When
you think of Chor Yuen in the 1970s, the first thing and generally the last
thing that will come to mind are his graceful classic wuxia films, but in
between those he directed other types of films. The influential big hit House
of 72 Tenants, the melodramatic Sex, Love and Hate, Hong Kong 73 was a contemporary
look at the tough times in the city and then there is this misfire. He is
also credited with the script so it is hard to blame this on his being forced
by Shaw to make it. It begins as a comic romance that seems too sweet but
then slowly changes into a nasty sour film seared with hopelessness till
a nihilist ending. Who needed this I wonder? I couldn't wait till the ending
though I was partly amazed by Stanley Fung in a villainous role and appreciated
seeing three of my favorite Shaw actresses all in one place.
It seems to take place during the Warlord
years of the 1920s and Generalissimo Zhang (Fung) runs the region like his
own playhouse. Especially with the ladies. He is comically crazy with his
twirling moustache and bald head and his men keep having to talk him out
of executing anyone who displeases him - but allow him to bed any woman who
catches his fancy. Fan (Tsung Hua aka Chung Wah) comes from Hangzou to enter
university. He looks much too old to be entering college but never mind that.
He comes from a wealthy family and has lots of cash to help people in need.
An all-around good guy. He is a hit with the ladies as well with three women
becoming smitten with him like bees to honey.
One is the upper class privileged Li-shai
played by cutie pie Li Ching always dressed up like a ball is taking place
with her hair perfectly positioned. Then there is Xiu-Zhu (another cutie
pie Shih Szu) who is a master knife thrower and along with her brother (Chen
Kwan-tai) perform exhibitions in the street. Fan helps them get out of trouble
with the local police (Tin Ching) and she falls for him and Kwan pledges
his loyalty to him. Finally, there is Feng-Shian, a singer that he falls
for like a cement block around the feet of a Mafia informer. And her for
him. Yet another cutie in the form of Ching Li. She and her mother (Ou Yang
Sha-fei) live in poverty but Fan helps them as well and pays for her to go
to school. Ah, love. What could go wrong?
Pretty much everything. His mother gets
sick and Fan has to rush home to take care of her and the Generalissimo swoops
in like a vulture to add Feng-shian to his harem. She refuses till he threatens
to kill her mother and forces her to drink a bottle of wine. After that it
all goes to hell and gets very downbeat. At one point the Generalissimo whips
her bloody. Stanley Fung? Damn, I didn't expect that. Wang Hsieh and Chan
Shen are two of the Generalissimo's men but there is no action till the last
few minutes. I kept waiting for Shih Szu to unload with her knives but it
never really happens. It isn't often I don't like one of Chor Yuen's films
but this was a stinker.
