La guerre des clans

Shaw Brothers martial arts film that's more focused on story and character than on it is on fight sequences, which left me a little disappointed because I didn't find myself all that interested in the characters or story here. The story is about two feuding clans, which seemed to play out more like a tale of royal court intrigue than your typical you-killed-my-master kung-fu film plot lines, which is probably a good thing in most cases, except this royal court intrigue wasn't all that compelling. The few martial arts sequences present, primarily swordplay over hand-to-hand fighting, are well done, but are far too brief. I was also quite surprised at the amount of nudity in the Shaw Brothers production, which usually shied away from that sort of thing (although brutal bloody combat was perfectly acceptable). I read several other reviews where other reviewers loved this film, so it does have it's defenders, but I am not one of them.

KILLER CLANS (1976) is a masterful big-budget costume drama from Hong Kong's Shaw Bros. studio that is quite a change from the usual SB martial arts extravaganzas of the 1970s. It's closer in tone to Japanese samurai films of the 1960s and boasts a formal aesthetic beauty that was not often found in HK swordplay films. The sets are quite spectacular as are the costume design and art direction. While most of the action is shot on studio sets, there are some picturesque locations for a handful of outdoor fight scenes.

Based on a novel by famed martial arts chronicler Ku Lung, the plot has to do with clan warfare between the Lung Men Society and the power-hungry Roc Society in Old China. Various characters are not exactly what they seem as clan loyalties shift and major characters betray lifelong comrades. There are many surprising plot twists that would be best left undescribed here. Swordfights erupt every so often, although they are shorter affairs than usual for a Shaw Bros. swordplay film and place less of an emphasis on martial arts technique. The film's dramatic stress is on the interplay between the various characters and the alliances they form rather than on the action per se. The fight scenes, staged by Yuen Cheung-Yan, remain, however, consistently exciting.

The large cast includes some major players from 1970s Shaw Bros. films, most notably Ku Feng, normally a villain, but seen here as the durable and crafty head of Lung Men, whose survival efforts are quite impressive. His character is clearly the dominant one and his performance outshines those of the two younger male leads, Chung Wa, who plays a freelance swordsman whose loyalties become a major issue as the film proceeds, and Yueh Hua, who plays Ku Feng's second-in-command. Other familiar performers are on hand and are seen to good effect, including Wang Chung, Lo Lieh, Yeung Chi Hing, Norman Chu, future star Danny Lee (CITY ON FIRE), and actresses Li Ching and Chan Ping (as a lusty femme fatale who disrobes for some surprising nude scenes). The portly Fan Mei Sheng, usually seen in comic supporting roles, plays a family man who is at the center of a moving, intense scene late in the film that is truly one of the film's dramatic highlights.

The novel that formed the basis for this film was later adapted for the wire-fu swordplay hit, COMET BUTTERFLY AND SWORD (1993), which starred Michelle Yeoh, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Donnie Yen and Joey Wang. Of the four main characters of the later film, only Tony Leung's character is given significant screen time in KILLER CLANS, where he is played, rather stiffly, by Chung Wa. Michelle Yeoh's character in the earlier film is the aforementioned clothes-dropping femme fatale played by Chan Ping. The comparatively modest swordplay of KILLER CLANS gives way to high-flying "wire-fu" in the later film.

KILLER CLANS was directed by veteran filmmaker Chor Yuen (SACRED KNIVES OF VENGEANCE, IRON CHAIN FIGHTER), who displays an assured and restrained touch that's quite a departure from the more frenetic direction found in the Shaw Bros. martial arts films directed by Chang Cheh (FIVE MASTERS OF DEATH, BLOODY AVENGERS). For one thing, there's not a zoom lens in sight! The director also avoids the more theatrical, Chinese Opera-style staging found in the films of his contemporary, King Hu (A TOUCH OF ZEN). While Chang Cheh's films tended to be less demanding and more entertaining, KILLER CLANS is ultimately a richer, deeper film and more satisfying on a dramatic and artistic level.

As one of the first batch of ten Shaw Bros. releases newly restored and issued on DVD, KILLER CLANS is now available in a beautiful, breathtaking widescreen transfer, in Mandarin (not Cantonese) with English subtitles, that should be seen by any and all Hong Kong film fans. (Other releases in the first ten include King Hu's COME DRINK WITH ME and Chang Cheh's THE HEROIC ONES, both equally recommended.)

This film was adapted from a very dark novel and was "sanitised" - perhaps to make it more family friendly or for those seeking some not- too-intellectually/emotionally-challenging escapism. As such the motives and actions of the characters will not always make sense. Despite the plot-holes, this film was fun to watch. The artificial sets are beautiful to look at and there are clever and creative contraptions in the designs. The leading man and lady lacked "screen presence" in this version. In fact, they were wooden, bland and unconvincing (after taking into account the drastic oversimplification of their characters). The supporting actors did a better job. An entertaining way to pass some time.

Stimulating those two senses, it seems to have put off some viewers.

The nudity; unsophisticated. The plot; too many loops and lunges, as it's all a deep criminal conspiracy of changing hands with traitors. But the suspense and surprise of betrayal makes the unsavory nudity just another tool to shock the viewer for this film.

Then, there are claims that there is not enough action in this film, especially coming from the Shaw Bros. studio. It is actually the action here that is the most sophisticated, as those who are intrigued by the pacing and plotting in the dialogue will find it that much sweeter when the swords are drawn.

And surprisingly, the minimal yet scintillating choreography elevates the final duel to one of the most memorable and impactful scenes I can ever recall, even making some other Shaw Bros. fight scenes seem like the Star Wars Prequels.

If you want a film that will keep you on your toes and ruffle some feathers, look no further than KILLER CLANS.

This movie makes my list of the best martial arts movies of all time for the year of 1976. It's a story of martial arts clan feuding with intrigue and betrayal. The movie is more focused on the story and characters and the fight sequences are few and short. The fights account for less than 20% of the run time. That is not a description of what I like in a martial arts movie yet this is definitely one of my favorites. I have watched it about three times over the last ten years or so and it stands up.

The nudity in these movies is always female gratuitous nudity. I have no problem with this as long as the babe is hot.

Most of the fights are with weapons. I prefer authentic Chinese weapons. "Legendary Weapons of China" is my top movie of all kind. This movie has many fanciful weapons that look cool but in reality probably would cause only little harm or might not work at all. One character carries 72 hidden weapons at all times. I can see how this is fun for the audience. However, as a lifelong martial arts practitioner I expect respect for authentic legendary weapons.

Enough of what I consider flaws. The features of the movie certainly overcome all flaws. The pace of the story adjusts for the action and dialog. This mix flows smoothly to lock the attention of the audience from start to finish. The fight sequences are short but the substance and uniqueness of each one hits both quick and satisfying. Finally, the Shaw sets and costumes are always a feature and I think this movie topped everything that came before.