Back in the early to mid 1970s, the Shaw Brothers studio put out a lot of films in which a band of all-star heroes fought against overwhelming odds in a bid for justice and humanity. These tales were invariably heroic, filled with great action and tragedy, and had more than a hint of SEVEN SAMURAI or indeed THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN about them. THE SAVAGE FIVE is such a film, featuring the 'Iron Triangle' of director Chang Cheh and stars Ti Lung and David Chiang, and it's a real masterpiece.
The tale is simple enough: the stereotypical ruthless gang of bandits show up in a small town and proceed to wreak havoc by bullying and then killing the put-upon townsfolk. A bunch of oddball characters (a farm labourer, a drunk, and a thief) have soon had enough of this carnage so decide to mount a resistance. The action comes thick and fast, with martial arts mixed up with the more modern elements of gunplay and explosives, and Cheh ensures that the pacing just zips along with barely a moment to draw breath.
THE SAVAGE FIVE is also blessed with an exemplary cast. Chiang and Lung as are good as you'd expect from them, with Lung a stoic and powerful presence and Chiang excelling as the youthful joker with a heart. Alongside them we get Chen Kuan Tai as the simple woodsman who bags the film's best role (he goes berserk with an axe), Danny Lee as an engineer, and Wang Chung as an ailing acrobat. The action is frequent and bloody, building nicely to an appropriately savage climax. Sometimes I find that these smaller-budgeted Shaw films are even better than the big budget epics like THE 14 AMAZONS, and that's the case here.
The tale is simple enough: the stereotypical ruthless gang of bandits show up in a small town and proceed to wreak havoc by bullying and then killing the put-upon townsfolk. A bunch of oddball characters (a farm labourer, a drunk, and a thief) have soon had enough of this carnage so decide to mount a resistance. The action comes thick and fast, with martial arts mixed up with the more modern elements of gunplay and explosives, and Cheh ensures that the pacing just zips along with barely a moment to draw breath.
THE SAVAGE FIVE is also blessed with an exemplary cast. Chiang and Lung as are good as you'd expect from them, with Lung a stoic and powerful presence and Chiang excelling as the youthful joker with a heart. Alongside them we get Chen Kuan Tai as the simple woodsman who bags the film's best role (he goes berserk with an axe), Danny Lee as an engineer, and Wang Chung as an ailing acrobat. The action is frequent and bloody, building nicely to an appropriately savage climax. Sometimes I find that these smaller-budgeted Shaw films are even better than the big budget epics like THE 14 AMAZONS, and that's the case here.