Le Dieu de la guerre

I found this movie in an old shop and bought it just for fun,not thinking it would be nothing other than an ordinary old Hong-Kong movie(badly dubbed and often lame fighting).Boy was i wrong!The main actors in this movie is the kind of people that you just can`t help finding cool whatever they do.Since this is a Golden Harvest production the sets,costumes and props are well made.The directing by Wang Yu is superb,his visual style of camera angles and the use of slow-motion is just like the movies are made today.The fight-choreographing is sharp,and visually stunning.Compared with other movies from Hong-Kong,usually filled with rain of blood,this movie is more clean.I`m quite used to large bodycounts in any hong-kong movie,but this movie takes killing to a new level.The final battle between the chinese and the japanese is nothing other that a long massacre with people filling your Tv-screen.The only bad about this movie is the dubbing,i only hope that this movie some day will be released on DVD with the original cantonese language.

The narrator explains the political and social problems of the times as we see waves crash over the rocks. Jimmy walks alone to the city gate. The people are packing up and leaving. Some want to stay and fight but it seems hopeless. The Japanese are already there and demanding a ransom to spare the city. Jimmy only needs one chopstick to kill one of the Japanese. He scratches his nose with the other then draws his sword to kill all the others except Shan Mao who flees.

Fabulous opening fight sequence. I consider this the best opening fight sequence of any martial arts movie up until 7/13/1973 the date of this movie's release.

This movie is famous for the lengthy battle sequence and has the record for the longest uninterrupted fight. Jimmy got it right by using a variety of weapons, plus props and other parts of the set manipulated into the fights. A battle this long has to be like a roller coaster ride or else it gets repetitive and boring. Like a roller coaster means twists and turns, speed up and slow down, left and right and every direction incessantly. Jimmy and the action directors got it just right here for an unforgettable and possibly unbeatable feature fight.

Is there anything to criticize about it? The fight sequence with the men using woven rattan shields and swords could have been choreographed better. It did not come across as effective or realistic but more as flashy acrobatics. This is a legitimate fighting style including the forward rolls. The Grand Master of All Martial arts Movie - Sifu Chia Liu-Liang- used these fighters and their techniques in a few Shaw Brothers movies and did it more realistically as to the fighting impact. My only other complaint was the flashy and blinding special effect in the last sword fight. I felt it was just not needed and added only a hokey element to it.

I rate this movie as one of the best martial arts movies of all times. My recommendation is meaningless as anyone who knows anything about this genre already knows about this movie.

The 70's kung fu craze that swept North American B movie theatres with the popularity of Bruce Lee reached its pinnacle with this movie. Following Lee's death there were many heirs presumptive that were supposed to take off as international kung fu stars, but never did. These include Bruce Li, Sonny Chiba, Jackie Chan (whose international popularity took hold many years later and in fact has surpassed Lee's in many ways), Chuck Norris, (who had inherent North American appeal, but lacked the mysticism surrounding Lee), and perhaps the most talented of them all, Jimmy Wang Yu.

Wang Yu movies had elements of myth, magic, history and violence that has been touched on, but not equaled by Ang Lee's recent Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Old all the Wang Yu movies, Beach of the War Gods comes together in a way that truly raised the genre to new heights. A Chinese general arrives in a coastal town to fend off a Japanese invasion. While based on an historical incident, the movie employs all the trademark fantastical elements of great kung fu films. The various leaders of the Chinese and Japanese forces have special powers and skills and these are the 'hard men' of movies before the term existed.

The costumes and sets in Beach of the War Gods are something to marvel at. The fight scenes are seamless and bloody, and the pacing is enticing from beginning to end. While the characterizations are a bit thin, well..get with it..this is a kung fu movie, not Pride and Prejudice. All in all, a must-see for fans of the genre.

In BEACH OF THE WAR GODS, an action-packed Hong Kong swordplay adventure from 1973, Jimmy Wang Yu rallies three fighters to help lead the men of a Chinese beach town in battle against the invading Japanese. One of the fighters is an expert knife thrower and comes with his own arsenal. It all leads quickly to a massive battle in the town streets. The swordfights are reminiscent of those found in Japanese samurai films, but with more action and vigor. (Interestingly, Wang Yu often made kung fu films with anti-Japanese themes, yet his films often reflected the influence of Japanese samurai films. This one, in particular, explicitly recalls Akira Kurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI.)

The film could have used more buildup to the main battle, more training scenes, and more character development. After a simple setup, Wang Yu and company gather and prepare for battle. Then--boom!--the battle begins and lasts till the end of the film! The humble villagers we've met earlier are all now skilled uniformed fighters taking on hardened Japanese swordsmen with a range of sophisticated tactics. Action fans will love it, but those seeking a little more depth and substance may feel unsatisfied. Still, the impressive battle scenes are very well staged and photographed on a sprawling beach and a massive period backlot set. Wang Yu not only stars, but wrote and directed the film as well.

I love when you watch a film for the first time and are so surprised how good it is. I heard about this film from Quentin Tarantino talking about it on his podcast. I was totally enthralled the whole time and didn't want it to end. Top notch script and beautifully shot. One of my favorite shots is when the Japanese are on the beach holding torches in complete darkness. You get a sense of doom watching this and you are just hoping that the good guys can pull through. Great performances as well. Jimmy Wang Yu is a very talented director and I'll definitely be exploring more of his catalog. Everyone loves a good underdog story and this is one of the bests. Highly recommended!