Possibly Chang Cheh's finest martial arts movie, containing everything that people have come to expect from him. The film has a good, although not great, storyline, charismatic actors and thrilling action scenes. It also contains a ton of blood.
Chen Kuan Tai plays the title character, and we follow him as he rises through the ranks of the gangster world. David Chiang shows up in supporting role as a crime boss who is admired by Kuan Tai. Although he only appears briefly he still gets a chance to show of his moves, and be a tough guy.
The main themes of brotherhood and betrayal are all here as usual, and the film culminates in one of the finest final fight scenes to appear in a Shaw Brothers Movie.
Of course there is still the usual problems, as in a lot of the more modern day Chang Cheh films, no one considers the idea of actually just shooting the hero from afar. Of course they don't, that would be too sensible, and most of the villains here are idiots. Of course if they just shot him it would end the movie quite abruptly. Instead Kuan Tai gets to fight it out in a bloody trail of glory, and doesn't even give up when he's gets an axe in the stomach.
An axe in the stomach, and he fights till the end with it sticking out of him. Any other film you may think this is ridiculous, but in a Chang Cheh film this is expected.
Chen Kuan Tai would go on to work with Chang Cheh in numerable other occasions, but was never better than in Boxer from Shantung.
Also check out the remakes, Hero, starring Yuen Biao & Takeshi Kaneshiro and also the more recent Once Upon a Time in Shanghai. Both deserve a look, but don't live up to Cheh's classic.
Chen Kuan Tai plays the title character, and we follow him as he rises through the ranks of the gangster world. David Chiang shows up in supporting role as a crime boss who is admired by Kuan Tai. Although he only appears briefly he still gets a chance to show of his moves, and be a tough guy.
The main themes of brotherhood and betrayal are all here as usual, and the film culminates in one of the finest final fight scenes to appear in a Shaw Brothers Movie.
Of course there is still the usual problems, as in a lot of the more modern day Chang Cheh films, no one considers the idea of actually just shooting the hero from afar. Of course they don't, that would be too sensible, and most of the villains here are idiots. Of course if they just shot him it would end the movie quite abruptly. Instead Kuan Tai gets to fight it out in a bloody trail of glory, and doesn't even give up when he's gets an axe in the stomach.
An axe in the stomach, and he fights till the end with it sticking out of him. Any other film you may think this is ridiculous, but in a Chang Cheh film this is expected.
Chen Kuan Tai would go on to work with Chang Cheh in numerable other occasions, but was never better than in Boxer from Shantung.
Also check out the remakes, Hero, starring Yuen Biao & Takeshi Kaneshiro and also the more recent Once Upon a Time in Shanghai. Both deserve a look, but don't live up to Cheh's classic.