Now available from 88 Films
A spy is sent to gather information and take down the Qi Sha clan who have been terrorizing their land for far too long. Will they catch him, or will he be able to report back and end their tyranny?
Written by Kuang Ni and directed by Chung Sun, this take on the warring clans of the martial arts world goes for the mole story, one that we’ve has seen a bunch now but was a fresh take in 1979. The story here is entertaining and brings a bit of added mystery to the proceedings, making the basic story more entertaining in the process. The writing here works well and the direction brings it to live just right. For those not in the habit of watching a ton of these types of films, there are a few twists and turns that will be surprising and a whole load of characters coming and going which may be harder to follow. Of course, for the habitual watcher of these types of films, these will be as expected and will lead to a heighten interest in the film most likely. The writing and direction make the most of this story and its elements while creating a film that is cohesive yet still requires more than one viewing to catch all the details.
The cast here is good and shows that they understand the material at hand, working well with the script, direction, and each other. For fans of the genre, there are a bunch of familiar faces here and they all are fun to watch evolve in this story. The cast here is led by Wei-Hao Teng and Lung-Wei Wang who both give great performances. Coming along for the ride are Dick Wei, Kang Shih, Wah Yuen, and Bun Yuen, as well as a bunch of others. The cast here works well together, showing a spirit of ensemble cast or teamwork, making the film better by working well together.
The film’s look here is fantastic with familiar sets and locations that work quite well and a few unique ones that work great for the story and within this universe it creates. The decor here is fantastic and is joined by great costuming and hair/makeup, showing that when all the elements of a film come together cohesively, creating your own universe looks easy. All of this along with the writing, direction, and performances are brought to the screen in that signature Shaw Brothers way of shooting a film with those camera movements and editing that makes these films so much more than simply entertaining. The cinematography work by Nai-Tsai Lan and Tsao An Chun comes together beautifully well with the editing by Hsing-Lung Chiang and Yu Hsiao Feng to create the mood of the film, work with the other elements, and lead to a greatly entertaining action thriller with solid fights.
The film here is a solid entry in the period action film genre that works so well when brought to the screen by the Shaw Brothers production company. The extras here are ok with a basics like a stills gallery, a solid HD transfer, a new slipcase, and collector’s art cards in the box. There isn’t much in terms of commentary or other features on the disc itself, but the new art and the classic art being included is always a nice touch.