David Chiang stars as a martial arts-trained Chinese opera performer on a killing spree to avenge the murder of his brother (Ti Lung) by four of the most powerful men in a nameless Chinese city. It’s an urban crime actioner packed with bloody knife and early basher-style street fighting all choreographed by Yuen Cheung-yan and Chan Siu-pang. VENGEANCE! provided Chiang’s second starring role and director Chang Cheh’s first entry in a string of popular action and martial arts films set in China’s turbulent, early Republican era.
After Chinese opera performer Guan Yulou (Ti Lung) discovers that his flirtatious wife is messing around with his boss Feng Kaishan (Ku Feng), Yulou threatens him with violence. In retaliation Kaishan and three of his friends, who make up the city’s most powerful men, conspire to have the performer killed in a bloody ambush. Having learned of his death, Yulou’s brother Xiaolou (David Chiang) arrives in the city and immediately begins exacting his revenge by the point of a long-bladed knife. After killing a co-conspirator caught in bed with his brother’s unfaithful widow (Ou Yen-ching), Xiaolou pays a visit to the opera house. After fending off two men hired to tail him, Xiaolou discovers the whereabouts of Feng Kaishan, who resides in a well-defended hotel suite. With the help of a former lover (Wang Ping) he rekindles interest in, Xiaolou manages to sneak past the lobby guards to reach the top floor where he kills Feng and his bodyguards. Xiaolou evades a trap to have him assassinated during a meeting by a well dressed sharpshooter (Chan Sing). He’s subsequently offered a chance by one of the remaining conspirators to team up in killing the ring leader, General Hu Hucheng (Ho Pin). A trap is sprung to kill the General and Xiaolou fulfills his end of the bargain by dealing the death blow but quickly discovers that he has been double-crossed.
VENGEANCE! continued Chang Cheh’s experimental phase of his career where he incorporated strong foreign film influences and stylized, artistic visuals into his films. This film is arguably the best example of Chang’s most striking artistic sensibilities and technical moviemaking skill. However, it’s generally regarded as one of his weaker films in terms of martial arts action given his status as one of Hong Kong’s top martial arts filmmakers and the film’s unrefined fighting action.
AKA: Kung Fu Vengeance, Bao chou, Bo sau, 報仇
Genre: Action
Companies: Shaw Brothers
Release Date: June 14, 1970
Producer: Runme Shaw
Director: Chang Cheh
Action Director: Yuen Cheung-yan, Chan Siu-pang
Starring: David Chiang (Xiaolou), Wang Ping, Ti Lung (Guan Yulou)
