|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cast/Crew
Hong
Kong
director
Kuei Chih hung
cast
list
|
|
|
 ordon
Liu is one of the best known Shaw Brothers stars,
having been in the classics "36th Chamber of
Shaolin" and "Eight Diagram Pole
Fighter" to name but two, as well as
featuring in fervent fanboy Tarantino's recent
martial arts love letter "Kill
Bill". "Godfather of Canton"
was directed by Kuei Chih hung, best known for the
sleazy horror films which he made for the Shaw
Brothers, including "Hex" and the
infamous "The Killer Snakes".
"Canton" was originally released by the
studio back in 1982, and may come as somewhat of a
shock to fans used to seeing the shaven-headed Liu
playing a righteous Shaolin upstart, as the film
sees him taking on a thoroughly immoral role as a
gangster who rises through the ranks of the
underworld thanks to double crossing and bloody
ruthlessness.
In "Godfather of
Canton", Gordon Liu plays Hai, a coolie who
saves the life of a police envoy investigating
corruption in the force, and is offered a job at
the station as a result. After this turns out to
be little more than sweeping floors and taking
abuse from his co-workers, Hai takes matters into
his own hands and starts accepting bribes from
local criminals. Using treachery and cunning, Hai
gradually worms his way into the pay of the local
gangs, gaining influence and respect, before
quitting the police altogether to become a fully
fledged underworld boss.
"Godfather of
Canton
" doesn't start off too promisingly, taking
place on cheap looking sets and filled with weak
slapstick humour. However, as soon as the plot
kicks in, things improve immeasurably, and Hai's
rise to the top makes for an interesting
divergence from the usual Shaw Brothers tale of
righteousness and piety. Hai's scheming and
ruthlessness make him a great and fitting
character for the film, which actually turns out
to be a cynical, if not particularly intelligent
affair, depicting corruption at every level of
police and government.
Indeed, Hai is portrayed as
being no worse than many of these dishonest
officials, and at least manages to keep some
semblance of honour in his continuing to look
after his retarded coolie friend even after his
rise to power. This leads to a mock-touching scene
in which Hai presides over his friend's wedding to
a similarly afflicted girl, with hilariously
tragic results. All this endears Hai to the
viewer, and although the plot is fairly formulaic
and predictable, it is hard not to cheer him on or
care about his fate.
The film is certainly action
packed, though most of it comes in the form of
shoot outs and mass brawls, with just a couple of
brief martial arts duels. As the film progresses
it becomes considerably more violent and bloody,
with the use of squibs that rivals Peckinpah's
classic "The
Wild Bunch", leading up to a great finale
filled with meat cleaver chopping and exploding
bodies. Interestingly, the trailer features
several scenes of action and nudity not seen in
the film, although judging from the content, these
are unlikely to have been censored, and are
probably missing due to the reportedly chaotic
nature of the production.
Although "Godfather of
Canton" may not appeal to devotees of Liu's
more traditional roles, fans of the studio's more
contemporary efforts and Chinese crime films in
general will not be disappointed. Director Kuei
Chih hung has a good eye for exploitation cinema,
and keeps things moving along at a good speed,
throwing in shootings and betrayals every few
minutes to ensure that the short running time
passes quickly. To be fair, there is very little
in the way of character development or depth of
any kind, though this never really gets in the way
of what is essentially a short, violent and
entertaining thrill ride.
|
