish subtitles; there are no noteworthy "extras". (I haven't seen the IVL DVD, but I'll bet the picture on it is superior.)

In the end, let this reissue stand as the best Chen Wo-fu testimonial to what might have been. May he continue resting in peace.

Recommended by Brother Fang!

Keeping it trivial....

Fang Shih-yu, Shaolin Temple

P.S. - Purchase it from PlayAsia by clicking here.

Lady of the Law (1975), starring Shih Szu, Lo Lieh and Chang Pei-shan. Directed by Shen Chiang and Hsiao Yung.

Behind the scenes with Shih Szu.

DID an incident occur during the making of this film, prompting those at Shaw Brothers to bar their wuxia star Shih Szu from doing any more action-oriented leads not long after? It's a question yet to be answered satisfactorily in my mind.

The fansite Shaw Brothers Reloaded relates that sometime during '73-'74, "she heavily injured her right arm during a movie shoot", resulting in her being restricted "to play 'damsel-in-distress' roles only." Lady of the Law was put out in '75, but it's possible it was completed in '74 and its release temporarily delayed; this happened with Shaw pictures once in a while, so this fits into SBR's scenario. However, once I saw her in The Proud Youth, a '78 "sleeper" from Sun Chung, she was back doing a physical part, albeit a limited one in contrast to years past; based on this, any imposed ban wasn't a permanent one.

Regardless of how it came about, the notion is Szu was not happy with being treated like fragile china, as a result. Partly on advice from Ti Lung, she would find action on some independent productions (like the '79 Massacre Survivor) until her Shaw contract expired in '80; from there, she did TV work in Taiwan until she left the entertainment industry in '87. Considering how Fu Sheng's Shaw career got mucked up with his "Black September" on-set accidents, Szu was wise to get out while she was still in one piece. This fact alone makes Brother Fang relish all her movies now out on DVD that much more, including LotL, her "swansong" to Shaw wuxia films.

Aside from an interesting detour, the story is involved but fairly straightforward. Jiao Yaner (Lo Lieh) is out to avenge the death of his father, the chief of Yungtong Escorts after Chief Chen (Yang Chi-ching) of rival Wacheng Escorts had him killed in an elaborate scheme to become the main escort service (the ancestor to armored bank trucks) in the region, Chen skimming the coffers often while maintaining the facade of being an upright citizen. The younger Yaner only escaped death at the hands of Chen thanks to the intervention of sifu Madam White Brows (Ou-Yang Sha Fei) and her student, a little girl named Leng Rushuang. Chen was even brazen enough to go so far as to pledge to White Brows he'd raise the orphaned Jiao to manhood. Because he felt the boy was traumatized by his father's fate, he didn't think there would be any retaliation from him; he thought he was getting a servant who constantly feared for his life: a plum arrangement, in Chen's eyes.

In reality, several years after the passing of his father, Yaner has been only biding his time, learning the "Flaming Daggers" technique from a manual of his father's while he awaits the return of Rushuang, who promised to come see him again someday. One night, Chen's son (Dean Shek Tien) watches him practice in secret; he tells his father, and he's upset that despite deliberately not training Yaner in kung fu, he wound up doing it on his own. (White Brow suggested he shouldn't train the boy if he showed any bad temper; of course, Chen sneakily agreed to this.) Yaner is not as dumb as he looks, after all; moreover, he's dangerous in relation to all of Chen's illicit interests. Still, at the moment, he's more worried about someone else.

Rushuang (Shih Szu) is now known in the martial arts world as the "Lady of the Law", a vigilante who's partnered with the local authorities in the dispensing of justice. She is there in Ji County to help in the capture of a murdering rapist; as it turns out, the perpetrator is Chen's son. As they begin to feel the pressure of the investigation, Chen and his offspring (in an act that's so much "killing two birds with one stone") frame Yaner for the crimes, the son planting the body of his latest victim (the concubine of Valley Head, played by Chang Pei-shan) in Yaner's room.

Alas, once she sees where the corpse of the victim is, Rushuang is disappointed in Yaner, regretting she helped to save his life so long ago. Knowing she's not on his side (yet) and how he has no chance as long as Chen tries to orchestrate a speedy execution for him, Yaner is compelled to escape. Rushuang and some constables begin the pursuit, with Chen and his "demonseed" not far behind, hoping they can get to Yaner first. Now, the last hope for Yaner being exonerated is in his finding Officer Yan Bixian (Chan Shen), a witness who's being kept in protective custody at a nearby prison. Though the rapist blinded him with rocks and dirt in a desperate ploy to avoid capture (the night Rushuang arrived), he can still identify the culprit by his voice....

Writer and director Shen Chiang is reunited with his three stars from Heroes of Sung (1973), and he delivers a quirky but strong screenplay that suits them better than his haphazard one for the earlier film (save for the freaky "splitting" finale that would be equally at home in a "Venoms" movie). He and his co-director Hsiao Yung do a marvelous job with the direction; Yung's parti-cipation may be the reason this picture is better structually, compared to Chiang's solo effort on HoS. They put a lot stuff of into the running time of 86 minutes but not so much the result is like an overpacked can of sardines. Beyond the inevitable formula elements found in most Shaw wuxia films (trampolines, high leaps, and erratic wirework), LotL has so much going for it, I don't even mind the abrupt ending!

One of the more mindboggling performances I have ever seen from a Shaw actor is found here, courtesy of Lo Lieh. His work in King Boxer and Clan of the White Lotus doesn't compare to his interpetation of this strangest of heroes. Yaner continually pretends he is "shell-shocked", even a little mentally slow, as he prepares to deal with Chen. At the same time, the story hints he has been literally waiting years for Rushuang to come back to the point he (apparently) spent much of his spare time each day out on the street watching for her arrival in town. Not all this behavior feels like a charade; has he become obsessed over her riding to his rescue? Is she the "trigger" to his proceeding with revenge? Lieh's acting job here is such that you find yourself wondering if he has maintained his sanity all these years as a lowly helper for Chen; there's no doubt Chen and the people who work for him (also his son) have treated him like crap, so if Yaner has kept his wits intact all these years, then he's the equivalent of a John McCain among indentured servants. Fighting or acting, Lieh managed to impress me in LotL like he never has before.

Cheng Piang-shan is back to being a bad guy after being good in HoS. (To look at the cover for the IVL DVD, you're inclined to think he's fighting crime with Szu and Lieh.) He plays an associate of Chen who happens to have many wives, and when he loses his newest woman to the rapist, he wants Rushuang to replace her. He figures into the "detour" subplot where she has to deal with his sword-wielding "harem" as she tries to track down Yaner. I'm more used to him as a villain, so he didn't fail to disappoint me (trademark "cookie-eating grin" and all) as the secondary heavy.

Shih Szu does the "Lady of the Law" reasonably straight. If she's not playing a supercop in this, then she's a very persistant, savvy person who gives Chen or other troublemakers a reason to fear the wrath of her blades. Again, she breezes easily through portraying another wuxia heroine, which includes doing what stunts she did (which appears to be the majority of them). Then again, she always did a great job in her movies for Shaw, whether she did fighting or not.

In the end, LotL is your typical above-average Shaw production that looks and plays better than some HK "A" pictures of the '70s. The remastered film and audio on this DVD complement the original presentation; it's a movie that anyone who loves Lo Lieh or Shih Szu absolutely needs to add to their collection.

Given a choice, I'll take Lady of the Law over She's the Sheriff any day!

Recommended by Brother Fang!

Keeping it trivial....

Fang Shih-yu, Shaolin Temple.

P.S. - Purchase it from PlayAsia by clicking on here.