Jue sha ling

Sun Chung is one of the lesser known of the Shaw stable of action directors. Many of his films are unknown outside of the local Chinatowns in the US. The only one that seems to have been dubbed was the excellent "Avenging Eagle". Fortunately as the Shaw library is finally being remastered and released on DVD we are getting to see Sun Chung's filmography.

This film is an entry in the "martial world clan" genre where various clans fight it out for control. Here one clan is accused of massacring another clan and is brought to trial at a tribunal of all the clans. Meanwhile two "lone wolf" assassins (played by Diavid Chiang and Ching Li) are sought out to do some behind the scenes intrigue. There are a number of characters in the story but they are all clearly defined and it's easy to follow the complicated plot.

The standouts are the artful yet strong direction from Sun Chung and the excellent battle scenes and martial art choreography from Tang Chia. The fights are really well shot and edited. The Shaw regulars do their usual good job acting and moving.

This is a strong recommendation, check the DVD out. It's a bloody devil of a film.