deluca.lorenzo@libero.it

Film-director Ting Shan Si was one of the finest filmmakers in Taiwan: he made the expensive War Movie 800 HUNDRED HEROES (sent by Taiwan to the Oscar as Best Foreign Film, but rejected by the Academy), and he was a favorite of superstar Jimmy Wang Yu: together, they made several movies includings SHOWDOWN, CHOW-KEN, FURIOUS SLAUGHTER, THE FAST FISTS and others. Ting Shan Si's Wushapians were usually better than his Gongfupians, but his War-movies were better than his Wusha. This is a barely adequate movie with vet Villain Tien Yeh (THE ONE-ARMED BOXER) and Martial Arts scenes staged by Yu Tian Lung (later a star on his own in movies like THE BAMBOO BROTHERHOOD), who also plays a role. Real-life father-and-son Ko Hsiang Ting and Ko Shiao Po are also in the supporting cast, alongwith Lei Chun and stuntmen Shan Mao and Chang Yi Kwai(all three seen in the above-mentioned THE ONE-ARMED BOXER).

Kung-Fu Star Roc Tien Peng, one of the most prominent actors in the heydays of Taiwanese cinematic industry (DRAGON INN, A TOUCH OF ZEN, THE TONGFATHER and many others) stops kicking and punching and throws away his longsword in order to wear glasses as the desperate blind-man in this modern sentimental drama from Kung-Fu director/writer Hsiung Ting Wu (TOUGH DUEL, also with Peng). Lady actress Chang Ping Yu as the mother add a quality to this sentimental story with some romance between the blind and his nurse, and Tien shows he can act. Supporting actors are the same you can see in tons Martial Arts movies.

Former Taiwan's action star Polly Shangkuan Lingfeng had many aliases, but her Asian fans used to call her The Phoenix (they said: "Bruce Lee is the Dragon, Polly is the Phoenix!"). This great performer made more than 50 actioners (mostly Wushapians) then got married and retired. This LIE HUO is another one in her line of her sword-armed heroines, but if you like the genre you'll enjoy it because, aside Polly, the valuable Pai Ying stars as her ally against the Ching Dynasty guards. They both acted in King Hu's masterpiece DRAGON INN, and this is not a masterpiece for sure, but the cast is filled by so many Martial regulars, and most of them appeared in DRAGON INN too. Colorful costumes and setting fills the eye and even if the camerawork by director Yang Shi Ching (A GIRL FIGHTER, also with Polly) is merely adequate, who cares about it when THE ONE-ARMED BOXER's stuntmen Lung Fei, Shan Mao, Chang Yi kwai and Chen Shi Wei fights all around as Ching's soldiers? Director King Hu's wife Hsu Feng (A TOUCH OF ZEN) was also in the rich cast, but for some reason she was deleted from the final cut. Don't be cheated by the sentimental title: the only Grand Passion here is for blood-spitting battles. Released in Taiwan 10/24/70. Also known under the titles THE GRANT PASSION and THE FLAMING VENGEANCE.