Kung Fu movies can sometimes get a bit of a bad reputation. Bad VHS copies, poor dubbing etc. have created a legacy that can be hard to shift. Outside of the principle names, it can be hard to recognize them seriously but amidst all the schlock there were some pretty good movies that emerged from the golden era and are slowly getting re-released for a new audience to discover. Joseph Kuo created a whole series of lower budget spectacles in Taiwan during the 70's that deserve a spot of re-evaluation. “7 Grandmasters” is one such production.
Buy This Title
on Amazon
Sang Kuan Chun (Jack Long) a grandmaster of the Bai Mei style is almost ready to retire from the martial world. Before he does so, he seeks to challenge 7 other masters in order to fulfil his legacy. As he commences his journey with his daughter Ming Chu (Nancy Yen) and three students, they encounter Siu Ying (Li Yi-min) who is eager to learn martial arts in order to take revenge on the man who killed his father. Advised by Ku Yi Fung (Alan Chui), he seeks to become a student of Sang Kuan Chun despite the latter's reluctance. As the journey continues Siu Ying refuses to give up and ultimately gets taken on. The master's students take delight in bullying him until his skill exceeds theirs. After finally achieving his aim, Sang Kuan Chun returns home, only to find there is one more final confrontation to face.
The further the 1970's progressed, the more we saw an ongoing evolution in the standard of fight choreography as a new wave of talent began to emerge. “7 Grandmasters” is a prime example of the flashier style that began to emerge with acrobatics merging with the “shapes” that were so beloved of fans of the genre. The talented cast are backed up with excellent choreography that only requires a few elements of wire-based enhancement, with most of the action on display a reflection of the skills of the artists. Watch closely as one of the 7 masters (Sun Hung) is an early performance by Corey Yuen, one of the greats of the industry, who was choreographer here along with one of the legendary Yuen clan in Yuen Cheung-yan, which gives you an indication this is going to be notch above the general standard. The fight sequences themselves are nicely varied, with each master that Sang Kuan Chun encounters having a different style that takes in Monkey form, Weapons etc. It helps to avoid any repetitiveness. The sense of honour amongst competitors is another nice touch with most of the masters respecting the other fighters' skills. I particularly like how the 7th Master addresses the situation of Sang Kuan Chun being clearly ill and not at his best for their duel. It adds a bit more resonance to the finale, once we learn more about the two leads.
The direction by Joseph Kuo is solid. Whilst hard to label him a true auteur despite writing, producing, and directing his own independent features, he was certainly far superior in talent than his contemporaries such as Godfrey Ho etc. There is actually a bit more thought behind the creative process. The action is clearly shot and framed. There is little visual flourish, but these movies don't necessarily need it as can distract from what is being shown. Like a lot of the genre, most of the action takes place outdoors which can partially be attributed to the budget constraints. Despite this, there is at least an attempt for the choreography to make each duel look different and have a separate locale for them.
It's never easy judging the performances in this genre as the focus is on the action. Jack Long does manage to capture some of the dignity of a man dedicated to a lifetime perfecting his craft. The script never gives us more than a surface sketch and it's down to him to capture the essence. The only actual acting he gets is mostly exposition and as he is presented as this honourable man, there is no real surprise at the conclusion when the plot machinations emerge. Li Yi-min is a boundless human cannonball of energy here, throwing himself all over in the action sequences. Again, his character is a stereotypical one: the student learning kung fu for revenge. It's such a good-natured performance that it's hard to take the switch into the seriousness for the final duel. But that's the way of the genre so just accept that for what it is. Mark Long makes for an obnoxious elder student, to the point where you do question why would their master take him on. He delights in punishing Siu Ying with his superior skills until the cathartic pay back. As the only female role of note, Nancy Yen is a sympathetic Ming Chu. It's clear though that she is just another plot machination as never really gets involved in the action and Siu Ying refuses to fight her at one point. This is designed to show his chivalric nature but seeing as she clearly has learned from her father, it's a shame that she doesn't get to do more.
Just because you know how a film will go, what the characters will do and when they will do it, doesn't always mean that the film is going to be bad. Genre cinema often entertains precisely because of this very reason. We watch them to enjoy these characteristics. “7 Grandmasters” is exactly what you want from a 1970's Kung Fu movie. Superb action unburdened by any over complicated plot or directorial overload. If you love old school Kung Fu, then this is a movie for you.
