venoms5
01-28-2008, 02:41 PM
THE DEADLY KNIVES 1972 aka FISTS OF VENGEANCE Act. ****/Blood ***1/2 /Movie *****
Ling Yun (Yan Zi Fei), Ching Li (Guan Yue Hua), Lily Li (Jiao Jiao), Ching Mao (Ogawa), Chan Shen (Ishikawa), Luo Chiang (Su Chian), Li Shuo Chi (Master Yan), Shek Tien (Doggie), Chin Chi Chu (Japanese fighter), Yuen Shun Yee (Japanese fighter), Wang Ching (student), Ku Wen Chung (Mayor Ma), Erh Feng (Guan Fu Lin)
Directed by Chang Yi-hu
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
Sometime after the Japanese occupation of China, Master Ogawa has designs on the forests owned by Master Yan desiring them for the Japanese Militia. Yan Zi Fei, Master Yan's son, is in love with Guan Yue Hua whose father is Guan Fu Lin. Master Guan tries to appease the Japanese by arranging a meeting with Yan to discuss his properties. Yan refuses to sell to the Japanese. This leads to a sinister plan between Guan and Ogawa to produce a fraudulent deed of sale to be registered by the Mayor who is paid off by the two devious conspirators. After Master Yan is wrongfully murdered, the violence escalates until the Yan family and school is nearly wiped out. After further tragedy, Yan Zi fei and a few remaining followers launch a final assault on Ogawa and his cohorts to take back the stolen lands and restore the Yan family name.
A highly dramatic and overly violent basher from Korean director Chang who also helmed the similarly themed THUNDERBOLT FIST the same year. DEADLY KNIVES is the most interesting of the two as more care is given to the characters and also the presence of Ling Yun offers a better lead than Chuan Yuan in the former. Another in a long line of Chinese vs. Japanese fist and kick movies that followed in the wake of THE CHINESE BOXER (1970). This one is handled with a bit more flair as a number of the characters are given some depth and the villains are suitably nasty. One thing can be said for villains in Shaw Brothers movies-they really knew how to make the most despicable and loathsome bad guys to ever grace the screen. All the villains here are greedy for either money, power or flesh and some a combination of all three.
Ling Yun is in top form here as the protagonist, Yan Zi Fei. A much different role for him as opposed to his swordplay roles especially his turn as the memorable Yi Tien Hung from CLANS OF INTRIGUE (1977) and LEGEND OF THE BAT (1978). He was apparently a popular actor starring in a number of movies throughout the late 60s and 70s including GUN BROTHERS (1968), TWIN BLADES OF DOOM (1969), THE MIGHTY ONE (1971), SIX ASSASSINS (1971), THE BIG HOLDUP (1975) and KILLERS ON WHEELS (1976). He was a versatile actor who could do everything from action to comedy to drama. Like Yue Hua, he's begun to grow on me as an actor and I'm appreciating his work more than I did before.
There's a suitably dramatic and tense scene during the mourning service for Master Yan. After realizing Guan's involvement in the wrongful sale of the forests, Guan Yue Hua shows up to pay respects. Yan Zi Fei explains there is no reason for a Guan family member to attend and that their future plans together are dissolved and that she should never again come to his house. He then explains with his back to her sobbing face, "For revenge I may come and kill your father one day. When that time comes...how could I burn incense at YOUR father's altar?"
Ching Li is also good as Guan Yue Hua who during the opening train sequence, we learn that she and Yan are in love with each other but this future relationship is strained after the above mentioned scene. She doesn't feature in any of the action scenes. In fact, none of the women fight here including Lily Li who suffers the most indignities. She is also in love with Yan and despises the fact that Yan doesn't reciprocate her affections.
The traitorous Su Chian brings down the house of Yan by breaking in to steal the deed for the lands as well as obtain the seal. He ends up murdering Master Yan in the process. He ultimately delivers the deed in exchange for Jiao Jiao as well as a percentage of the profits of the forestry business. It's not too difficult to guess how he ends up especially when you try to put stress on deals with Japanese villains in kung fu movies.
There's also a lot of sexual imagery in this film including the first time in a kung fu picture I've ever seen a guy fantasizing about a woman stripping down just before the scene hints at masturbation which leads to an attempted rape. In another scene, Jiao Jiao is being raped by Ogawa and another Japanese rushes over to watch. Another scene has Jiao Jiao, now half crazed after her rape, thinks Yan Zi Fei is Ogawa come to have his way with her again. She removes all her clothes so as not to be forced into the act. Yan rushes outside only for Jiao Jiao to kill herself with a cleaver. Ching Li also doesn't get away without being put into harms way as she, too, is nearly raped towards the end of the film.
Chan Shen, who made a career out of portraying slimy miscreants, doesn't let you down here as the Japanese killer Ishikawa. He uses a sword but also carries a gun, and in a first, the weapon doesn't sport one of those red tassels usually seen dangling from firearms in HK movies. He has a sort of western style duel during the final moments with Yan using his "Deadly Knives" (which considering the title, do not make an appearance until the last 15 minutes) against Ishikawa's gun.
The action choreography by Yuen Woo Ping and Yuen Cheung Yan is superlative and a bit more accomplished than similar films from the same time period. The finale features a free-for-all bloody mess of a battle with much of the cast either painting the walls crimson or suffering from stab wounds or sharp implements jutting out from their bodies. The demolition of the school sequence at around the 40 minute mark is also exciting and filled with lots of bloody violence. The action has a much better flow and rhythm as opposed to other bashers and that's not slagging those other films, but here, the fights are more consistent in their stunning showcase of combat. Then again, this could be aided by the deft handling of the characters by the director.
All in all it adds up to a highly enjoyable and unfairly neglected motion picture. If you are a fan of films such as KING BOXER (1972), THE CHINESE BOXER (1970) or others like BOXER FROM SHANTUNG (1972), you owe it to yourself to check this one out. Another hidden gem in the Shaw crown has been discovered.
Ling Yun (Yan Zi Fei), Ching Li (Guan Yue Hua), Lily Li (Jiao Jiao), Ching Mao (Ogawa), Chan Shen (Ishikawa), Luo Chiang (Su Chian), Li Shuo Chi (Master Yan), Shek Tien (Doggie), Chin Chi Chu (Japanese fighter), Yuen Shun Yee (Japanese fighter), Wang Ching (student), Ku Wen Chung (Mayor Ma), Erh Feng (Guan Fu Lin)
Directed by Chang Yi-hu
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
Sometime after the Japanese occupation of China, Master Ogawa has designs on the forests owned by Master Yan desiring them for the Japanese Militia. Yan Zi Fei, Master Yan's son, is in love with Guan Yue Hua whose father is Guan Fu Lin. Master Guan tries to appease the Japanese by arranging a meeting with Yan to discuss his properties. Yan refuses to sell to the Japanese. This leads to a sinister plan between Guan and Ogawa to produce a fraudulent deed of sale to be registered by the Mayor who is paid off by the two devious conspirators. After Master Yan is wrongfully murdered, the violence escalates until the Yan family and school is nearly wiped out. After further tragedy, Yan Zi fei and a few remaining followers launch a final assault on Ogawa and his cohorts to take back the stolen lands and restore the Yan family name.
A highly dramatic and overly violent basher from Korean director Chang who also helmed the similarly themed THUNDERBOLT FIST the same year. DEADLY KNIVES is the most interesting of the two as more care is given to the characters and also the presence of Ling Yun offers a better lead than Chuan Yuan in the former. Another in a long line of Chinese vs. Japanese fist and kick movies that followed in the wake of THE CHINESE BOXER (1970). This one is handled with a bit more flair as a number of the characters are given some depth and the villains are suitably nasty. One thing can be said for villains in Shaw Brothers movies-they really knew how to make the most despicable and loathsome bad guys to ever grace the screen. All the villains here are greedy for either money, power or flesh and some a combination of all three.
Ling Yun is in top form here as the protagonist, Yan Zi Fei. A much different role for him as opposed to his swordplay roles especially his turn as the memorable Yi Tien Hung from CLANS OF INTRIGUE (1977) and LEGEND OF THE BAT (1978). He was apparently a popular actor starring in a number of movies throughout the late 60s and 70s including GUN BROTHERS (1968), TWIN BLADES OF DOOM (1969), THE MIGHTY ONE (1971), SIX ASSASSINS (1971), THE BIG HOLDUP (1975) and KILLERS ON WHEELS (1976). He was a versatile actor who could do everything from action to comedy to drama. Like Yue Hua, he's begun to grow on me as an actor and I'm appreciating his work more than I did before.
There's a suitably dramatic and tense scene during the mourning service for Master Yan. After realizing Guan's involvement in the wrongful sale of the forests, Guan Yue Hua shows up to pay respects. Yan Zi Fei explains there is no reason for a Guan family member to attend and that their future plans together are dissolved and that she should never again come to his house. He then explains with his back to her sobbing face, "For revenge I may come and kill your father one day. When that time comes...how could I burn incense at YOUR father's altar?"
Ching Li is also good as Guan Yue Hua who during the opening train sequence, we learn that she and Yan are in love with each other but this future relationship is strained after the above mentioned scene. She doesn't feature in any of the action scenes. In fact, none of the women fight here including Lily Li who suffers the most indignities. She is also in love with Yan and despises the fact that Yan doesn't reciprocate her affections.
The traitorous Su Chian brings down the house of Yan by breaking in to steal the deed for the lands as well as obtain the seal. He ends up murdering Master Yan in the process. He ultimately delivers the deed in exchange for Jiao Jiao as well as a percentage of the profits of the forestry business. It's not too difficult to guess how he ends up especially when you try to put stress on deals with Japanese villains in kung fu movies.
There's also a lot of sexual imagery in this film including the first time in a kung fu picture I've ever seen a guy fantasizing about a woman stripping down just before the scene hints at masturbation which leads to an attempted rape. In another scene, Jiao Jiao is being raped by Ogawa and another Japanese rushes over to watch. Another scene has Jiao Jiao, now half crazed after her rape, thinks Yan Zi Fei is Ogawa come to have his way with her again. She removes all her clothes so as not to be forced into the act. Yan rushes outside only for Jiao Jiao to kill herself with a cleaver. Ching Li also doesn't get away without being put into harms way as she, too, is nearly raped towards the end of the film.
Chan Shen, who made a career out of portraying slimy miscreants, doesn't let you down here as the Japanese killer Ishikawa. He uses a sword but also carries a gun, and in a first, the weapon doesn't sport one of those red tassels usually seen dangling from firearms in HK movies. He has a sort of western style duel during the final moments with Yan using his "Deadly Knives" (which considering the title, do not make an appearance until the last 15 minutes) against Ishikawa's gun.
The action choreography by Yuen Woo Ping and Yuen Cheung Yan is superlative and a bit more accomplished than similar films from the same time period. The finale features a free-for-all bloody mess of a battle with much of the cast either painting the walls crimson or suffering from stab wounds or sharp implements jutting out from their bodies. The demolition of the school sequence at around the 40 minute mark is also exciting and filled with lots of bloody violence. The action has a much better flow and rhythm as opposed to other bashers and that's not slagging those other films, but here, the fights are more consistent in their stunning showcase of combat. Then again, this could be aided by the deft handling of the characters by the director.
All in all it adds up to a highly enjoyable and unfairly neglected motion picture. If you are a fan of films such as KING BOXER (1972), THE CHINESE BOXER (1970) or others like BOXER FROM SHANTUNG (1972), you owe it to yourself to check this one out. Another hidden gem in the Shaw crown has been discovered.