Southern Shaolin kung fu master Tie Qiao-san (Ti Lung) succumbs to opium addiction as one of his pupils fights to shut down an opium den. When his top student is killed in the process, a weakened and humiliated Tie Qiao-san vows to clean up his act and get revenge. Qiao-san struggles to kick the habit during training in a build up to one of the more satisfying showdowns in kung fu cinema pitting Ti Lung and Chen Kuan-tai, two of Hong Kong’s top ’70s-era martial arts stars, against one another, both under the highly creative oversight of master action director Tang Chia.
OPIUM AND THE KUNG FU MASTER is unique in that it is one of few martial arts movies to take a hard look at the perils of drug addiction while weaving this dramatic element seamlessly into superb fighting action. Not only does this mostly upscale Shaw Brothers production present this intriguing premise at a time when an otherwise worn out kung fu movie genre was turning to self parody in a last ditch effort to stay alive, the film delivers a rare balance between comedy, drama and action.
Tang Chia, who shares the distinction of being Hong Kong’s first credited action director alongside former cohort Lau Kar-leung, only directed three movies after a long career choreographing action sequences for other SB filmmakers since the early 1960s. This was his final effort and it lives up to the high standards of his previous films, SHAOLIN PRINCE (1982) and SHAOLIN INTRUDERS (1983).
The film is neatly divided into three acts, each bearing a different tone. Light comedic elements in the first establish actors Robert Mak and Alan Chan as mischievous friends under the tutelage of righteous kung fu master and local militia leader Tie Qiao-san. The pair gets into a number of rambunctious fights while flirting with the ladies before opium addiction begins to take its toll on one of their friends, thus setting the stage for a deadly confrontation with the opium sellers and shifting emphasis on the involvement of their master Tie Qiao-san.
The character Tie Qiao-san is based on one of many Chinese folk heroes from southern Shaolin kung fu history and lore. His name translates to “Sam the Iron Bridge,” a nickname earned due to his purported strength. Tie Qiao-san was also credited as being a member of the 10 Tigers of Guangdong, a loose-knit band of martial heroes based in southern China. There have been at least two other movies centered specifically on his exploits. These include CANTONEN IRON KUNG FU (1979) starring Leung Kar-yan as Qiao-san and the mainland Chinese-Hong Kong co-production SAM THE IRON BRIDGE (1993).
In the first act Tang orchestrates several high-energy group fighting sequences that prominently feature the screen fighting talents of Robert Mak opposite minor villains played by talented screen fighters Lee Hoi-sang and Philip Ko. Lee is also a co-action director, as is the Chinese opera-trained stunt actorYuen Wah who makes a brief comedic appearance.
Although well trained in kung fu since childhood and just emerging as a rising kung fu star, Mak was best known in Hong Kong for his disco dancing skills which led him to star in Shaw Brothers DISCO BUMPKINS four years prior. Like other young fighting talents of his generation, Mak came onto the scene too late to fully enjoy a career as a kung fu star and this was his only sizable leading action role during the classic kung fu era which abruptly came to an end in 1985. He provides a solid performance despite being understandably overshadowed by the star power of genre veterans Ti Lung and Chen Kuan-tai.
The middle portion of the film grows deadly serious with surprising poignancy as the destructive effects of opium addiction leads to murder and suicide for one impoverished family. Furious at this tragedy, Gua Si (Mak) attempts to burn down the opium den. This leads to a pivotal confrontation between opium dealer and kung fu master Rong Feng (Chen Kuan-tai) and Gua Si’s master Tie Qiao-san. Not surprisingly, the effects of smoking opium, even casually, has weakened Qiao-san and he receives an embarrassing defeat that turns to tragedy when Gua Si sacrifices himself to save his master from further insult and death. This is the EMPIRE STRIKES BACK moment when the forces of evil appear victorious and the good guy is forced to retreat after overestimating his abilities. Introduced as the seemingly wizened and supremely skilled kung fu master, Qiao-san is forced to humbly seek the aid of his mentor, a blind Shaolin monk named Jue Yin, who is played the film’s director Tang Chia. This leads to the excruciating and ultimately triumphant final act as Qiao-san overcomes his own failings.
It’s rare to see the veteran kung fu hero stumble and have to effectively start over. More often, martial arts movies depict a young hero rising from nothing through training to win the day. Jackie Chan did a similar turn with alcoholism in DRUNKEN MASTER II. Here lies the real beauty of this film. Qiao-san must not only free himself from an addictive and self-destructive substance but he must also rebuild his strength and fighting edge in order to challenge Rong Feng and hope to stand a chance against his deadly twin short spears. The purpose of this struggle is to regain his honor, avenge his pupil’s death and rid the town of opium. The stakes couldn’t be higher which makes his final confrontation with Rong Feng an epic affair physically and dramatically.
Tang Chia’s choreography throughout is superb with his emphasis thrown into a wide ranging display of fighting moves involving varied weapons handling, fierce southern fist open-hand forms and stances, and moderately exaggerated sparring and knockbacks. As evidenced by his previous films, Tang often incorporated sophisticated wirework, elaborate group fighting and copious amounts of undercranking to artificially speed up movement during tightly orchestrated combat. Here he tones it down somewhat without sacrificing the creative energy of his best fight work. The veteran stunt team is up to the challenge of matching Tang’s demands and the result is dynamic sequences every bit as impressive as many of the group fights put together at rival studio Golden Harvest for the likes of Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan.
While well regarded as one of Hong Kong’s top action leads in the 1970s, and well versed in Wing Chun, Ti was not a physical match – at least on screen – for uniquely gifted genre leads in the ’80s including Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and emerging mainland Chinese wushu star Jet Li. Despite his lack of speed and acrobatic ability and for being past his physical prime, Ti still manages to offer up a highly entertaining performance that’s aided greatly by his characteristically genteel charisma and strong acting ability. His tendency to overplay emotion at times can be attributed to the typical, broad acting style of Hong Kong stars at the time.
Production-wise, OPIUM AND THE KUNG FU MASTER is up to Shaw Brothers’ usual standards. Sets and costuming are lavish, lighting is exceptional and camera work solid. It also means location use is limited and in some cases sorely needed as in an embarrassing riverboat sequence where a false skyline is clearly painted on buckling wallpaper only a short distance behind actors. With their dependence on a large indoor studio for most “location” shooting, this was a common problem with Shaw Brothers productions, particularly in the ’80s as budgets were increasingly tightened.
The soundtrack, undoubtedly assembled from a stock music library such as DeWolfe Music, is above average by Hong Kong standards of the day with rousing orchestral work that compliments the dramatic tone of the film.
Aside from a few elements that were showing the rapidly declining status of Shaw Brothers as a leading movie production house, OPIUM AND THE KUNG FU MASTER is largely a first-rate kung fu movie that remains highly enjoyable thanks to strong dramatic performances and exceptional, well-rounded fighting action. It turns out to have been the last hurrah for not only Tang Chia who sadly never helmed another film but also a final genre bow for leads Ti Lung and Chen Kuan-tai. In watching the movie, there is a sense that, like Jackie Chan in DRUNKEN MASTER II and Jet Li in FEARLESS, Ti and Chen knew this was their last significant opportunity to shine and they made the most of the opportunity to the benefit of their fans. It’s truly a phenomenal screen pairing and highly recommended to any fan of classic kung fu.
by Mark PollardRelated Topics:
Chen Kuan-tai • Genre: Kung Fu • Hong Kong • Lee Hoi-sang • Opium and the Kung Fu Master (1984) • Philip Ko • Shaw Brothers • Tang Chia • Ten Tigers of Guangdong • Ti Lung • Tie Qiao-san
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