THE ANGRY RIVER REVIEW

Released in 1971 The Angry River is directed by Huang Feng and stars Angela Mao. It is about a woman whose father is poisoned by the Moon Cult's Seven Deadly Thorn. To save him she must travel far across the Angry River, into a dangerous valley where the only remedy, Ganoderma Atrum, is protected. She faces the temple's guardians and discovers to leave the temple to bring her father the cure she must let the guardians disable her Kung Fu. What unfolds is a story of a martial hero, stripped of her powers, braving a long journey home, while in possession of a highly prized herb that not only cures the Seven Deadly Thorn poison, but increases a person's martial abilities. By making the hero so vulnerable for such a long duration of the film, we see how strong her will and character truly are. It also reveals the virtue and vice of everyone else around her. 

Huang Feng made several Angela Mao films, including Lady Whirlwind (1972), Hapkido (1972), The Tournament (1974) and When Taekwondo Strikes (just to name a few). And he directed The Crimson Charm (1971), which I reviewed HERE. The others I have covered on the podcast, and I recommend all but would single out Hapkido as my favorite. 

Angela Mao is known to all I am sure, but for those who haven't seen her movies, she brings real martial arts to the screen and is well known for her kicks. Her movies don't always get the level of quality her talents deserve but as a former Taekwondo practitioner myself, I adore her kicking and the overall explosiveness of her martial arts. The Angry River isn't a kung fu movie though, so this is not the kind of performance we see from her in When Taekwondo Strikes or Hapkido. It is closer to a movie like Broken Oath (1977) or The Invincible Eight (1971). 

There is some confusion over whether this is the first Golden Harvest movie or not, as the title also seems to be taken by The Invincible Eight. Similarly there is confusion over whether this is Angela Mao's first role. It seems The Angry River was the first Golden Harvest production, but The Invincible Eight was released first. Also Angela Mao was in the The Eight Bandits in 1968, so it appears her first role was actually years earlier. 

The Angry River is an impressive film. It is a bit sharper than many other early Golden Harvest Movies, both in terms of visual presentation and in style (some of this could be due to the transfer being clear). It has one-foot firmly planted in that late 60s Shaw Brothers wuxia era, but still feels like a refreshing change. I think it is one of the their best efforts and sure to please anyone who loves the classic wuxia style, but is open to more fantasy elements. 

The music is great, it freely samples from On Her Majesty's Secret Service for wonderful effect for example. And the incidental music all adds to the mood. 

There are plenty of practical effects and some work great, others not so much. I rather enjoyed the giant lizard man in a rubber suit scene. It is what it is, but fun and surprising. But the rope crossing, which is essential because it takes place over the Angry River itself, was something of a disappointment. It looked like very shoddy blue screen (or something similar). 

The Angry River was an interesting threat. It wasn't entirely clear what its full nature was, but anything that fell into it, caught on fire. So that felt suitably dangerous. However it is less central to the plot than one might think from the title. More of an important threshold for the hero to cross. 

As mentioned this is a movie where the heroine loses her kung fu. That is a genre staple, though it is more typical for side characters to be the recipients of this fate. Here it works, and reminded me of a later film, Superman II. I loved it for many of the same reasons I enjoyed that movie as a kid. I won't spoil anything, but I will say when she loses her powers she is told if things get too disastrous, she can restore her Kung Fu and regain her powers by eating the Ganoderma Atrum. This would mean there would not be any left for her father, but it puts the possibility on the table of her regaining her abilities at some point. 

What is interesting is just how much loss of martial ability affects her. It does not only impacting her fighting. It affects her ability to endure the long journey itself, to ward off illness, etc. The film makes the point that Kung Fu is about more than just swords and fists, these characters are exceptional in all kinds of other ways, which explains why they can stand so easily outside of normal social convention sometimes. But here, she is suddenly vulnerable and often reliant on the good will of other heroes. We see this clearly in the contrast between her journey to the Angry River, which is fairly effortless, and the long, painful trek home. 

We also don't know who she can trust, because once it is known she is powerless and carrying this valuable and coveted herb, characters who once seemed righteous, suddenly behave differently. I found myself on the edge of my seat from set-ups as simple as her recovering at an inn after nearly dying from a long journey. Righteous heroes turn into vultures and any time she is resting, or weak from travel, I was worried someone would steal the herb from her. There is even a hero who almost rises to the level of love interest, and becomes her protector, but in the back of my mind, I wondered if he could be trusted. 

The fights are solid. This is an early Angela Mao film, and she only gets sharper with time, but here the performances work and the fight choreography, by Han Ying-Chieh and Sammo Hung work great. It is worth mentioning I discussed them in my review of The Invincible Eight as they served as martial arts directors for that movie too. And the fight with Pai Ying's King of Hell is awesome (in some ways it reminds me of his performance in Dragon Inn). The fight scene are are a little more old-fashioned than the later Golden Harvest movies, particularly post Bruce Lee films, but anyone familiar with late 60s Shaw Brothers action should enjoy this. 

This film looks great too. Not just in the filming itself, but the sets, the costumes. With the exception of the aforementioned rubber lizard man suit, everything looks stellar. I strongly recommend The Angry River. Not only is it notable as the first Golden Harvest Production, it is an important Angela Mao film and has a unique take on the protagonist losing their martial arts, which allows it to tell a much different story. 

THE INVINCIBLE EIGHT REVIEW

The Invincible Eight is a 1971 Golden Harvest  wuxia film directed by Lo Wei. It stars Nora Miao, Tang Ching, Angela Mao, Paul Chang Chung, Lee Kwan, James Tin Chuen, Lydia Shum, Pai Ying, Patrick Tse Yin, and Han Ying-Chieh. It is about a group of eight revenge-seeking heroes whose fathers were killed by the corrupt and cruel General Hsiao. 

The movie was recently released in Blu-ray by 88 Films, which is the version I am using for this review. This appears to be Lo Wei's first Golden Harvest film, and possibly the first Golden Harvest release as well: there is some confusion over this which I will get into in my review of The Angry River (1971). But it seems The Angry River was the first to go into production and this was the first to see release. 

The Invincible Eight is built around a large ensemble cast. That can often go either way for me in wuxia. If things get too big and become more about events than the characters, that go south. But films like The Brave Archer trilogy (1977-1981) and The 14 Amazons (1972) are examples where I think it is handled well. Here the large cast works. It is never confusing, each person is clearly drawn and they function together like a proper troupe. And while there is a political element to the story, the movie doesn't get bogged down in court politics or larger events. The focus is on the characters and swordplay. The result is a solidly entertaining movie with great performances from an ensemble cast, thrilling action and memorable characters. 

Lo Wei is a great story teller in my opinion. And I like the way the film sinks into its location, and allows the story to emerge largely through pieces of backstory revealed in dialogue. Most of the movie is set at General Hsiao's fortress where the would be assassins are taken prisoner. There we also find two other people, Miss Chiang, the adopted daughter of the general, played by Nora Miao, and Hai Tao, played by Patrick Tse Yin. The latter is an adopted son of the general, and his number two, but as the story progresses we learn things are more complicated for both of them. 

Another element of Lo Wei films that stands out here is telling the story through action and alongside the action. The movie effectively begins with a sword fight, and from that point on, we get sword fight after sword fight, with rests in between where characters are introduced and developed. 

And the swordplay is all well choreographed by Han Ying-Chieh and Sammo Hung. Sammo Hung probably needs little introduction here as his name is widely known, but he often did martial arts direction while also serving as an actor in these early Golden Harvest films, including a number featuring Angela Mao. Han Ying-Chieh is not only a veteran actor whose face you have surely seen, but he is responsible for the fight choreography in films like Come Drink With Me (1966), Dragon Inn (1967), A Touch of Zen (1970), The Big Boss (1971), and Fist of Fury (1972). 

Both marital arts directors appear in this movie. Sammo Hung is one of the whip masters, but Han Ying-Chieh plays General Hsiao. The latter is a very smart choice as the General serves as the final boss and needs to sell a fight against eight heroes. Not only is Han Ying-Chieh a great fight choreographer, he looks dangerous and believable on screen. 

The secondary villain, Wan Shun, played by Pai Ying, is rather interesting. And here I am going to get into spoilers in order to talk about him, so I recommend viewing the film before reading this paragraph. While he is initially presented as one of a number of subordinates who the general trusts, it is revealed he is the mastermind behind the general's rise, and in private he speaks down to the general like he is the one truly in charge. It is not unlike Samuel L. Jackson's character in Django Unchained (2012). The shift in perception of his power is even handled in a somewhat similar way and feels like a dangerous shift, because this mere lackey is suddenly shown to be so much more powerful than anticipated. 

For those not familiar with Pai Ying, he often plays antagonists, and was notably the Eunuch in Dragon Inn. He also played Hell King in The Angry River and folks might also recognize him from Royal Warriors (1986). He is genuinely frightening here. The man has a presence and an ability to radiate menace and power. While General Hsiao is the ultimate foe in the end, as he is the one the eight finally face off with, it is Pai Ying's Wan Shun who creates the greater sense of threat and unease through most of the movie. 

The Eight are all well cast. Everyone is good in their own way. Angela Mao really stood out with her Kuei Chien Chin, who dresses as a man to infiltrate the fortress. Something interesting here is everyone around her realizes she is a woman, and it is discussed behind her back, which adds a little twist to the trope. Nora Miao is also wonderful. She plays one of the more formidable characters as the general's adopted daughter, and I thought they captured her lightness martial arts nicely. She also just had the right look for the character. Tang Ching is always a solid performer and he works well here as Feng I Fei. He is skilled at portraying heroes with an emotional depth, often characters who seem haunted by their past or a burden of duty. Here he helps ground the film. And the man can brood while remaining stoic. For great examples see The Jade Raksha (1968) or The Black Enforcer (1972). Lee Kwan as a kind of hapless chef, who ultimately proves to have more grit than we first think, helped balance out the movie with light comedy. Lydia Shum, who plays the loud-mouthed Chiao Hsiu Hu, was memorable and also helped give the movie a more comedic tone from time to time. But her volatility and unpredictability also injects a sense of risk. None of the comedy overwhelms the seriousness of the story, it just added some contrast. James Tin Chuen plays a hot-tempered axe wielder whose fury pairs nicely with Lydia Shum's sharp tongue and temper. Paul Chang Chung brought level-headed gravitas to the movie as Swordsman Ho. 

Something gamers might appreciate about The Invincible Eight is the way the heroes deal with the whip masters at the general's fortress. The whips prove to be a formidable weapon and in order to counter it, they create special shears with a pair of duel-wielded swords. But because there are eight of them, they need 16 blades in total, which they have to take time to forge. This felt like something that would arise organically in a wuxia campaign. 

I give this movie an enthusiastic recommendation. I think it has something for everyone. One element that is missing is a love story, but with such a big cast it would have been hard to give attention to that. This is very much about characters on a clear mission. Lo Wei is a highly consistent director who never disappoints me. I might recommend people first check out Vengeance of a Snowgirl (1971) or Fist of Fury (1972), but I think this is also a perfectly worthy point of entry, and a notable film in the Golden Harvest timeline.