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Kung Fu Instructor" is a re-release of the
1979 Shaw Brothers film by director Sun Chung,
probably best known for the action classic
"City War" as well as the infamous
"Human Skin Lanterns". The film is of
special interest for the fact that it was the
first by the studio to feature the use of a
steadicam, which gives a very different feel to
many of the martial arts sequences.
The action takes place in a
small town dominated by two rival clans whose
ancient feud has left the town quite literally
split in half, with a boundary running through the
middle that none dare cross on the pain of losing
a limb. Into this tense situation comes Wong Yang
(Shaw Brothers regular Ti Lung, "The Water
Margin"), a kung fu instructor brought in by
family head Mong Fan (Ku Feng, another of the
studio's long running stars) to train his men and
help wipe out the hated Chows.
Unfortunately, it soon
becomes apparent that Wong Yang has been tricked,
and that the Mong family are a wicked bunch,
perfectly willing to kill all who stand in their
way and subvert his noble teachings. A righteous
man, the kung fu instructor finds a more suitable
student in the form of Chow Ping (Wang Yu,
"The Executioners from Shaolin"), whom
he teaches the skills of the mighty pole. As the
Mongs call in outside assistance from some
bloodthirsty bandits, Wong and Chow fight back
with the help of Jir Jir (Angie Chiu Nga Chi,
"Heroes Shed no Tears"), a beautiful
young woman desperate to escape from the evil
clan.
The plot of "The Kung Fu
Instructor" is obviously inspired by Akira
Kurosawa's "Yojimbo"
(or "A Fistful of Dollars" for Western
audiences unfamiliar with the Kurosawa classic)
though with the obvious change of the central
protagonist being a good and fiercely moral man
whose aim is to end the conflict between the
families rather than to profit from it. This makes
for a great story which, although perhaps more
obvious and traditionally moralistic, is still
packed with dastardly plotting and betrayal.
Although the director does keep things light
hearted throughout, with a fair amount of
slapstick comedy being involved, he never strays
too far from what is an essentially serious
premise.
The kung fu instructor
himself is a charismatic and likeable character
who the viewer really roots for. As well as those
moments which allow the character to display his
considerable fighting skills, Wong has some great
scenes with Jir Jir, who has quite clearly taken a
liking to him. One scene in particularly is
amusing, in which she attempts to engage him in
conversation, and he genuinely cannot understand
her desire to talk about anything other than
martial arts.
The use of the steadicam does
make quite a difference to the look and feel of
the film, although thankfully it is not used with
wild abandon. Since many of the studio's films
had, up to this point had been markedly static
affairs, the fluidity the camera brings to
"The Kung Fu Instructor" is noticeable,
and on the whole works well, allowing for a
greater exploration of the locations and some
fairly kinetic scenes of characters running.
The action comes thick and
fast, with some memorable fights, especially
during the climax, when Ku Feng, whose skills are
incredible despite his age, joins the fray. The
choreography by Tang Chia (who also worked on the
likes of "The Heroic Ones" and "The
Sword of Swords") is excellent and makes for
exciting viewing, with some very well organised
sequences in which Ti Lung takes on multiple
opponents using the pole.
Although not particularly
well known, "The Kung Fu Instructor" is
very enjoyable and is a worthy addition to the
collection of any Shaw Brothers fan, or indeed
anyone who enjoys martial arts cinema.
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