Harry here. One of the most important directors in the history of Hong Kong cinema has passed away... Chang Cheh. He was the star director for the SHAW BROTHERS and made some of the most glorious old school martial arts movies ever created.
In 1967 he made one of the most influential of martial arts films, THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN, a fantastic film. Recently when Tsui Hark made his 'one armed swordsman' film - THE BLADE - he was trying to reinvent the martial arts film stylistically by starting truly where the modern Hong Kong film industry began, which was with this bitingly dark and somber film by Chang Cheh. This one doesn't pull the punches, the violence was unflinching and brutal. No cute jokes here, just a story of revenge told about as well as they come. There were sequels to this film that Cheh made, but his next film that I loved was called TRIPLE IRONS starring the immortal David Chiang. A very straight forward, good guy, bad guy film, but Cheh knew exactly how to play the charisma of David Chiang. Incredible stunts and action. NO WIRE-FU, just hardcore beating up and down both sides of the street.
Chang Cheh directed so many films, so many that I have yet to see, but luckily besides the movies I saw as a child at the many drive-ins we had here in Austin, I've been lucky enough to live here and be introduced to a couple of his films by Quentin Tarantino, who is a huge fan as well. At the first Quentin Tarantino Film Festival he showed one of Chang Cheh's films entitled THE SEVEN BLOWS OF THE DRAGON starring David Chiang. This movie was borne cool. I mean, there is a vibe and a feel and a theme that just made this film... Well you know when you're watching a film, and the movie is so much fun that your brain impulsively thinks, "THIS IS THE COOLEST MOVIE EVER!!!"? Well SEVEN BLOWS OF THE DRAGON played like that. Specifically, Chang Cheh used a hero theme that played anytime that David Chiang's "Five masters of Death" character would come on screen to kick ass... It went... "Chiga Chiga Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa". This is the film that Quentin showed to Robert Rodriguez, where Robert took the vest filled with knives gag for DESPERADO. If you ever get a chance to see this film... DO!
Also checking out Chang Cheh's SHAOLIN Trilogy is a must! It began with SHAOLIN MARTIAL ARTS continued in DEATH CHAMBER and finished up in the wonderful FIVE MASTERS OF DEATH.
Now I love the above films, but my absolute googily eyed love for Chang Cheh's FIVE DEADLY VENOMS goes far deeper than I can possibly state. This movie is... wow. Ya know? FIVE DEADLY VENOMS is pure kung fu joy. Just as great as a Kung Fu movie could ever be. Watching it can play like a religious experience, especially on a big screen with a full on audience of kung fu lovers. The choreography and camera work is simply divine. In a way, this film has a great deal of influence on the upcoming KILL BILL, but you'd have to watch it to understand what Quentin was drawing upon for the film. A very strong argument could be made that this is simply the best seventies kung fu movie ever made. It is available on DVD, don't not see it. It is brilliant.
Chang Cheh directed 105 films, and fathered a film genre that is probably one of Film Geek's greatest loves. The Martial Arts Film. His movies touched John Woo, Tsui Hark, Ang Lee, Quentin Tarantino, the Wachowski Brothers and every last single modern Hong Kong director. They're the movies alongside the Italian Westerns that made DRIVE INS great. In the mid to late seventies, Cheh's films appeared at conventions of film and comic book lovers everywhere. His movies were not just dumb chopsocky movies like some addle-minded people have said over time, Chang Cheh's movies were strong morality plays with amazing action, nerve and seriousness... While still having an exhilaration of adventure that was unmistakably his own. One of the greats is gone...
Hi AICN member
Chang Cheh, Shaw Brothers director/John Woo's mentor passed away. June 22nd 2002
I hope you guys have write-up on him, I wrote one myself in case you want to use it. I will be having a Shaw Bros website running in several weeks. thanks
code name FuSheng
CNN's report on his passing. (mistake, Chang never directed Bruce lee)
Shaw Brothers director CHANG CHEH dies at 79.
HK/Shaw Brothers film director Chang Cheh died of pulmonary failure at age 79 years on June 22 2002.(Stephen Chow's 40th b-day) He will best be remembered as the Shaw Brothers director who defined HK kung fu cinema in the 60s and 70s including, One Armed Swordsman, Golden Swallow, Blood Brothers, Disciples of Shaolin, 5 Venoms, Boxer from Shantung etc. How can one forget his famous blood bath that concluded a majority of his films. Folks in Montreal were lucky to have seen a rare 35mm screening of Crippled Avengers 1979(aka Return of 5 Vemoms on video) in May at Cinema Du Parc.
He recently received a lifetime acheivement award at the 21st HKFA Film Awards. He was too sick to attend. John Woo made an appearance via tape. Anybody who came into contact with Chang will tell you in recent years he was deaf and not in the best of health. But he was still sharp in mind and smoked cigars.(Another example of cigar smokers living longer). His influence is still felt to this day all the way to Hollywood via John Woo
John Woo worked as AD on 4 of his films, Blood Brothers, 4 Riders, Boxer from Shantung and Water Margin(US title, 7 Blows of the Dragon). Anybody familiar with his work would note the similarities. The difference, Chang used swords and kung fu as opposed to guns. He helped launched the careers of Ti Lung( A Better Tomorrow), Wang Yu(Master of the Flying Guilitine), David Chiang, Chen Kuan Tai(Crippled Avengers), Danny Lee, Fu Sheng(1954-83), Wu Ma, Philip Kwok(Hard Boiled), Lo Meng, Liu Chiang liang. Anybody who has seen John Woo directed Just Heroes will notice that film is filled with Shaw Brothers/Chang Cheh veterns. Chang was a big admirer of Peckipah and had his crew watch the most current Peckinpah film. As we know John Woo's favorite Peckinpah film was Wild Bunch.
THE VIDEOS Anybody collecting his film who share their frustration. We have them in either uncut Chinese pan scan, or letterbox and dubbed, or letterboxed and cut or English pan/scan and cut. Sometimes in Chinese and letterboxed but always a dreadful 5th generation camcorder. The original Chinese, letterbox, and uncut version has not yet arrived. However there is a company that is restoring them. It's a question of time.
All his Shaw classics beautfully filmed in Shaw Scope and Glorious Color.(Eastman in the early 70s) Who can forget Ti Lung and David Chiang(Peter Cushing and Chris Lee duo of Shaw Bros) taking on larges army of soldiers or evil henchmen. Liu Chiang Liang gracefully choregraphing their movements from the late 60s to 1975. Their combo yielding some of the most enjoyable cinematic moments in HK. What about Chen Kwan Tai mortally stabbed with a small axe but still able to kill dozens of men in the process. Or Wang Yu slaughtering dozens while being as cool as ice. Some remember his 5 Venoms era. An interesting period from 1978-83 which featured great kung fu scenes but missing the blood bath orgies, stronger narrative structure and lavish production values of the 67-73 era.
May he rest in peace.
Some of his best films,
One Armed Swordsman 1967
Return of One Armed Swordsman 1968
Golden Swallow 1968
Heroic Ones 1970
New One Armed Swordsman 1971
4 Riders 1972
Boxer from Shantung 1972
Blood Brothers(original Bullet in the Head) 1973
5 Shaolin Masters 1974
Shaolin Martial Arts 1974
Men from the Monastery 1974
Disciples of Shaolin 1975
7 Man Army 1976
Chinatown Kid 1977
5 Venoms 1978
Crippled Avengers 1978
Invincible Shaolin 1978
Brave Archer 1-3
The rarest of all his film is Iron Bodyguard 1973(Chen Kuan Tai and Danny Lee). There's always a pirate version of the ultra rare ones but this one does even exist in bootleg version.
CODE NAME Fu Sheng
For your interest, if you have time.
My association with Chang Cheh. I grew up watching HK shaw films in Montreal in 70s and 80s. There were 4 HK cinemas in Montreal before Fant-asia and the Chinatown one. The best part about the Chinese theaters is that kids were allowed to films rated 18 or 14 and they can stay the whole day. Basically, a Peckinpah kung fu style film was a family picture. Luckily Chang made a few films each year and his older stuff was shown again. There was never a shortage of his films. Also I was good friends with the projections' sons, during the intermission or a dull film, we played with Star Wars toys or 7 Man Army(one of Chang's coolest films)(available in censored letterbox version in German but out of print)
