Released in 1971, “The Angry River” is a significant piece of Hong Kong cinema for several reasons.
For a start, the film served as the directorial debut of Hong Kong-based filmmaker Huang Feng, who would go on to helm several kick-ass classics, including “Hapkido” (1972) and “The Shaolin Plot” (1977). Secondly, the feature sees the queen of kung fu herself, Angela Mao, in a leading role for the first time. Mao would go on to become a martial arts cinema icon, partly through her further collaborations with Feng. Finally, “The Angry River” was the first film to be produced by the newly established Golden Harvest, which would become the dominant studio in Hong Kong over the next few decades.
Like all great wuxia films, a sense of magic and discovery runs throughout “The Angry River”. Mao plays the courageous Lan Feng, who ventures out to find a rare medicinal herb that will cure her dying father, saving him from an invading clan. Thrilling swordplay, peppy heroes, and cameos from Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan all feature in this exciting film that serves up a short, sharp dose of adventure. Mao’s fierce performance is complemented by a stoic turn from actor Kao Yuen as the pair face off against Pai Ying‘s dastardly King Hell in a wildly entertaining finale.
