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14 Amazons" is a 1972 Shaw Brothers classic,
directed by Cheng Gang, who also made the likes of
"The Sword of Swords" and "Flying
Guillotine 2" for the famous studio. Although
perhaps not as well known in the West as other
Shaw genre films, "The 14 Amazons" was a
huge success in its day, being one of the top
domestic box office earners of the year, and
winning multiple awards for acting and directing.
With a lavish budget and huge cast of extras for
battle scenes, it is certainly one of the better
looking films of the period, and has the feel of a
genuine epic, not to mention being action packed
enough to remain exciting and thrilling more than
thirty years after its initial release.
Although the film is packaged
as being some kind of feminist romp, it is in fact
another tale of the famous Yang family. Set during
a time of skirmishes between China and Mongolia,
the Yangs heroically defend the border, until
Minister Wang Ching (Cheng Miu, in many Shaw
Brothers productions, including "The Water
Margin"), a traitorous politician betrays
them to the invading hordes, leading to the death
of General Yeh and his seven sons.
Every bit as determined to
protect their country as the men, the Yang women
rise up to take their men's place, led by the
general's wife, She Tai Chun (Lisa Lu Yan, also in
"The Empress Dowager") and thirteen
other widowed women. Despite the protestations of
Wang Ching, the women take up arms, engaging the
invaders in a series of battles before striking
deep into the enemy's ranks in an effort to drive
them from Chinese soil.
"The 14 Amazons" is
not feminist in the traditional cinematic sense,
which generally requires women to be assaulted
before they fight back. Here, the gender of the
characters is far less important than the fact
that they are of the Yang family, and embody its
noble spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of a
greater cause. The film is far from exploitative,
and its characters are very much fighters first
and women second, barely wasting time with
grieving. Also, their quest is not for vengeance,
but in the name of their country.
As such, the film is imbued
with a great sense of heroism and adventure, and
though the plot is made up of little more than a
series of battles before the traditional showdown,
it keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat.
This is hampered initially by the fact that there
is a bewilderingly large cast of characters, which
despite the fact that all are identified when they
first appear, are hard to keep track of. Indeed,
apart from their names, there is very little to
tell the warrior women apart, with little time
invested in character development, and with all
clad in similar attire. Fortunately, the viewer
becomes more familiar with them as things
progress, if only due to their being killed off at
regular intervals.
The film is packed with action, both with large scale
engagements and martial arts duels, and moves
along at a rapid pace, pausing only for scenes of
tactical discussion. There is a fair amount of
blood, most of it bright red, with plenty of
decapitations and limb chopping, especially during
the final scenes. However, there is no hint of
sadism, and the gore is laid on cheerfully enough,
being spilt with the best of intentions.
Cheng's
direction has a flair for the epic, allowing for
some sweeping panoramic battle scenes and nicely
capturing the glorious scenery. He does include
some scenes which border on the wacky, including a
human pyramid bridge building sequence, which at
times gives the film the feel of a fantasy
adventure rather than a slice of historical drama.
However, this sits well with the overall
atmosphere of daring heroics, and helps make for
what is a rousing viewing experience. "The 14
Amazons" should certainly appeal to any Shaw
Brothers fans, or anyone who enjoys period set
action, and deserves to be far better known than
it is. |
