Rumble in Hong Kong with the Shaw Brothers

It is rare for a collection of films to have left such a deep impression on me as the films presented in our new classics series Rumble In Hong Kong with the Shaw Brothers. Not only did the first film I saw make a huge impact (more on that later), but I also realised that I had been unaware of a missing and crucial piece of film history. The Shaw Brothers’ Hong Kong-based studios (Movietown), led by brothers Run Run Shaw and Runme Shaw, were among the largest in the world during the 1960s and 1970s. The studio produced hundreds of films and served as a fertile breeding ground for generations of exceptionally talented directors, actors and choreographers.

Perhaps the studio’s greatest legacy is the defining role it played in the development and popularisation of the martial-arts genre. And in particular, the kung fu films, long before the West discovered these films and made Bruce Lee an unrivalled symbol of the genre. I realised all this when I first saw the film King Boxer, directed by Cheng Chang-ho. It was a revelation. The mythical tales from medieval China, the fantastically colourful sets and costumes, the battle between good and evil, the fantastic characters, the humour, the exceptional choreography (almost like dance) of the fight scenes… Everything was just right. The enthusiasm practically burst from the screen. I hadn’t enjoyed myself so much in ages.

The films of great directors such as Liu Chia-liang, Chang Cheh and Hu King-chuan are therefore held in high esteem by many and have had a major direct and indirect influence on contemporary popular culture. This influence is clearly evident in the work of filmmakers such as Ang Lee, John Woo, Wong Kar-wai, Quentin Tarantino, the Wachowskis and Jackie Chan. In music, it can be seen in the work of, for example, Kendrick Lamar and the hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, whose debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), literally references one of the films in this series.

It is with great pride and delight that Rialto presents eight films in our new classics series, Rumble In Hong Kong with the Shaw Brothers, screening from 4 December at Rialto De Pijp. The programme features Come Drink With Me (1966), King Boxer (1972), The Black Tavern (1972), Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (1972), The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978), Five Deadly Venoms (1978), Killer Constable (1980) and The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984).

See you at the cinema! 

Marek Stolarczyk 
programmer at Rialto

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