I forgot about this thread.
Not too many comments, but if you all were enjoying reading it, I'll continue...
Martial Arts of Shaolin (1985) - Dir: Lau Kar Leung Martial Arts of Shoalin is a love letter straight from the heart of master-director Lau Kar Leung to his endearing fans, and to fans of cinema in general. It is a grand tale of revenge, including real kung fu and wushu experts, and just so happens to star a very young, and incredibly fast, Jet Li. This film is also historic in many ways, for it was the only Shaw Brothers film to feature Jet Li, and it was also the only Hong Kong/Mainland co-production directed by Lau Kar Leung that I am aware of. The cross-cultural production opened up new realms of possibilities for the director, as he was able to take his vision out of the Shaw Brothers back lot and onto real locations including the Imperial city and the Great Wall of China.
The film is often compared to the large golden-age Hollywood musical productions, a comparison that is readily apparent.
Martial of Arts of Shaolin has an incredibly large cast of hundreds of extras, and it includes an extensive musical sequence involving lion dancing and Peking opera. On the action front, it consists of massive large-scale kung fu battles, as well as smaller more intimate combative challenges between determined opponents. Throughout this all, the film maintains an overall light hearted tone, made all the more enjoyable by its upbeat musical score and endearing cast of characters. The film feels huge, massive even, much larger than any of the director's previous work, and yet his unique vision of martial chivalry is never lost in the exuberant production. On the contrary, the director's vision is heightened by the upscale nature of the film.
Historically, the narrative exists before the burning of the Shaolin temple, but during a time of great political and social unrest. This film fits within the Shaolin cycle not so much for its narrative, but for its themes, and how it focuses on a duality inherent to the Buddhist way of life. Buddhists, in general, abhor the killing of any living creature, but as this film proves, sometimes certain things must die in order for more to live. The monks in the film learn that by upholding justice, a tenant important to the Shaolin, they must at the same time destroy an evil man so that the righteous may survive - they must kill for others to live, a simple yet confounding prospect.
This theme is first demonstrated on a personal level through Jet Li's character, Zhi Ming, a novice monk. While practicing his lightning quick punches against a tree, he inadvertently knocks down a bird’s nest containing a handful of baby chicks. He vows to care for the chicks, but soon realizes that in order to feed them he must in turn kill another life – a worm. Insert some quick comedy relief, and soon an elder monk finds himself in care of the little birds, and he too ponders this Buddhist quandary. This theme is then transposed to the film’s central plot of revenge, and the role the virtuous and righteous monks must play in the secular world. Lord He Sou, an evil ruler, has taken control of the imperial city. We soon learn that Zhi Ming has been wronged by Lord He Sou whose evil ways have plagued the land. Ming and the other monks must come to terms with what justice really means, and learn that sometimes evil must be destroyed in order for righteousness to prevail.
The beautiful setting that creates a sense of grandeur often lacking from other Shaw Brothers productions, augments the relatively basic and cliché revenge narrative. The picturesque locations and wide-angle shots really help to create an epic atmosphere, and the huge cast of extras goes a long way in making the film feel really grand. What’s more, the personal conflict the other monks face anchors the epic feel and affords the viewer some empathy for the dire situations. The filmmakers do a wonderful job at striking a fine balance between a personal story and an epic production, as the central story is never lost in a sea of pretty pictures or faces.
However, when it comes to a Lau Kar Leung and Jet Li film, we all know what we want to see: some tightly choreographed action, and this film never fails to deliver. It must be said though, that Yue Sing-wai who plays the Lord He Sou, may in fact upstage Jet Li. Sing-wai was a master-class swordsman and so, like Li, he possesses real skill. His performance in the amazing mainland swordplay film
Yellow River Fighter is a testament to this fact, and the jaw dropping last duel with Li in this film is equally as impressive. Lord He Sou wields a thin bladed sword, that must be close to, if not over, five feet long, against Zhi Ming and his two combatant comrades: the fighting female Sima Yin, and her husband to be, Chao Wei.
During the last sequence, an entire school of Shaolin fighting monks joins these three fighters of justice, and again the unique location allows Lau Kar Leung to expand his amazing choreography to a much larger scale. Without the confines of the Shaw Brother soundstage, he is able to craft battles involving dozens and dozens of combatants in huge melees across wide opened fields and rivers. He even showcases a show-stopping sequence on and off a large slow moving barge. Here, the action is filmed with wide angles and long panning/tracking shots that allow for great views of every move. And, with the inclusion of the Chinese National Wushu team, the fighting looks authentic and the moves are as fluid as one could wish for.
Like most of Lau Kar Leung’s work,
Martial of Arts of Shaolin maintains a positive tone, even amidst the many action sequences: the film as a whole is just a joy to see and hear. At its core, the film has a lofty theme steeped in Buddhist and Shaolin philosophy, and yet it remains a purely fun and visceral ride throughout. As part of the Shaolin cycle, it adds to the legend of the monk’s teachings, and shows an important aspect of their self-imposed duty to uphold justice in a land in turmoil, even if this justice might compromise their own personal belief system.