Chu Yuan was one of the most consistently brilliant of the Shaw Brothers directors, and, along with directors like Chang Cheh, helped set the Gold Standard for martial arts movie makers. DUEL FOR GOLD is a prime example of Yuan's cinematic storytelling, with interesting (if mostly underhanded, backstabbing) characters, a twisting (and twisted) storyline, and plenty of action interspersed throughout. The movie starts with an interesting point of view shot of an ongoing battle to the death between four people- interesting because the foliage in the foreground is in focus, while the combatants in the background are not. Then begins the narration that will eventually lead us back here. We see a pair of sisters performing some amazing acrobatics: balancing on the tip of an extended sword, balancing upside down on swords held tip to tip. It's a nail-biting scene: one little girl literally wets herself watching it all. One of the two sisters gets injured and the two hurry off to find aid. Meanwhile, Wen (Chan Chun), head of the Fu Lai money bureau (a bank), has his hands full with wannabe thieves- including "The Invisible Loner," Teng (Lo Lieh). Everybody wants the gold and silver the bank houses (naturally). There are some interesting twists and turns throughout as the ultimate betrayal(s) pan out. Lo Lieh is in top form, fighting-wise: he attacks quickly and viciously and doesn't let up. Two interesting tidbits: during the Big Finale, there's a scene where the character Shen amputates the arm of his attacker, Hua, and continues to fight with the amputated limb dangling from the sword that has skewered him. Another moment comes when two stuntmen dive fighting through a window: the camera whip-pans along a low-lying wall as the two principals pop up at the far end of the wall engaged in battle; it's a neat little trick and is an indication of the inventiveness of the director and his fight choreographers.
Review of Duel for Gold
