Hand of Death

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Hand of Death (simplified Chinese: 少林门; traditional Chinese: 少林門; pinyin: shǎolínmén, also known as Countdown in Kung Fu) is a 1976 Hong Kong vigilante martial arts film written and directed by John Woo, who also has a small role. The film stars Doran Tan, James Tien, Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung in pivotal roles and features cameo appearances by Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah, and Chiang Sheng. In addition to their acting roles, Hung also worked as stunt co-ordinator, whilst Biao (as well as additional stunt work from Chan) also performed much of the stuntwork, including doubling for both of the principal stars. Plot During the Qing Dynasty the Shaolin disciples are hunted down by a powerful warrior, Shih Shao-Feng, who wants to rid China of the Shaolin. At a remote training camp a group of Shaolin train together. Their best student Yun Fei is given the task of taking down Shih and his reign of terror. Along the way he befriends Tan Feng, who is a blacksmith. Yun Fei arrives at Shih's camp and tries to take him, but fails. His Shaolin techniques are useless against Shih's "extended iron claw". When Shih beats him, he leaves the rest to his eight bodyguards, who each have weapons such as swords, shields and spears. Yun Fei escapes with the help of the blacksmith, goes to a village and discovers Shih's men are taking apart the village and pillaging anything they can to scare the villagers into submission. Tan befriends two people along the way, including a brilliant swordsman who has never drawn his sword after he accidentally killed a prostitute he loved. The team forms a coalition to defeat Shih Shao-Feng. With battle plans laid and the heroes trained, they prepare themselves for the battle ahead of them. After their training, Yun Fei's friends cut off his queue. Yun Fei and all the heroes will create a diversion, where they will assail Shih's headquarters in separate groups. The diversion and ambush on the following day is ultimately successful. Luring away Shih's lieutenant Tu Ching. Tan Feng is the first to act in the climactic battle. Arriving at the gate of the pagoda which is the stronghold of Shih Shao-Feng, he proceeds to kill off several guards, including two of Shih's elite fighters. The rest of the characters reach a grassland where four more elite fighters under Shih's command come by, leading to a prolonged fight between the heroes and four more of Shih's warriors. Unfortunately for Yun Fei's gang, the battle goes on longer than anticipated, and Shih realises their plans. Tan Feng returns to rendezvous with his friends and assist them in battle, but is mortally wounded whilst killing another elite. Yun Fei and the other heroes manage to kill the rest of the elite fighters and they escape, with Shih, Du and a small troop of their men in pursuit. More and more of the heroes are killed as the film reaches its end, while on a nearby beach Yun Fei beats Tu to death and kills off Shih's last elite fighter. In the end, Yun Fei faces off against Shih and his remaining soldiers, defeating them all single-handedly, and then fights Shih and wins. The movie ends with Yun Fei riding past the graves of all his friends, paying his respects. Cast Dorian Tan as Yun FeiJames Tien as Shih Shao-FengJackie Chan (Credited as Chen Yuen Lung) as Tan Feng (Also a Stunt Double for Dorian Tan)Sammo Hung as Officer Tu Ching (as Hung Chin-Pao)Yeung Wai as Zorro, "The Wanderer"Kim Ki-Joo as Ma Lieh, "Smiling Fox"Chu Ching as Autumn MoonJin Bong Jin as Patriot Chui GuoJohn Woo as Scholar ChengYuen Wah as Shih's Bodyguard with SpearJang Jeong-Kuk as Shih's BodyguardJo Choon as Shih's BodyguardTo Wai-wo as Shih's Bodyguard with Twin SwordsTong Kam-Tong as Shih's Bodyguard with SpearLam Hak-ming as Shih's Bodyguard with Chain WhipShin Chan-il as Shih's BodyguardMang Ding-Goh as Shih's BodyguardYuen Biao as Arrow Guard killed by Shih (Cameo/Stunt Double)Wilson Tong as Senior Shaolin Student (Cameo)Kao Chiang as Tan Xiong, "Tan Feng's Elder Brother" (Cameo)Robert Tai as Ching's SoldierPhilip Kwok as Ching's SoldierChiang Sheng as Shaolin StudentLu Feng as Shaolin StudentRicky Cheng as Shaolin StudentWang Chi Sheng as Shaolin Student Production According to his book I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action, Chan was completely knocked unconscious when he did the stunts on this film.[2] Woo recalled that the stunt, which involved Chan getting launched back by wires after getting kicked mid-air, caused Chan to land on his head and become unconscious for around 20 minutes.[3] Trivia This is the only film collaboration from both Golden Trio of members from members of Seven Little Fortunes from China Drama Academy with Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao, and Shaw Brothers, Venom Mob fame from Taiwanese Fu Sheng Opera School with Chiang Sheng, Lu Feng and Philip Kwok, were involved together. The Hand of Death (1976) The Hand of Death [少林門] (1976) AKA Countdown in Kung Fu, Dragon Forever, Strike of Death, Shao Lin Men Starring Dorian Tan, James Tin Jun, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, John Woo, Chu Ching, Yeung Wai, Wilson Tong, Gam Kei-Chu, Ko Keung Directed by John Woo Expectations: Moderate. From what I could gather, The Hand of Death was actually made well before New Fist of Fury, but for some reason it didn’t get released until after. According to his autobiography, Jackie Chan had made this film and then moved in with his parents in Australia, taking jobs as a construction worker. Months later, he received a telegram asking him to be the lead in New Fist of Fury. His father allowed it on one condition: that Jackie had a two-year time limit to “make it,” or else Chan must come back for good. And two years after New Fist of Fury, Chan had indeed become a star. But not with this film (and also not with Lo Wei), so I’ll hold that story for later! The story in The Hand of Death is simple, yet multilayered and oddly structured. At the heart of the film is the often-told struggle between the Shaolin Temple and the Manchu. In this version, an evil warlord names Shih Shao Feng controls the region with an iron fist (not a literal one), and his group of eight badass bodyguards. The Shaolin priests know that he is looking to intercept a man named Zhang Yi (John Woo) who holds a map important to the cause, and who must not be allowed to land in enemy hands. So they send Yung Fei (Dorian Tan) to save Zhang Yi and kill Shih Shao Feng. Along the way there’s a number of sidetracks and flashbacks as new characters are introduced, but that’s the gist of it. The way characters were introduced and given ample time felt like a wuxia film to me, while the rest of the film is definitely straight-up kung fu. The Hand of Death was John Woo’s fourth film, but it comes off as something much more mature than that might seem. Woo was a rare young director in Hong Kong, only 27 at the time of this film, and his time in the industry was also rather short. He had spent about two years as an assistant director under Chang Cheh at Shaw Brothers (roughly 1972-1973) and The Hand of Death shows that he was not only ready to make films on his own, but that he learned rather well from the master. The Hand of Death feels like it could’ve been a Chang Cheh film with its themes of heroic bloodshed & brotherhood, and it’s made nearly as competently. This is also something of the film’s downfall as it doesn’t have its own distinct identity, as Woo had yet to develop his own personal style. You can see him shaping and changing the standard Shaw Brother shooting style to suit his budding creativity though, for instance instead of using the traditional snap zooms, Woo opts for slower, metered zooms that give the film a different flow and feel. But even with these slight variations and touches that Woo adds, it still feels derivative to a degree and not completely his own. With that out of the way: The Hand of Death is a great kung fu movie. It isn’t regarded as such (at least as far as I know), and it definitely has its issues, but the fact that a movie with fights this good is only regarded as a middle-level kung fu movie says a lot about the high bar set by the genre greats. But for me, coming off of watching loads of earlier, less exciting films, The Hand of Death was pretty great. Filled with exciting fight after exciting fight, the film features a lot for fans to sink their teeth into. And speaking of teeth, Sammo Hung wears a set of big, fake teeth the entire movie! It’s worth watching for that alone. Sammo also gets a number of good fights in, too! The Jackie content is rather light as he’s only a supporting character, but he’s arguably the most important supporting good guy (and Sammo is the same for the villain team). After his character is introduced, he gets a couple of quick moments to show the well-loved comedic faces that would serve him well throughout the bulk of his career. Later in the film, he’s featured in two wonderful fights wielding a staff. I’m pretty sure this was the first time (or at least the first major time) where Jackie’s on-screen actions were choreographed by Sammo Hung, so it’s interesting to see how Jackie is utilized in The Hand of Death compared with Jackie’s prior films. Growing up together, Sammo was intimately familiar with what Jackie was capable of and it shows. The fights are fast and showcase Chan’s precise movement very well. Chan’s agility rarely comes into play (more the character’s fault than the choreography’s), but it’s the right choice for this film as we can’t have the supporting guy stealing the show, now can we? In the lead we have Dorian Tan, affectionately known by fans as “Flash Legs” with good reason. This dude can kick! It’s ironic that such an incredible kicker would have his big breakthrough role in a movie called The Hand of Death, but it doesn’t diminish his strength as a kicker one bit. I’ve gotten so used to seeing the old school methods of fighting in the early Shaw films, where the actors weren’t generally martial artists beforehand, so the sheer force of Tan’s kicks were immense here. I felt like I was the one receiving them! Tan is truly amazing and any list of the best on-screen kickers would be wrong not to include him. The film’s story does muddle about during the first 40 minutes or so, but once it hits the mid-way point it’s pretty much smooth sailing through training sequences, shots of Jackie Chan forging badass weapons and furious martial arts battles, so whatever slowness the story has is totally worth it. Woo’s focus on telling a deep story, along with the intense action reminds me of the best Chang Cheh films where the emotional currents run deep and are punctuated with thrilling explosions of meaningful violence. Woo isn’t up to that level just yet, but he’s closer than you’d think such a fresh-faced director could get. I’d definitely recommend The Hand of Death to old school kung fu fans and Jackie fans willing to accept him in a smaller role. If you don’t go in with a Jackie Chan expectation, you should find a lot to like here. Oh, and this is also the first movie where Jackie, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao and Yuen Wah all appear together, but Yuen Biao and Yuen Wah are only background extras so this is something of a misleading distinction. Even still, it’s totally worth watching and it’s easily the best of the Jackie films so far! Hand of Death a.k.a. Countdown To Kung Fu is a 1976 Martial Arts Movie directed by John Woo, one of Woo's earlier efforts note ; and notably the first film to star all Three Dragons of Hong Kong martial arts cinema, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao, before either of them are famous. It's the late Qing Dynasty, where ruthless Manchurian warlords rules the land with tyranny; the Shaolin sect opposes the tyrants, but they are flushed out by a ruthless traitor, the ex-Shaolin disciple Shih Shao-Feng and his overweight, buck-toothed right-hand man Du Ching (Sammo Hung in an early role as the secondary villain), leading their armies in wiping out entire populations of the Shaolin sect to remove any opposition to Shao-Feng's rule. In a remote Shaolin training camp, a young warrior named Yun Fei is given the task to put a stop to Shao-Feng's reign. After a botched assassination attempt, with Yun Fei barely escaping with his life, he meets a band of allies, including Tan Fung the blacksmith (played by Jackie Chan who's lucky enough to score a bigger role than the other two "dragons"), an unnamed swordsman who calls himself "The Wanderer" and have a fear of drawing his blade after a past incident, and a scholar (played by the director, Woo himself) who's a messenger to the capital city and the one person capable of exposing the truth behind the tyranny to the Imperial Court. Soon enough, it's up to the ragtag group to take on Shao-Feng. Unrelated to the murder trope. Time to Countdown on the Tropes of Kung Fu: Accidental Murder: What causes the Wanderer to be wary of drawing his sword in the past; in a failed attempt to kill Shao-Feng, the Wanderer accidentally killed a Hooker with a Heart of Gold named Autumn Moon (which Shao-Feng used as a Human Shield). It turns him into The Atoner for the rest of the film. Band of Brothels: A whorehouse appears in the Wanderer's Troubled Backstory Flashback. As it turns out, the Wanderer had planned to ambush Shao-Feng who's currently with his personal harem, only to fail and accidentally kill his lover, the hooker Autumn Moon. Big Bad: Shih Shao-Feng, the former Shaolin warrior turned traitor, who is leading massacre of entire temples and crushing everyone opposing his rule. Blade on a Rope: One of the eight lieutenants uses a rope dart, and he's among the better fighters that even managed to wound Tan Feng in the climax. Blood from the Mouth: In the climax, you realize the heroes are finally, finally, finally winning when Shao-Feng starts coughing up blood during his fight against Yun Fei. Granted, it takes three Diving Kicks to the skull for that to happen... The Dragon: Du Ching, the second-in-command of Shao-Feng, and also one hell of a Fat Bastard abusing his prisoners. Hey, it's Sammo Hung as a villain here. Dual Wield: One of Shao-Feng's lieutenants uses twin jians, and oddly enough is the only character in the whole film to use two weapons at once. Early-Installment Weirdness: This being the first film starring the Three Dragons of Hong Kong (Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao) and an early John Woo film, in general: The characters played by Chan, Hung and Yuen. Not only are they not on the same side (Chan is a supporting hero at best, Hung is a villainous minion, Yuen's allegiance is fuzzy at best since he dies after five seconds) but they do not share screentime, either! They only started appearing together in their next movie, Winners & Sinners. Jackie Chan's Tan Feng, besides playing second fiddle to Dorian Tan's Yun Fei, also lacks several traits common in later Jackie Chan roles, like performing acrobatic moves, making an "ow!" face in the middle of a fight, or using an Improvised Weapon during fight scenes. And while this is a kung-fu film with plenty of punching and kicking, Tan Feng instead relies entirely on his trusty spear to take names. The next Jackie Chan film Shaolin Wooden Men would bring him closer to the character types he's known for with frequent acrobatics and stunts. Fire-Forged Friends: All the main heroes, basically. Yun Fei, Tan Feng and the Wanderer went from fighters on the same side to bonding over their past and sharing their goals in taking down Shao-Feng. It may be an early John Woo film, but the director's usage of themes involving brotherhood and bonding are already present. Good Old Fisticuffs: Yun Fei is as adept at fighting with his bare hands as he is with using weapons. At least two of Shao-Feng's eight lieutenants also fights exclusively using their fists, despite their colleagues being armed. The final battle, once Yun Fei and Shao-Feng disarms each other. They then continue the last stages of their martial arts brawl with their bare hands with Yun Fei winning. It's Personal: While the heroes have their own reasons to oppose Shao-Feng and his lieutenants one reason or another, for Tan Fung his personal beef is against two of them - the one with a chain-dart and another with twin swords, because those two are the ones who killed Tan Fung's brother years ago. In the final battle when the two lieutenants tries catching up to the heroes, Tan Fung purposely tells his allies to go on while he deals with them. Tan Fung wins, avenging his brother, but was mortally injured in the subsequent fight. Martial Arts Staff: The preferred weapon of Yun Fei early on, where he'll use his staff to beat up enemies. But after meeting Tan Fung, the blacksmith proves the impracticality of using a blunt staff as a weapon by breaking it before crafting a replacement metal staff for Yun Fei. Tan Fung: "Your staff is wood. His (Shao-Feng) sword is metal." The Load: The scholar, as played by John Woo, who unfortunately proves to be the useless civilain the heroes have to take care because of his status as the sole Non-Action Guy in a kung-fu movie. He needs to be constantly looked after in the ending duel, and both Tan Fung and the Wanderer gave up their lives to save him at different points. Mook Lieutenant: Shao-Feng have his own legion of eight Elite Mooks as his personal vanguard, who frequently leads his lesser soldiers around. Mutual Kill: Tan Fung and his last onscreen kill, the second spear-wielding lieutenant. When the enemy spearman tries attacking the scholar, Tan Fung pulls a Heroic Sacrifice and get himself skewered, but in his death throes managed to throw his own spear at the villain. Both of them succumbs to their respective injuries. Neck Snap: More than one enemy mook suffers this fate, but notably Yun Fei managed to avenge his fellow Shaolin comrades by twisting Shao-Feng's neck with his legs. Obfuscating Stupidity: Tan Fung, the blacksmith and local simpleton who spends most of the film being bossed around by soldiers or berated by Shao-Feng's lieutenants. Truth is, his idiocy is a front for him to get close to the villains in order to avenge his brother killed by Shao-Feng in the past. Shaolin Monk: A villainous ex-Shaolin disciple named Shih Shao-Feng intends to wipe out the Shaolin clan, with the prologue depicting a temple full of monks being attacked and fighting a losing battle before cutting to the hero Yun-Fei's introduction. Training Montage: Like every good kung-fu film, this one has the bonding moments between Yun Fei, Tan Feng and the Wanderer, prior to their climatic battle. Unwilling Suspension: Yun Fei suffers this fate from being hung by his legs after his initial capture and put through Cold-Blooded Torture; he still managed to escape by undoing the knot around his ankles with his teeth. Vertigo Effect: Being one of John Woo's earlir efforts, Woo himself is still experimenting with a number of filming techniques. The vertigo zoom is notaably utilized in several fight scenes, including a zoom-in on Yun Fei before he executes Shao-Feng. Villain Opening Scene: What better way to introduce the film's villains, than having Shao-Feng's army ambush a resistance hideout in one of the Shaolin Temples, with Shao-Feng and Du-Ching personally leading the attack? And having Shao-Feng personally beat the elderly Shaolin abbot to death with his bare hands? Walking Shirtless Scene: Yun Fei in the finale, when he removes his shirt and fights Shao-Feng with his abs exposed. Weapon Tombstone: The film ends with a shot of the graves of Tan Feng and the Wanderer, marked respectively by their spear and sword. When Jackie Chan meets John Woo...