The rivalry between Shaolin and Wu Tang threatens to become an all out war after a Qing prince (Johnny Wang) attempts to pit the two clans and their respective representatives against one another.
One of Lau Kar-leung’s lesser films, but no less entertaining is Shaolin and Wu Tang, his take on the romantic notion of a rivalry between Shaolin Temple and their off-shoot, the Wu Tang sword school. I say romantic for there is no historical basis for any feud between the two, yet kung fu moviemakers latched onto the idea and ran with it. Kar-leung, himself a martial descendent of Shaolin does show a bit of bias towards his own school of training, but both of the clans’ real world skills are well represented by expert kung fu choreography and charismatic performances from Gordon Liu and Adam Cheng. Excepting a few notable performances from the likes of Johnny Wang and Cheng Lee, everything else in the film is cringe-worthy.
Gordon Liu is once again cast as the representative of Shaolin, an image he never escaped after starring in Kar-leung’s magnificent 36 Chambers of Shaolin. As a student of a Shaolin monk and expert in the “Chin Kang Fist” style, he shares a friendly rivalry with his pal, Adam Cheng who plays a Wu Tang trained fighter and master of the “8-Divine Sword” technique. This is also not a surprise, nor unwelcome after he cemented his image as a noble swordsman in Patrick Tam’s New Wave classic The Sword. Their friendship quickly gets put to the test after a Manchu Prince (Johnny Wang) vows to learn both styles that results in a tragic situation where Cheng kills his own master and winds up in prison with a bunch of deranged women. One of those women turns out to be Cheng Lee, who plays the prince’s brother in disguise. Liu infiltrates the prison and teaches her enough of his kung fu to cure Adam of his ailments and help him escape. But their reunion is short-lived for the Manchu Prince is hot on their trail and they’re forced to split up. Liu fights his way into Shaolin Temple where he demands to be taught the advanced forms of Shaolin kung fu to avenge the death of his sister. Meanwhile, Adam is dragged away by his Wu Tang brethren and charged with killing his master. Destiny eventually brings the two together again as they represent each school in a match arranged by the Prince who hopes to incite both parties to kill each other off. Faced with no alternative, the two friends become locked in heated battle.
The only thing worth discussing is the kung fu action. The dialogue, subtitled or dubbed is excruciatingly dumb, the story is overly simplified, and the ending falls completely flat from a dramatic standpoint. The film aptly shows off both the strengths and weaknesses of Lau Kar-leung as a filmmaker. There is no depth of story or style in the production, but the action is super hot. Kar-leung fully indulges in his passion for realistic kung fu usage. But call it exaggerated realism. All of his experience earned while working for Chang Cheh at Shaw Brothers, as well as the comic/acrobatic trends of the day set by Sammo Hung and the Yuen Clan creep into the film’s action. But Lau knows how to use it to accent, rather than dominate his own style. The one exception is classic camp scene right out of a Chang Cheh oldie when poor Ida Chan gets perforated by arrows and has a melodramatic conversation with Adam.
The film’s first showcase battle pits Gordon, Adam, and Ida Chan against dozens of spear-wielding Manchu troops. Here, the attraction is seeing fighters engage in a masterfully choreographed melee with an impressive number of people involved. The scale of the film only shrinks hereafter, but the quality of the kung fu does not. Gordon and Adam share equal screen time and both deliver great action performances that accurately represent Shaolin and Wu Tang techniques. Numerous old school films pit the two styles against each other, but few match the fights in Shaolin and Wu Tang. Gordon wields poles or uses open-handed techniques while Adam wields the distinctive Chinese broadsword with the tassel hanging from the hilt. Observant viewers will notice his use of the sword finger – extending index and middle finger – matches Zhang Ziyi’s technique in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Her character was also a student of Wu Tang, or “Wu Dan.” As someone who always puts kung fu first, Kar-leung makes these two styles integral to the story. In a great little twist near the end, the styles are reversed and improvised to promote unity and the adaptability of Chinese kung fu. Thus, an object lesson for martial artists that could be applied to life in general is introduced.
Shaolin and Wu Tang is a film made for the hardcore old school fan. It’s laced with subtleties in the action. The action features the kind of hard kung fu that is soundly based on real technique and skill rarely seen on this level outside of Kar-leung’s other work, even during the kung fu boom. It’s still possible to enjoy this film without being well-versed in the genre or martial arts, but mediocre production values, almost childish dialogue, and a lack of more exploitive action will limit its appeal for casual audiences.
by Mark PollardRelated Topics:
Genre: Kung Fu • Shaolin and Wu Tang (1983)
