WITH almost one hundred films to his name, including game-changing Asian masterpieces like The One-Armed Swordsman, Five Deadly Venoms and The Heroic Ones, it’s safe to say director Chang Cheh deserves his reputation as the ‘godfather’ of Hong Kong cinema.
The movies he made during his long and illustrious career at the legendary Shaw Brothers Studio often dug deep into Chinese history for inspiration, so it feels fitting that a new collection of his work focusses on that particular aspect of his art.
It’s safe to say director Chang Cheh deserves his reputation as the ‘godfather’ of Hong Kong cinema
Horrible History, released on limited edition Blu-ray this week via Eureka Home Entertainment, gathers together four historical epics from the man’s impressive CV, and it makes for fascinating viewing.
Tapping into the director’s purple patch of work from the early-to-mid-1970s, this brings out Marco Polo, The Pirate, Boxer Rebellion and Four Riders for your consideration and, while the standard varies a little from film to film, there’s no denying that this makes for a satisfying and often revealing glimpse into how Cheh would lean on historical stories and attempt to re-write them for action-hungry modern audiences.
Marco Polo from 1975 is probably the best example of that approach, even if it’s as far removed from a straight ahead retelling of title character’s famous journal as it’s possible to imagine.
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In fact, the figure of Marco Polo himself, played here by Richard Harrison with that drowsy lack of interest often seen in down-on-their-luck Caucasian actors of the era who found themselves cast adrift in Asian productions, is a minor figure in a film that’s perhaps better described by its alternative title of Four Assassins.
An action-heavy battle between the Mongol Empire and the Chinese rebels in the 13th century, it’s pretty much your standard Shaw Brothers offering, but Cheh handles it all with his usual panache.
Similar over-the-top action, albeit in decidedly less familiar surroundings, is to be found in The Pirate, a swashbuckling adventure from 1973 where the infamous 19th century raider Cheung Po Tsai (Ti Lung) attempts to come to the aid of a small coastal village while evading agents of the Imperial Court.
It’s a neat mix of action, adventure and political point-making, and the final beach battles at the film’s end are among the finest Cheh ever delivered.
Boxer Rebellion from 1976 tells the tale of three young martial arts brothers who fight back against imperialist foreigners by forming a sect of revolutionary Boxers who use kung fu to protect their nation.
Set at the turn of the 20th century, this actioner feels a little more forced than some of the other offerings here, but it still delivers a considerable punch all the same.
Completing the collection is Four Riders from 1972, an early Cheh fable that traces the bloody history of a Chinese veteran of the Korean War who enlists three comrades to help him escape the South Korean Military Police when he’s falsely accused of murdering an American soldier.
Brash, bloody and coming on like a sleazy 1970s Bond escapade, it is, like everything on this impressive collection, well worth your time.