Marital and cultural conflicts have existed in cinema for years but never have they been put forth so literally until kung fu movie master Lau Kar-leung delivered this thrilling clash of Japanese and Chinese martial arts, husband and wife, and misunderstood customs. In the Hollywood classic ADAM’S RIB (1949), Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn engaged in the ultimate verbal battle of the sexes. In HEROES OF THE EAST, Gordon Liu, fresh from starring in the hit film THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN, joined Japanese actress Yuko Mizuno in creating the ultimate martial battle of the sexes.
Wearing a wig to hide his distinctive shaved head, Liu is Chinese gentleman Ho To whose initial reluctance to fulfill his part in an arranged marriage turns to enthusiasm at the sight of his lovely Japanese bride-to-be Kung Zi (Mizuno). Despite her Chinese name, Kung Zi turns out to be anything but the dutiful Chinese wife. She is a proud and high-spirited woman, well-trained in Japanese martial arts who turns their household upside down with her destructive, early-morning training. This is quite an impressive achievement considering that the actress had no martial arts experience prior to this film.
In an effort to temper her unorthodox ways, Ho To attempts to teach her the value of Chinese martial arts but he is only met with disdain. Tempers flare and fists tighten as the pair break out into open combat. Finally bested by her husband, Kung Zi returns to Japan in a fit of anger. In an attempt to draw his wife back, Ho To sends a challenge letter that denounces Japanese martial arts. It ends up in the hands of her furious martial arts masters who take the letter as an open challenge. As a result, Ho To succeeds in getting his wife to return to China but she is not alone. As misunderstandings stack, Ho To is forced to contend with seven Japanese martial artists each specializing in a different style. To do so, he draws on the experience, advice and support of his kung fu master (Simon Yuen) and fellow students. This bitter contest finally climaxes with a duel between Ho To and the greatest of the seven, ninjitsu master Takeno (Yasuaki Kurata).
It’s easy to deride kung fu movies for their frequent lack of originality, yet there isn’t anything quite like HEROES OF THE EAST. Films pitting Japanese against Chinese have been popular ever since Jimmy Wang Yu took on Japanese fighters in THE CHINESE BOXER (1970). What makes the conflict in HEROES so distinctive is also what makes Lau Kar-leung the undisputed master of classic kung fu moviemaking. Lau’s greatest objective with his movies has always been to promote kung fu in a positive light. In this film he does so again but also while paying tribute to Japan’s distinctive martial arts. Rather than present a movie where Chinese and stereotypical Japanese martial artists tear each other apart for revenge or sadistic pleasure, fighters from both countries are treated with respect and are ultimately drawn together by their common interest in what the film refers to as a universal “martial way.” Adding conflict among newlyweds as the catalyst for action is also quite unusual, although not surprising considering that Lau’s own films rarely dealt with the shallow revenge themes of most kung fu movies.
Before HEROES OF THE EAST, few Japanese actors had stepped onto a Hong Kong martial arts movie set, although there had previously been many Japanese villains in Hong Kong cinema. One notable exception was Yasuaki Kurata who first became popular in Hong Kong after displaying his skills and screen presence in THE KING BOXER. Lau rightly gives Kurata the leading position among the Japanese fighters but also casts other Japanese actors to fill out the remaining roles. In addition, he takes the same care he lavished on his orchestration of classical kung fu techniques on the Japanese arts of judo, kendo, karate, ninjitsu, and others. In fact, it is his extensive depiction of ninjitsu, as performed by Kurata that deserves recognition for kick-starting the ninja movie craze in the early ’80s. Ninjas had appeared in Japanese cinema for years and even in the James Bond classic YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967). Yet it took Lau’s colorful exaggeration of their arts performed Hong Kong style that really captured the imagination of audiences. In Lau’s hands, Kurata becomes a shadowy harbinger of mayhem as he disappears in a cloud of red smoke, unleashes a hail of shuriken and still goes toe-to-toe with Gordon Liu’s elaborate kung fu technique without losing his own distinctive style.
The way in which Lau blends Chinese and Japanese arts is amazing. The first half of the movie is a warm up. Lau uses Mizuno’s character to introduce, often in a humorous fashion, each Japanese weapon and style that will later come into play as Liu faces the masters. This serves as a rare chance to size up the similarities and differences between Chinese and Japanese weapons. By the end, Liu is able to ideally match each Japanese weapon and technique with an appropriate Chinese one. Lau uses this to show off kung fu’s greatest strength, its wide-ranging adaptability and variety. Kendo is matched with Wudan-styled swordplay and the katana matched with the Chinese broadsword. The hard and direct style of karate is matched with the soft and unpredictable style of drunken boxing, as hastily taught by a drunken master comically played by the director himself. Spear is matched with spear, where the only real distinction is the red tassel that Liu puts to good use. A combination of nunchaku and side-handled baton originating from Okinawa are matched with the three-section staff. Sais, wielded by a mousy character who twitches his nose are met with Wing Chun knives. During the long and satisfying end fight between Liu and Kurata, the more esoteric aspects of ninjitsu, like disguises and hidden weapons, are matched with similar Chinese techniques. Kurata’s unusual Crab Fist shapes style is countered by Liu’s Crane Fist. Lau seems to pay the most respect to judo, for Liu never musters an effective counter for this potent grappling art which his character goes out of his way to praise.
HEROES OF THE EAST embodies the best of kung fu cinema. It’s a superb example of Lau’s ability to draw the viewer into his meticulous fight choreography through engaging storytelling that promotes the highers virtues of martial arts culture. It stands as the best match-up of Japanese and Chinese martial arts during the Shaw Brothers era which is impressive considering the lack of any real bloodshed, death or dismemberment so common within the genre. There is a place for such excess but Lau rises above this to simply deliver great martial arts action within a fun, spirited action film that anyone can enjoy.
Gordon Liu • Heroes of the East (1978) • Hung Fist • Lau Kar-leung • ninja • Shaw Brothers • Yasuaki Kurata
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