Horrible History

Eureka present four epic films directed by one of Hong Kong’s most successful and prolific directors – restored on Blu-ray format and available as a 2-disc Limited Edition (2000 copies) box set. Made between 1972 and 1976, the films (although merely inspired by real events) in this HORRIBLE HISTORY-Set are proof that history was indeed horrid!

Nicknamed the ‘Godfather of Hong Kong Cinema’, Chang Cheh was a prolific individual in the truest sense of the word, with a resume that includes almost a hundred films, with many of them produced at the legendary Shaw Brothers Studio.
First up is MARCO POLO (1975), perhaps better known under the alternative title THE FOUR ASSASSINS. Set in China in 1275 AD, the story sees Venetian explorer Marco Polo (Richard Harrison) returning from a journey that lasted three years. Now, he informs the almighty Mongol ruler Kublai Khan of his various discoveries but we know that we are in Wuxia territory when two Chinese rebels manage to infiltrate the court and attempt to bump off Kublai Khan. Only one of the rebels, Tso (Carter Wong) escapes, albeit wounded. Now, Kublai Khan is not a person who takes ‘fools’ for granted and before he knows it, Marco Polo, together with his three bodyguards Caldalu (Bryan Leung), Abulahua (Gordon Liu) and Duritan (Johnny Wang) is drafted in and ordered to follow Tso… and yes, destroy him and his allies! This is when the action kicks into full throttle because Tso has four allies who aren’t bodyguards but fellow rebels who, just like Tso, vow to avenge the death of their friend back in Khan’s court. They are Chen Chieh (Philip Kwok), Zhou (Chi Kuan-chun), Hsiung Fen (Alexander Fu Sheng) and Chung-Han (Yan Tsan Tang). Thing is, first they need to train – and train hard – to take on pretty much everyone who stands in their way and their joint mission. Cue for a cruel regime to get them ready for some serious martial arts mayhem and although Marco Polo initially displays unfaltering loyalty to Kublai Khan he gradually decides to side with the Chinese rebels and begins to understand what they are fighting for. By the sound of it, this could have been a great film but somehow, it isn’t. For starters, Richard Harrison with his bleach-blonde hair and his blue eyes resembles the real Marco Polo about as much as Gary Cooper did in the 1938 Hollywood film ‘The Adventures of Marco Polo’ (at least Cooper sported dark hair)! Also, the character of Marco Polo – although the title of the film would suggest otherwise – isn’t the central figure here at all, far from it, our four assassins get a lot more screen time. Another issue is that with regards to the locations (apart from some exterior scenes shot in fields and meadows) everything else just looks like a studio set, even the blue sky backdrop doesn’t look real. Perhaps best enjoyed if one focuses on the martial arts choreography, which is very impressive indeed.

More martial arts shenanigans sail our way in THE PIRATE (1973), though it’s anything but your typical swashbuckling adventure. The pirate in question is based on the historical Cheung Po Tsai (Lung Ti) who, towards the end of the Ching Dynasty, appears to be one of the many fellow pirates out plundering (in this case, Portuguese merchant ships). Alas, Po Tsai is less interested in plundering other ships than he is in helping poor villages along the coastline who earn their meagre crust from fishing, though tending to get pilfered by the corrupt government. Po Tsai decides that it’s high time to turn into a Robin Hood-like figure and hatches a plan, which involves him appearing in disguise as a wealthy tradesman in order to gain access to the upper circles and wrangling deals. Too bad then that evil merchant Xiang You-lin (Tin Ching) and his younger sister (Yue Fung), who is even greedier than Xiang, hatch a plan of their own, namely by ensuring that Po Tsai will be dispatched, so they can collect the bounty offered on his head, so to speak. But Xiang and his sister are not the only ones after Po Tsai, because a young and ambitious General by the name of Wu (David Chiang) is also after our pirate, in his case because he received direct orders from the imperial court. Easier said than done, as Po Tsai is a man of many disguises… and with many tricks up his sleeve! Meanwhile, back on sea (and it is a sea by the looks of it but certainly not the high seas), a cunning Hua Erh Tao (Mei Sheng Fan), an escaped convict and former crew-member of Po’s, takes advantage of Po Tsai’s absence and captures his ship while holding the crew to ransom. The stage is set for a hugely entertaining spectacle and we can guess who’ll come up trumps! Ti Lung exudes all the wit, boldness and humour of a young Errol Flynn and it’s great fun watching him in action.

A true epic (we’re talking a running time of over three hours!) is BOXER REBELLION from 1976. This rebellion was an anti-foreign, anti-imperialist and anti-Christian uprising which took place in Northern China at the end of the 19th century. The plot is rather complex and concerns thousands of patriotic Chinese nationals who want nothing more than to expel all foreigners in their country. Out of this movement springs a special group called Tiger Boxers and at the core of it are three brothers: Hsien-han (Alexander Fu-Sheng), Feng-yun (Chi Kuan-chun) and Chen Chang (Bryan Leung). Initially fighting for the cause and in alliance with the Boxer Movement, the three brothers eventually come to realise that the blind hatred the Tiger Boxers display will not help matters when it comes to taking on the so-called Eight-Nation Alliance (Japan, Germany, Russia, Britain, France, Austria-Hungary and the US). Then there’s the Dowager Empress (Li Lihua) who lives in her ‘ivory tower’ and clings to tradition like glue to paper and is more interested in her outfits and Chinese opera than the political chaos around her. It’s up to our three heroes, with the help of fellow fighters, to bluff the Empress into thinking that the Tiger Boxers are invincible and thus will defeat the foreign allies but eventually, the time comes when the Boxers need to declare defeat. The only reprieve (albeit briefly) arrives when it emerges that dastardly German General Waldersee (Richard Harrison, this time with dark hair when blonde hair would have suited his part better) once had a romance with the Lady Sai Chin-hua (Hu Chin) and as a consequence, spares some of the Chinese rebels – but for how long? As the brothers fight and claw their way through an ever-increasing battlefield, who will be the last man standing? BOXER REBELLION was the most expensive production at the time of filming and it looks it – truly impressive from beginning to end!

The final film is FOUR RIDERS (1972) which is riddled with so much senseless violence, it makes the Tarantino movies look like Walt Disney flicks! The story is set in 1953 just at the end of the Korean War and after a panoramic view of the landscape, we get acquainted with Fieng Hsieh (Lung Ti again), still employed by the army and currently stationed in a military camp. No sooner do his officers turn up when he provocatively declares “The war is over”, tears off the strips on his military jacket and by doing so, triggers a brawl between soldiers and their superiors. Amid the chaos, no one notices Fieng ‘liberating’ the jeep which belongs to his boss… and off he drives, with a triumphant smile on his face. En route he encounters Kao Ying-han (Chung Wang), another young soldier, and offers him a ride in the stolen jeep. During their journey, Kao reveals that he plans on meeting up with a buddy of his, a fellow young soldier named Li Wei-shi (Chen Kuan-tai) who is in hospital. Already enjoying his new-found freedom is another soldier, Chin Yi (David Chiang), who has a great time frittering his money away in an expensive club where one of dames employed there, Wen Hsi (Lily Li) takes ever more money from him while he’s half comatose from having drunk too much. The club, called ‘Hello John’, is run by Lei Tai (Yasuaki Kurata), who happens to run a drug smuggling ring. Also involved is Boss Hawke (Andre Marquis), an American G.I. soon to return to the USA and who is supposed to smuggle dope in his uniform. Boss Hawke by the way is not the only drug mule in the employ of Lei Tai but unlike the other G.I’s he wants out… and walks out. Unfortunately for him, Tai’s henchmen follow him and in a secluded yard beat the living daylights out of him – so much so that he succumbs to his injuries there and then. As it so happens, Fieng walks by that very moment and, accidentally spotting what’s going on, attempts to interfere (displaying impressive martial arts skills in the process). But even he can’t take on god knows how many baddies and as they knock him unconscious, they also frame him for the G.I.s murder by placing a blood-stained knuckle-duster on his hand. When the police arrive, Fieng is arrested for murder, however, as he is dragged off to the police station, Kao, happening to stand close-by, recognises his new-found friend and vouches that Fieng, although somewhat hot-tempered and free-spirited, couldn’t be a murderer in a hundred years. Thus begins a relentless fight not only for justice but as Fieng, with the help of his new friends, manages to escape, they are forced to take on Lei’s drug ring. As the body count rises rapidly it can only mean one thing: a bloodbath and an ultra-violent climax taking place in a gym of all places! As far as action flicks go (if you like that sort of thing) the film is as entertaining as it gets but has little to do with former soldiers and their new-found freedoms.

As always with Eureka, there’s plenty of bonus material plus a limited edition collector’s booklet.