1969 ‘鐵手無情’ Directed by Chang Cheh
this is one of the few films where godfather of kung fu film; chang cheh headlined lo lieh as the leading hero. three years before lo would become the shaw brothers first international star in king boxer. here he plays a dedicated chief constable for the tsang chou village. he falls in love with the blind daughter of a bandit who is wrecking havoc. joining him in all the action and emotion are award winning actor ku feng and future superstar david chiang.
Tie shou wu qing, Ruthless Iron Hand
i didn't think it was possible that you could use an abacus to kill someone, but hong kong cinema has once again shown me the way
I liked the final battle. That it was between two men who had both already received serious, potentially mortal, wounds was interesting. More interesting were the weapons involved: a crutch vs. an umbrella. There was also rather more emotional weight to it than the Shaws sometimes have in their big showdown showstoppers. Also, a denouement, which is unusual for them but fits here. Lo Lieh is always worth a watch, but it's the last ten minutes of this that save it from being a forgettable, mid-level production. Which is to say, of course, that all I'll remember about it is the last ten minutes plus David Chiang's death (spoiler!), but that's enough.
CHANG CHEH FILMOGRAPHY #9/90
The second of two films that Chang Cheh did with leading man Lo Lieh, this and "The Flying Dagger" mark the director's interim period between the Jimmy Wang Yu years and the upcoming legendary pairing of David Chiang and Ti Lung - a pairing that would run for SIX (count 'em!) years! But these Lo Lieh films are often ignored, and that's a mistake, because they're better than most of the Wang Yu films with the exception of the original One-Armed Swordsman.
The events in THE INVINCIBLE FIST all take place in a single day and night and end on the following dawn. This is important to note to showcase how focused this movie is: Lo…
A more contained wuxia with an interesting setting, shot mostly in tall grass with lots of parts at night and in the fog and rain. There's some interesting cat and mouse games set around all the fight scenes. However the story is pretty simple one of hunting robbers, and there's no good character interaction or enough tension to really draw me in and the film saves its major dramatic conceit for the very end.
What a strange film. The opening half hour is unbelievably generic, even by Shaw Brothers's production line standards. Lo Lieh's lawman 'The Invincible Fist' is tracking 4 bandits with sidekick David Chiang in tow. The plot is hackneyed, the storytelling barely there, and even the action is so-so.
This gives way to a terrific, atmospheric second act where Lo plays cat and mouse with the villain at an inn during a thunderstorm. There's a great fight scene with Chiang capping this all off, with the wild handheld camera and exciting swordplay that was typical of the era for the director.
Then the film takes another left turn, into a sweet love story as Li Ching's appears as the blind daughter…
Showing this again to Tygue after seeing it for the first time yesterday, I realized just how good this film is. Even the second time around, I felt for these characters. I cared about what was going to happen to them. It’s symbolism is ripe for exploration, as it is a film that can either be effective as entertainment or as something greater. The flowers bloom in spring, but a sudden storm can take that all away.
Dang! This is such an underrated film. Chang Cheh crafts one of his best with this really contained thriller set in the martial world. It’s unlike any other film from his that I’ve seen because the fights have this almost horror film like quality to it how it builds up tension and then ultimately pays off in an epic way.
Even by 1969, Chang Cheh has established himself as 'the' cornerstone of creative foundations for the Shaw Brothers and had delivered a handful of dynamic and effective films. The Invincible Fist belongs with these iconic films. While it doesn't run with the darker subtexts of its plotting and characters quite like its remake would (the also very impressive Killer Constable from 1980), the film still manages to be a strong film that tells the tale of a single minded hero, played with a more stoic performance by Lo Lieh, trying to unravel a series of violent robberies. The film hits all the Shaw keys, gimmicky villains and outrageous wuxia moments of heroism, but its the rather unique love story that…
Enjoyable minimalist early film from Chang Cheh. It will quickly become clear to anyone who's seen the excellent Killer Constable (1980) that it was actually a remake of this, albeit one which expanded on the plot and is generally better all round, thanks to a larger budget.
Still, there are plenty of unusual weapons in this one such as the projectile shooting "Golden Abacus" or the main villain's bladed umbrella which make it interesting enough, as well as some decent one-against-many fight scenes mainly featuring Lo Lieh or David Chiang. Worth a watch for any fans of early Cheh or Killer Constable.
Bounty hunters hunting for group of notorious bandits led by an old man with blind daughter who has no idea of his secret - almost guaranteed fun especially when it is orchestrated by the great Chang Cheh. It isn't as interesting as Magnificent Trio but Chang shows great compassion for his characters that makes the film gripping at points; you live for the others but kill only for yourself.
Strong Hawks vibes from ‘69 Chang, with this and THE FLYING DAGGER. Upgrade from Jimmy Wang Yu to Lo Lieh priceless. Hope this continues...
