There are also two classics from the Japanese master Akira Kurosawa. Tsubaki Sanjuro (1962) looks at young samurais facing corruption and killings within the clan. Should they join in with the killings to end corruption or will they fall into the same trap as the conspirators?
Ran (1985), a winner in Cannes and at the British Academy Awards, is an epic about a cruel and powerful warlord facing treachery among his sons, who eventually sees his kingdom fall apart. It's Kurosawa's version of Shakespeare's King Lear.
Another master of martial arts movies is Chang Cheh (張徹). Director John Woo (吳宇森) sees Chang as his long-time mentor. And obviously Woo's excellence in depicting brotherhood and heroic sacrifice originate in Chang's movies.
Iron Bodyguard (大刀王五, 1973) is set in the turmoil of revolution in the Ching dynasty. Local bodyguard Big Blade Wang Wu receives an offer to rescue revolutionaries from prison. He decides to take the job and plans a seemingly suicidal assault.
Blood Brothers (刺馬, 1973), another Chang masterpiece, is a film about friendship, betrayal and revenge. In both Chang films movie fans can recapture the heroic glamour of actors Ti Lung (狄龍) and David Chiang (姜大衛).
Another type of martial arts film focuses on the unrestrained spirits of Hsia (俠), or martial arts fighters. Here, the underworld fighters are all care-free characters with superb kung-fu.
Chu Yuan's (楚原) movies are representative of this type. The Magic Blade (天涯, 明月, 刀, 1976) tells of the endless competition and envy in the world of martial arts. Killer Clans (流星, 蝴蝶, 劍, 1976) depicts a warrior's pursuit of excellence in martial arts, as well as a mysterious romance.
RSS