Elaborate deceits, love, honor, and swordplay all mix together as a swordsman (Fu Sheng) is caught up in a plot by one man to eliminate his enemies and rule the martial world.

Showing signs of where Shaw Brothers was headed as they made their transition to television, Heroes Shed No Tears has a complex, soap opera plot adapted from a Gu Long novel that is not suited for feature film. Chor Yuen shows his knack for delving into the finer points of wuxia that goes beyond beautifully-dressed warriors locking swords. Yet, there is too much to take in for the average Westerner and both the drama and action seems dated and simple, even by 1980′s standards.

Trying to summarize the plot in any detail would only lead to confusion and fairly obvious spoilers. What the story boils down to is that SB superstar Alexander Fu Sheng is a young swordsman sent out to overt some unknown, impending disaster with only his tear-stained sword to aid him. He ends up in the middle of a devious plot by Derek Yee to turn the heroes of the martial world against each other so that he can rise to become its new master by default. Defeated and demoralized, the remaining heroes will have to decide whether to finish each other off or put aside their grudges and join forces in a final bid to outwit the ultimate martial schemer.

The film starts out a little bewildering and makes you wish you could have read the novel its based on beforehand just to have a grasp on the multitude of characters. This is not a great film for Fu Sheng, who made his name as SB’s mischievous charmer. He plays his role straight and that must have been a challenge with the ridiculous wig he’s forced to wear. Derek Yee and Yuen Hua are typically dispassionate and dull. Pretty television actress Angie Chiu makes her feature film debut, but she ends up getting the film’s biggest unintentional laugh with a limb-cleaving routine that destroys what little dramatic tension Chor Yuen manages to build up. That leaves under-appreciated martial arts star Jason Piao Piao and the dependable Guk Fung to carry the film. They actually shine towards the end as they face defeat and each other, but again, their dramatic performances can’t be taken seriously after that limb-cleaving scene.

There is a healthy amount of swordplay with unusual weapons such as the wooden box containing 37 weapons for every occasion that Yuen Hua wields. Sadly, the choreography is somewhat disappointing. By 1980, Lau Kar-leung had already left his partnership with Tong Gaai and was directing his own films and blasting audiences with incredible, groundbreaking kung fu choreography. But in Heroes, Tong Gaai settles back on the fantasy action of a decade prior. Admittedly, the Gu Long novel calls for it, but much of the action doesn’t even look as good as some of Tong Gaai’s earlier films. Most annoying are the extremely wide swinging of weapons and the extras with full bladders acting antsy in the background as the main heroes fight. Once you notice it, you’ll never watch the main actors again. These guys hop back and forth, shake their swords at open air, and switch positions in a failed attempt to enhance the fight. There is also a laughable scene where the extras stop fighting every time two main fighters exchange dialogue.

With Shaw Brothers continuing to pump money into these bloated and excessively melodramatic swordplay films that hadn’t changed for a decade, its not surprising that the genre died out with only minor revivals and revisions since. Heroes Shed No Tears is one such culprit that should have been better. Instead, it’s frequently tedious, aged poorly, and generally inaccessible to all but the most ardent fans.

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  • http://gallencarson@aol.com gregory allen

    very good