7 Grandmasters
 
 
Director: Joseph Kuo
Year:  1977
Rating: 7.0

I just picked out this old kung-fu film at random because I was in the mood these past two days for some of that old-fashioned whacking. Both were dubbed - 10 Shaolin Brothers wasn't so bad but this one felt very cheapened by doing so. Not that it effects the action but all the in-between stuff. Of which there is a decent amount. After finishing it and being very impressed by the action, I Googled it and discovered that the film is held in very high repute. In fact, some consider it one of the best kung-fu films of the 1970's. I really haven't seen enough of these films to judge but comparing it to the kung-fu films that Sammo Hung was directing at about the same time - The Iron Fisted Monk, Knockabout, Warriors Two - it doesn't feel dramatically better action wise to me.



But the action is rather amazing - very intricate and beautifully choreographed moves that must have taken weeks to get synched up. There are great acrobatics as well - somersaulting over people, on to people, somersaulting on to the upright legs of someone standing on his head - that can't be easy. The film is also set up in such a way that a number of forms - monkey, dragon, tiger etc - are shown. In a way it is a salute to martial arts. We can thank Corey Yuen who was one of the Seven Little Fortunes for choreographing the action. I am much more familiar with his later work - Zu Warriors, Yes Madam, Eastern Condors, numerous films with Jet Li - than I am with his earlier kung-fu films.



In this one Sang Kuan-chun (Jack Lung Sai-ga) is ready to retire after receiving a placard from the King saying he is the martial arts champion of China. But after receiving a denigrating note from an anonymous person he feels the need to prove it again. So he and his four students begin a long two year odyssey across China challenging the seven best martial artists of their style. Each match is very nicely done with special kudos to the one with Corey Yuen - but the matches are very sportsman like - no one is killed - all out in open ground to save costs of any sets - and Sang moves on to the next opponent. Along the way he picks up a follower (Li Yi-min) who wants to be taken on as a student. Sang has no desire to but Hsia will not stop trying.



And this is where the film really falters with some dreadful comedy and corny drama. Hsia is as annoying as a crying baby on a plane. Eventually Sang relents and before you can count to three Hsia is a fabulous martial artist. If I knew it was that easy, I would have become one. Until the final five minutes of the film there isn't even a villain in the film which is such a nice change. It is really about respecting the art and perhaps that is why so many people admire this film so much. Other than Corey Yuen, I don't know any of these many actors who perform - which says a lot about my lack of knowledge about these films - but at the same time shows just how many talented martial artists there were around at the time - and so few now.



The film is directed by Joseph Kuo who is a semi-legendary Taiwanese director who was behind films such as the 18 Bronzemen films, The Blazing Temple, The Eight Masters and so many more martial arts films of the 70's.