Executioners from Shaolin (1977)

Legendary martial arts filmmaker Lau Kar-leung directs EXECUTIONERS FROM SHAOLIN, a masterful tale of martial betrayal pitting the equally legendary historical figure Pai Mei against disciples of Shaolin temple. Outstanding kung fu action, storytelling, historical legends, and superstar performances converge in this essential old school classic.

The name Pai Mei should be familiar to anyone who has seen KILL BILL. Gordon Liu played this white-haired character to wonderful excess in Quentin Tarantino’s deliberate nod to one of the most famous villains to ever grace the Jade screen. However, Tarantino’s Pai Mei was really nothing more than a fanciful caricature of the character Lau Kar-leung introduced to audiences in 1976. Lau’s Pai Mei, portrayed by Lo Lieh is based on the legendary founder of Pai Mei kung fu, also known as the “White Brows” style, which is still practiced to this day. This historical Pai Mei was a Taoist monk during the Qing Dynasty, who according to legend broke ranks from his Shaolin peers to join the Manchu who were eager to wipe out the Shaolin monks for harboring rebels and posing a threat to the government.

At the opening to EXECUTIONERS FROM SHAOLIN, Pai Mei challenges a leading Shaolin priest (Lee Hoi-san) to a duel and defeats him with his superior combination of external and internal kung fu techniques. Gordon Liu appears as a self-sacrificing pupil who aids several other Shaolin students in escaping the destruction of Shaolin temple by the Manchus. It’s not difficult see that Lau was prepping Gordon for greater roles with the amount of work that went into choreographing this excellent scene. The violent heroic bloodshed in this scene displays the influence of Lau’s filmmaking mentor Chang Cheh and is something the action director gradually moved away from in his own work.

Leading the retreat is the priest’s top student Hong Xi-guan (Chen Kuan-tai). Hong and the rest of the surviving Shaolin pupils join the anti-Qing movement by posing as opera performers traveling from town to town along rivers in red junks and entertaining the locals. This unique episode in China’s resistance against the Manchu can also be seen in the mainland-produced martial arts film THE SOUTH SHAOLIN MASTER (1984).

At this point the film switches gears to a scenario initially reminiscent of John Ford’s THE QUIET MAN as Hong meets a feisty and beautiful street performer and Crane Fist exponent named Fang Yung-chun (Lily Li). The two fall in love and manage to get married while enduring good-natured harassment from fellow performers. When area governor and student of Pai Mei Kao Tsin-chung (Kong Do) orders the destruction of the red junks, the couple retreats to a modest home where they raise a son and Hong begins mastering the Tiger style of kung fu in preparation for challenging Pai Mei.

Lau Kar-leung is at his best here and much like HEROES OF THE EAST, he displays a rare ability to merge comedy, drama and the world’s best kung fu choreography into a complete film experience that is entertaining from start to finish without going overboard. It almost goes without saying that Lau’s action scenes are superb. The main attraction is Lo Lieh’s internal kung fu display, highlighted by his ability to retract his privates and counter an opponent’s kick to the groin by trapping their foot in his crotch. The full implications of this odd ability are rather unsavory, but Lau doesn’t dwell on it. It’s simply part of Pai Mei’s advanced ability to repel attacks with qi power.

Much like Carter Wong in BORN INVINCIBLE, Lo only has one weak spot. Chen Kuan-tai ends up training with a suspiciously-sophisticated bronze dummy that drops steel balls through a mock-chi circulatory system like a cross between a pinball and slot machine. Kung fu becomes science as Chen plots the probable location of Lo’s weak point at a certain time of day. The problem is that he refuses to incorporate Lily Li’s Crane style into his own Tiger Fist and he pays a price for his stubbornness.

This film is a great showcase for Lily Li. She spent much of her early career woefully underused as a martial arts star and under Lau’s guidance she reveals a potent screen presence with beauty, physicality and charm. She’s matched well with Chen who remains a strong male lead, but is basically reprising his FLYING GUILLOTINE persona. Their honeymoon hijinks in the bedroom takes on a martial twist that Lau milks for all their worth.

Lau seamlessly blends the action into the story and character development. Seemingly inconsequential scenes like Chen’s son showing off his leg strength by locking onto his dad’s shoulders in a playful moment turns out to be foreshadowing of a vital maneuver later on (performed by Wong Yu). Lau also adds some nice little touches that give the film an added spark. There are a couple great uses of freeze frames for comic and dramatic effect. There is a subtle scene where Pai Mei with his qi powered up practically floats across the floor, much to Hong’s obvious dismay.

Watch for Lau himself who briefly appears as a thug wielding a three-section staff against Chen in a slick little duel. Also impressive is to see stuntmen tumbling down what looks like real stone steps. Knowing how Hong Kong stuntmen usually do things the hard way, it probably hurt, a lot.

EXECUTIONERS FROM SHAOLIN is one of those old school classics that stand as a benchmark to compare other kung fu flicks to. As a genre film, it’s flawless and incorporates everything that good martial arts filmmaking should aspire to. Unassuming camerawork and music nicely compliments everything Lau puts on the screen in what amounts to a rewarding experience rich with martial goodness.

Related Topics: Bak Mei, Chen Kuan-tai, Hung Fist, Hung Hei-gun, Lau Kar-Leung, Lily Li, Lo Lieh, Shaw Brothers, Videos, Wong Yue