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+--- Thread: The Boxer from Shantung (1972) (/showthread.php?tid=3283)
The Boxer from Shantung (1972) - Drunk Monk - 12-19-2014
This classic gem was on Flying Five Finger One Armed Eight Pole Shaolin Exploding Death Touch Thursdays on EL REY last night. I've seen it before a long time ago. But since then, I've had the honor of hanging out with the mighty Chen Kuan Tai, the lead in this film. He's such an ass-kicker in this one - TBfS is often considered as his break-out role. Chen plays tough poverty-stricken Kung Fu master from Shantung, trying to make it in the metropolitan city of Shanghai where he has to face mob bosses and gwailo giants in challenge matches. He starts with nothing and has to fight his way up to be a lead mob boss. Actually, it's a lot like Scarface (1983) except instead of machine guns, it's axes and watermelon knives. The final fight is even on a staircase with a blood-soaked Chen fighting off a huge gang of foes. I kept waiting for Chen to say "Say hello to my little friend." SPOILER (especially for Greg) the killing blow is delivered when Chen's character discovers that a supporting beam for the balcony atop the staircase is hollow like an empty set wall and so he shatters it to make the foes fall in a pile of splintered wood. END SPOILER There's a lot of smoking in this film as Chen's character takes on the affectation of a dragon-engraved ivory cigarette holder like another boss played by the ever-charming David Chiang. Lots of french inhales by both heroes and villains. Kang-Yeh Cheng is particularly good as Chen's sidekick. He's the iconic skinny sidekick in so many Kung Fu flicks, kind of whiny and gawky but endearing and is usually killed at some point. He's one of the unsung stars of Kung Fu films and often reminds me of some of my Kung Fu brothers.