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Cast:
David
Chiang
Ti
Lung
Ching
Li
Ku
Feng
Cheng
Miu
Wong
Chung
Chan
Sing
Action:
Liu
Chia Liang
Tong
Gaai
Producer:
Run
Run Shaw
Director:
Chang
Cheh
Score:
 
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ANONYMOUS
HEROES
AKA:
N/A
Year:
1971 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
An
early outing for the famed 'Iron Triangle' of Chang Cheh/David
Chiang/Ti Lung is given the Celestial treatment with this
impressive looking DVD. However, those expecting the kind of
martial arts epics that are usually associated with this
trinity may be somewhat surprised to learn that this is more
of a period action film than anything else.
During
the turbulent days at the beginning of the Chinese revolution,
a secretive rebel leader, Wan (Ku Feng), arrives in town
looking to recruit people to the cause. One of the first
things he witnesses is the playfully arrogant swagger of local
man Meng (Chiang) as he beats a couple of soldiers in a brief
exchange of fisticuffs. Wan approaches Meng and asks for his
help in a particularly testing mission: the audacious theft of
a large consignment of rifles and ammunition that can then be
transported to the rebels in the south. Meng is immediately
keen on aiding this cause and happily agrees to the mission
with no interest in financial gain. He also suggests employing
his hot-headed, but no less politically impassioned brother
Tieh (Lung) and young firebrand Pepper (Ching Li) whose father
has access to a large fleet of trucks. After persuading the
aforementioned allies to join the cause, Meng and his employer
devise a plan to get the rifles out of the army barracks where
they reside. The idea is eventually successful and the rifles
are loaded onto trucks to be moved south to the intended rebel
enclave. However, local General Chin begins to realise that
someone has tricked him out of the rifle horde and sends his
troops out to find those responsible, recovering the load in
the process.
As
was stated, 'Anonymous Heroes' is a very different production
from the more famous unions of the 'Iron Triangle' i.e. the
newly-released 'Blood Brothers'. The easiest way to understand
this film is to compare it to some of action comedy Spaghetti
Westerns, particularly the buddy flicks of Terence Hill and
Bud Spencer. This, however, is by no means a bad thing;
'Anonymous Heroes' is the kind of spectacular romp that has an
infectious sense of enjoyment pouring off the screen. Much of
the reason behind the film's spark is the wonderful
partnership of David Chiang and Ti Lung who, although starring
in one of their earlier duets, play off each other sublimely.
Watching their mastery of the material and their skill in
making Meng and Tieh so appealing is a major reason why fans
of Hong Kong cinema continue to remark on the halcyon days of
the Shaw Brothers. On commending the exceptional double-act
that remains the pillar of the film, it is important not to
forget the additional players who add further levels of
interest. Ching Li gives one of her best performances as the
stubborn, yet appealing Pepper; the role acts as a fine
indication of the versatility of this underrated actress - see
'Blood Brothers' to see a very different side to her.
There
may well be those disappointed by 'Anonymous Heroes' despite
these numerous plaudits. It is not, as mentioned, the kind of
martial arts classic that Chang Cheh tends to be linked to and
therefore those expecting these kind of conventions may be
somewhat disillusioned. A personal quibble I found with the
film is the infrequent moment that dilutes the atmosphere; the
way the two heroes fight their way through an entire,
gun-toting army seems too over-the-top for comfort. Chang Cheh,
however, was less interested in realism than he was in grand
cinematic statements. Therefore the strong sense of honour and
friendship that ends the film - and are two of the themes that
make Chang Cheh's best work so unique and endearing -
compensates for any other shortcomings. A fine introduction to
the work of one of the few auteurs in martial arts cinema.
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