Gui nu chuan

THE ANGRY RIVER (1970) is Angela Mao's first film and also the very first production from Hong Kong's Golden Harvest Films, a studio set up by Raymond Chow, former aide to Run Run Shaw, to compete with the Shaw Bros. studio, especially in the production of martial arts films. It comes off as a blatant imitation of the female swordplay adventures starring Cheng Pei Pei then being produced by Shaw. It's a lot cruder-looking than a Shaw production, although Golden Harvest would rapidly improve its production values in subsequent films. Young Angela isn't quite yet the kick-ass kung fu diva she'd be in two short years in such films as LADY WHIRLWIND and HAPKIDO, among others, but she does have two major fight scenes early on, mostly involving sword-fighting, and one big finale at the very end.

The plot has to do with a reign of terror conducted by a mysterious killer dubbed "Poison Dart," who is hitting all kinds of prominent people with poison darts. (A character will rise up and declare his intention to track down this Poison Dart guy and then get immediately hit and disabled by a poison dart.) When Angela's father is hit, she is told that he can be cured of the poison only with "black herb" retrieved from Soul Valley on the other side of the Angry River (which plays such little role in the action that its use as the film's title is puzzling). Angela sets out on a mission to get the herb, overcoming many obstacles on the way there and confronted by various attempts to steal the herb from her before she can get back home. (She fights a man-sized lizard monster in a cave at one point and it looks as silly as it sounds.)

The price she has to pay for getting the herb is the loss of her "powers," taken from her by the mysterious white-haired guy who supplies the herb. She is given a way to restore her powers and double her strength any time she chooses but she inexplicably fails to make use of it until the very end. So, for nearly an hour of running time, we get a seriously weakened and vulnerable Angela and not one who can defend herself as all kinds of scurrilous characters jockey with her and with each other to try and get the herb. She has one defender, a benevolent swordsman named Master Leng (Kao Yuen). It's quite a frustrating experience to watch an Angela Mao film and have to wait so long to see her get back into action.

The film was shot in Taiwan against some dramatic and picturesque backdrops. The music cues are mostly ripped off from John Barry's score for the sixth James Bond film, ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969). There are several familiar faces in the cast, most notably Sammo Hung, future Jackie Chan co-star and a kung fu director in his own right, who was in many an Angela movie. He teams up with Han Ying Chieh to play Black Demon and White Demon, a pair of killers similar to the pair they'd play in Angela's masterpiece, BROKEN OATH (1977). Also on hand is Pai Ying, a frequent co-star/villain in non-Shaw kung fu movies. Feng Yi, who normally played corrupt officials or evil monks in Shaw Bros. films, plays a sympathetic fighting monk who helps Angela at one point.

I suppose, under the circumstances, given that it was the first production of a fledgling studio and the first film for its budding 19-year-old star, that I should really be more lenient with it, but, overall, I'd have to recommend ANGRY RIVER only to Angela Mao completists and those interested in the early history of Golden Harvest. It's now out on VCD, with English subtitles, as part of the Fortune Star/Legendary Collection line.

Raymond Chow seemed to have the right idea when he formed Golden Harvest, and that is to recruit young new faces to create his movies. In this movie he went to Taiwan to recruit Angela Mao who was a star in their Chinese opera theater. She's barely 20 in this movie with zero movie acting experience. That's a lot of risk to take on his first movie. But he seems to have good eye for talents, and many including Angela goes on to become some of the biggest Hong Kong movie stars.

Young Jackie Chan stars in this movie as well as his buddy from Peking Opera school days - Sammo Hung. They are billed (way) below Angela Mao in this movie.

Angela Mao is the daughter of a wealthy local magnate. Her father gets poisoned, and needs a cure from a herb that grows in a valley 1000 miles away. On the way to the valley lies the Angry River that burns everything that tries to cross it.

The format is classic Hong Kong Kung Fu movie, but there's something very modern about this movie. Perhaps it's because the quality is a notch above in almost all areas of production. It probably wasn't made on a big budget, as Bruce Lee only got $10K for his first appearance on Golden Harvest's movie. Other actors probably made much much less. Compared to now where lead stars often get well above one million Hong Kong dollar, this was the real formative days of Hong Kong cinema.

This is a beautiful movie, and should be seen in its remastered DVD. Angela Mao is exceptional in her athletic abilities, as well as her martial arts skills, and beauty. She really was the golden harvest for Golden Harvest.

In this first movie from Golden Harvest, you see the dawn of the new Hong Kong cinema that continues to this day.

One of Angela Mao Ying's earliest films and Golden Harvest's first, The Angry River is a pretty good kung fu classic featuring choreography by Han Ying Chieh and Sammo Hung, as well as cameo's from Hung himself, Jackie Chan and Lam Ching Ying. Featuring a strong cast (of its time), as well as the fresh-faced and wonderful Mao Ying, the film boasts some great swordplay and kung fu, nice locations, complimented by some tasty cinematography and great score!

A young Raymond Lui (Strife For Mastery) is one of many who tries to stop Mao Ying in her mission to help find a cure for her father. It's this adventure that leads her into situations against old masters, evil swordsmen, and even a dragon. And of course, there's the angry river itself...

The pictures on the VCD cover are so crystal clear and colourful, it makes me want to see a restored version of this wu xia classic. While it has never been talked about as much as the King Hu classics or Shaw Brothers epics, there is still enough exciting things and kung fu action going on here to warrant it, a good watch. While the majority of its older cast members were on the verge of retirement, the new bloods in Ying, Lui and Hung keep things moving with Golden Harvest allowing veteran director Huang Feng, a bit more freedom than other studios would have at that time. Feng would go on to work with Golden Harvest on a long list of projects, keeping Sammo Hung close by as star and action choreographer for the most of them, as well as Mao Ying as his lead...

I liked Mao Ying's character in this also. She wasn't yet the powerhouse kung fu queen as every other movie after this presented her as, but instead, plays a real, scared young woman who knows only a few moves and strives to stay alive, giving a great performance overall for such an early role. By the extensive and exciting end finale against Pai Ying (Royal Warriors), she is super-charged up and shows what she really can do!

The Angry River is as old school as it gets, but with new energy attached, it certainly does not bore. There are a few new tricks tried by the director and action team, and as a first film for Raymond Chow's new studio (Golden Harvest), its close to a masterpiece still entertaining 50 years later.

Overall: Give me a 4K restored version fast! The Angry River reveals the dawning of a new studio that ruled Hong Kong cinema for decades to follow!

Here comes the bride! Who killed the bride? Who killed all her brothers? Poison dart is the villain. Angela's father is poisoned too. She must ride across Angry River, through Merciless Pass, and enter Soul Valley to get the Black Herb to cure her father. Somebody just get the girl a horse.

She goes directly to the river instead of to the bridge over the river. Looking at the water suspiciously she tosses in a rock and it bursts into flames. A bridge would be just the thing right now but a slack line is all there is. Angela uses it to cross. She finds there is a line of people waiting for the Black Herb.

The guardian spells out the rules. One is defeated, the other gives up. Angela fights and is losing but the master is impressed by her filial duty and lets her pass. Next it's cave monsters. She doesn't have a chance. The master saves her and gives her the black herb but the price is her powers.

The loss of her martial arts is the fatal flaw of this story. For the next hour or so she cannot really fight against all who stand in her way. This is not entertainment, it is just frustration until she can finally fight again.

Golden Harvest had a fantastic first year of production but looking at this movie, the first, you would never know it. Things do get better, way better. I have watched this movie for the second time to write this review and doubt I will watch it again.