This is a powerful, yet fictionalized life story of Huo Yuan Chia, a real kung fu master in Southern China who brought respect to the populace and allowed kung fu to be taught to all Chinese during a time of revolt and low morale in the country’s history.

Legend of a Fighter validates everything I have ever thought about Yuen Wo Ping as a brilliant filmmaker, Ng See Yuen as a extraordinary genre writer and producer, Leung Kar Yan as a multi-talented leading man, and Yasuaki Kurata as a intensely powerful martial arts actor. This film represents some of the very best of Hong Kong’s action film masters at the absolute peak of their collective abilities. This is pure cinematic perfection and deserves to be mentioned alongside any film in any genre in history as being the greatest of its kind. The film offers incredible martial arts action employing clearly distinct styles and presents a level of subtlety of filmmaking and depth of story usually unheard of in this genre.

The story could almost be labeled a prequel to Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury (1972) in the great timeline of Chinese martial arts history as portrayed in the many films of Hong Kong. Lee’s character may have been a figment of director Lo Wei’s imagination, but the man whose death he was avenging was very much a real person. Known in Cantonese as Fok Yuen Gap, or as I’ll refer to him in Mandarin as Huo Yuan Chia for this review, this kung fu master is a hero of the people for being a strong and unifying force in Southern China by regaining the people’s pride in kung fu and creating the famous Jing Mo school that exists to this day.

In the first decade of the 20th century, China was battered by the failure of the Boxer Rebellion, uprisings leading to the end of Imperial rule by the Ching Dynasty, and by growing foreign intervention that would later lead to an invasion by Japanese forces. The film begins with footage of these mammoth events in order to set the stage. Then we meet a young Huo Yuan Chia (Yuen Yat Choh) who is the laughing stock of his proud family. His father (Phillip Ko Fei) refuses to teach the boy his family kung fu due to his son’s inherent weakness. Instead, he hires a tutor named Chiang Ho Shan (Yasuaki Kurata) to train Yuan Chia in scholarly pursuits. But, wishing to be a martial artist and to make his father proud, Yuan Chia quickly forms a strong bond with Ho Shan who turns out to be a powerful martial artist from Japan willing to teach the boy. Ho Shan’s subterfuge is really meant to fool the family in order that he might secretly learn their kung fu. Ho Shan leaves a kung fu manual for Yuan Chia to study and returns to Japan. Twelve years later, Ho Shan’s impulsive student comes to China, challenges Yuan Chia, and loses. Ho Shan is ordered to reclaim Japan’s national honor by challenging Yuan Chia to the death and the two meet for an intensely bittersweet reunion that will test their relationship.

Anyone who has seen any number of classic kung fu movies is well aware of the commonly used Japanese vs. Chinese theme. In most cases it’s been poorly executed with horrible stereotypes that portray the Japanese as not just cruel, but idiotic. Wo Ping is unable to completely break from tradition and does have a few of the Tojo-mustached brownnosers, but he’s just as willing to throw in a few Chinese bucktoothed, Fu Manchu stereotypes and one oversexed Caucasian as well. One scene midway through on a boat emphasizes these characters in a slapstick situation typical of other Wo Ping films. What is interesting is that the rest of the film is quick unlike this moment and features a much more serious and touching story.

The father-son relationship with Yuen Yat Choh (real brother of Wo Ping) and Phillip Ko Fei is masterfully milked for maximum effect. Ko Fei usually plays the merciless villain and he’s certainly not a nice guy here initially, but he shows a greater depth of character as a proud father unwilling to change. Now the ingredient that makes the first half of the film true magic is the inclusion of Yasuaki Kurata in possibly the best role of his career. Kurata had played a similar character in another brilliant film, Heroes of the East (1978), directed by Lau Kar Leung. But having him portray a scholar initially focuses attention on the character and his relationship with his student. The way in which Wo Ping slowly reveals Kurata to be a kung fu master is ingeniously deft. These scenes are very reminiscent of the moment in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon where Michelle Yeoh’s character tests Zhang Ziyi by dropping a teacup. The other aspect of Wo Ping’s direction that really stands out is his use of dramatic, tight shots at odd angles. He was one of the first of his peers to begin moving the camera around to capture the action in unusual perspectives for maximum effect. You’ll notice that Donnie Yen, his one-time protégé, often employs similar techniques in his own films.

Something Wo Ping has always excelled at is portraying martial arts combat with vibrant clarity. This ability may be less appreciated by hardcore kung fu enthusiasts who care less for his tendency to use gimmicks that in other films can dominate. Legend of a Fighter falls loosely in between the period when he used manic slapstick and advanced wirework. The emphasis here is on more realistic martial arts and making it look as powerful as possible. He does so perfectly while highlighting the skills of the actors. The film contains a lot of good examples such as the power of internal kung fu as shown by Phillip Ko Fei’s ability to crush eggs in a glass, but appropriately, the best is saved for the final fight. Yasuaki Kurata is an underappreciated martial arts actor who brings so much to this film. His intensity and shear skill is undeniable as witnessed by a training sequence he goes through before the fight. Leung Kar Yan plays the grown up Yuan Chia and rightfully so. There is a reason he is well regarded among fans and its not for his martial arts ability. Technically he has none, but his natural physicality and ability to adapt to each scene and what the choreographers ask for makes him well suited for this genre. Kar Yan’s greatest role may have been in Sammo Hung’s Warrior’s Two (1978), but he does an incredible job of matching Kurata. Kar Yan sells his moves here in ways better trained stunt actors could only dream of.

The kung fu action in Legend of a Fighter is certainly exciting and creative. It even includes a Western boxing match with Kar Yan against a “Russian” fighter and Lee Ka Ting performing some decent karate style moves. But no martial arts film can be truly great without a story that elevates emotion and a message through the violence. This is where the film gives it’s knockout punch. You will care about the relationship between Kurata and Kar Yan and this makes their forced confrontation emotionally charged. Woven into this is an important theme that is mostly directed to Chinese audiences, but can be appreciated by all. All aspects of kung fu should be available to everyone, especially the weak of spirit, mind or body who would benefit most from a lifestyle that encourages discipline, respect, and longevity. In addition, those who excel at kung fu should not be prideful and look down on those who struggle. The final message is that had the powers that forced our two heroes to fight heeded the principles that true kung fu represents, then no one would have to die.

Legend of a Fighter is a striking film that exemplifies the very best the martial arts genre has to offer. There are other great kung fu classics, but none greater. This is one film to own, give to your friends, and cherish for a lifetime!