King Boxer (AKA Five Fingers of Death, Tiān xià dì yī quán)

Dir: Jeong Chang-hwa

1972

****

The Shaw Brothers' King Boxer (or Five Fingers of Death) was far from their first or most successful film back in 1972 but watching it now, it is clearly their most influential.  Kung Fu legend Lo Lieh stared in some of the greats but I would argue that this is his iconic role and career best, certainly the one he is remembered for. King Boxer is responsible for the huge Kung Fu craze of the 70s that has still never really died down. Each component of the film can be broken down and cited as responsible for a number of different sub-genres, from 'rival schools' to Kung Fu exploitation, making the Chanbara movies look positively weak in comparison. It's safe to say that without Five Fingers of Death you wouldn't have Enter the Dragon. It’s not a perfect film and purists can be quite damning of it at times. The Japanese are depicted rather negatively and certain special effects are overused. It meanders somewhat towards the middle and the acting isn't always of the best quality (although I quite like that). However, for my money, it has a couple of the best bad-guys of the genre. Feng Tien's Meng Tung-Shun and Chi Chu Chin's Chen Lang are both deliciously over the top villains, real originals and the one thing I'm not sure current Kung Fu films have been able to better. Quentin Tarantino is a director who has clearly been influenced by the genre but Five Fingers of Death in particular, from the piercing siren sound (much like that from Ironside's theme - which he actually used) to the ripping out of a man's eye ball. Indeed, the Five Point Palm 'exploding heart' technique from Kill Bill is a clear and loving tribute to Jeong Chang-hwa's classic. It's a classic, not the big one or the best one but the one that defined a genre and brought martial arts to a western audience. I love it, maybe even more for its faults and credit is due.