Le Poing mortel du dragon

This movie is, bar none, the most fantastic kung-fu film ever made, all centered around the main performers, particularly Gordon Liu and Kara Hui, and specifically the star-director, Lo Lieh. Lieh is probably the grandmaster of kung-fu films, and his ability to take even the most mundane sneering thug character and give it life is a credit to his acting. Lieh plays Priest White Lotus here, a white-haired super-villain whose fighting technique consists of essentially becoming as untouchable as a ghost. Priest White Lotus cannot even be touched, much less struck, and the displays of power combined with his eerie abilities make him visually stunning.

But it's more than simple physicality. Lo Lieh gives this supernatural force so much humor, vitality, and humanity, that Priest White Lotus is elevated into one of the great onscreen villains ever, in any genre of film. The scene where Priest White Lotus fights the vengeful hero Liu, who has attacked Lieh during his bath, forcing the Priest to block vicious blows while naked and pulling on his houseclothes, is simply one of the unbelievable joys of watching this movie. You'll laugh, not because the scene is played for laughs, but because the scene is GREAT, and the two actors are dead-on incredible, and you can't believe what you're seeing.

And the final conflict between Liu and Lieh cannot be described. There is a frightening majesty to Lieh's Priest, and Liu's hero the perfect culmination of the kung-fu revenge-hero, that the viewer is inawed by them. They become god-like in their techniques, and yet more human as their familiarity through repeated battles reveals just how much alike the two men have become. The two, evil and good, are seperated not by their skill or philosophy, but by the need for one to nullify the other. They have become so close that it is impossible for them both to exist.

FISTS OF THE WHITE LOTUS is a great film, and unforgettable.

I must have seen this Shaw Brothers movie on TV in the 1980s because it seemed very familiar as I watched the DVD. Apparently this is a sequel to Executioners from Shaolin. The movie opens with a flashback to a fight between white-haired monk Pai Mei and a two-man team featuring Gordon Liu and another fellow. The monk is extremely tough so it is necessary to double-team him with Tiger Style and Crane Style. This is the setup for the current story where Pai Mei's brother Pak Mei another white-haired monk is out for revenge. In this adventure there is no partner to use Crane style so Gordon needs special training to make up for it. It was a lot of fun watching Gordon learning woman's style kung fu to get an advantage over Pak Mei the White Lotus. Check this one out at the video store if you get the chance because Gordon Liu will be a white-haired kung fu master named Pai Mei in Kill Bill Volume 2.

When Hung Wending and Brother Biu defeat Priest White Eyebrows, the White Lotus Clan comes out for revenge. When Shaolin monks are released from captivity, Ko Chun Chung and the master White Lotus Priest slaughter them and turn towards Ting and Biu. Wending and his pregnant sister-in-law flee the battle to fight another day. The next day comes but Wending's crane and tiger style is clearly no match for the White Lotus Priest – and no matter how much he practices on the hapless Brother Shing, it is not getting better. Once her baby is born, his sister-in-law teaches him some unusual techniques to try to refine his skills to be capable of winning.

The opening battle of this film confused me a little bit, until I realized that it was more or less picking up from the end of Hong Xi Guan (Executioner from Shaolin). From here we get a plot which is fairly generic in terms of its details – a boss villain of great power, and a man who will train to defeat him, leading to a big final battle at the end. In this way the film does just what it does and there is not really much in the way of story beyond the tickboxes it goes through. What makes it good though is that there is a good sense of humor throughout. It takes a minute to get to, but once Brother Shing is in the film, it gets consistently very funny – both in his performance but also the way that Wending embraces the more feminine style of kung-fu. Between these two factors it is quite amusing.

The action is mostly good, although having watched a lot of films using weapons recently, I did miss this aspect of it since most of this is hand-to-hand. I also am not a fan of the whole 'retractable groin' thing – I remember it from the previous film and, although it is used less here, it is still in the character. Generally though the performances of Liu and Lo are both very good, playing off one another well. I was perhaps not as taken by the action as I would have liked, but it is done with a certain amount of fun, while the majority of the film does have frequent laughs and chuckles, making it an entertaining if slightly silly affair.

'Clan Of The White Lotus (1980)' is actually a sequel to 'Executioners From Shaolin (1977)' (which I haven't seen), but it provides a nice recap at the start that means you shouldn't be lost if you decide to watch this without first watching that prior picture. After defeating Pei Mei (or Priest White Eyebrows), two warriors brothers (or maybe just brothers-in-arms) return home to their significant others as a declaration is signed to begin rebuilding the Shaolin temple that was recently destroyed by the recently departed villain. Pei Mei's brother (or maybe just brother-in-arms) Priest White Lotus, head of the White Lotus clan, doesn't take too kindly to the warriors' actions, and decides to showcase his superior Kung fu by attacking them while they eat. This battle costs the life of one of the brothers and the partner of the other, leaving Hung Wen-Ting and his pregnant sort of sister-in-law Mei-Hsaio defeated and in hiding. Naturally, more revenge is in order. It's interesting that the movie is basically about the hero getting revenge for the villain getting revenge, with the death of a brother(-in-arms) being what prompts both men to take action, but this grey morality isn't explored because the antagonist is a proper baddie who also happens to be involved with the slaughter of anyone involved with the Shaolin temple and its rebuilding. The film isn't interested in the ethics of getting even, just the process of doing so against a more advanced opponent. Still, it's an intriguing concept and goes to show the cyclical nature of vengeance in a way that isn't specifically spoken but is certainly felt. The movie is very classic in its structure, with the majority of its midsection dedicated to the training required for its protagonist to emerge triumphant, but it's actually really satisfying. It reminds me of a video-game, more so than a lot of its peers, as the lead refines a new technique and then tries it against his foe, only to suffer a defeat which necessitates the learning of a new technique and prompts the cycle to start over again. It's genuinely engaging stuff, and even the slower segments are entertaining in their own methodical way. The other somewhat distinct aspect of the piece is its approach to crafting a singular villain - kind of like a final boss - who is so overpowered it's borderline silly. With a big personality and even bigger eyebrows, Priest White Lotus (lovingly portrayed by director Lieh Lo) spends most of the runtime smugly dodging every single blow that comes his way, callously laughing in the face of his enemies and striking with fictional pressure point attacks that cause people to die after a certain number of steps (yet another thing Quentin Tarantino stole, alongside the character of Pei Mei, for his own attempt at the genre). He also, like his brother(-in-arms) before him, has the ability to trap people's hands in-between his testicles in a vice-like grip, which he uses to counter the alarming number of below-the-belt shots that come his way throughout the story. He's a scene-chewing baddie with almost mythical levels of strength, agility and power, which gives the feature a fantastical feeling even though it's relatively grounded for its majority. Although he's a bit pantomime, he totally works in this context and is an entertaining on-screen persona, arguably the perfect foil for Gordon Liu's determined yet straight-laced hero. Their bouts are as exciting as you'd expect, and it really does feel like the lead is going up against almost impossible odds despite being a really accomplished martial artist. Their clashes are also quite funny in their own way, as increasingly unconventional fighting styles become necessary and the baddie isn't impressed by any of them. It's a simple, to-the-point experience but it's well-paced, superbly choreographed (by the inimitable Lau Kar-leung, who also pops up as a double for one of the villain's sword-wielding guards a couple of times) and confidently directed. It's a really entertaining affair from start to finish, despite a couple of wobbly moments here and there, and its fight scenes are often absolutely spectacular. It's not the best in its genre, but it's definitely a lot of fun.

Another churned out Hong Kong production by the Shaw brothers in what can be seen as a Kung Fu cult classic starring the likes of Gordon Liu and Leih Lo as the priest white lotus in colourful performances. The story follows that Shaolin students being released from prison, to only be hunted down by members of the white lotus clan. Survivor Hong Wen-Ting seeks revenge against the priest white lotus for killing his best friend and his fiancé

For me there's something nostalgic about the sub-genre, which always brings a smile. Fun, brash and exciting all rolled into one. "Clan of the White Lotus" spends a lot of time either on the masterfully shot and heart racing choreographed martial arts involving the many attempts to take the priest white lotus' life and that of Hong Wen-Ting constantly training to change and strengthen his fighting style to do so. While frequently violent and bloody, it stays rather comical. These tend to be around the training and the constantly amusing charades involving the White Lotus and Hong Wen-Ting. Lieh Lo also directs; crafting out eccentric set-pieces with precision and impressionable images clocking in with creative slow-motion and detailed backdrops. The only thing is that a uniformity pattern starts to work its way in.