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EIGHT
DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTERS
AKA:
Invincible Pole Fighter ||
8 Diagram Pole Fighter
Year:
1984 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
I've
probably stated this numerous times during the writing of
these various reviews, but the martial arts genre is one of
the most misunderstood and wrongly vilified forms of
film-making around. It's true that there have been some truly
horrendous efforts to have leaked out of the genre, but there
have also been some significant masterpieces. Long before 'Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon' showed people how the martial arts
film could be a worthwhile cinematic form, there were a number
of productions that stood out as works of sheer excellence.
Liu Chia Liang's triumphant 'Eight Diagram Pole Fighters' is
widely considered among this exalted crowd. Aside from its
immense credentials as a film, it also proved to be Liu Chia
Liang's last spectacle under the Shaw Brothers banner and,
tragically, the great Fu Sheng's last appearance before his
death.
The
storyline revolves around the loyal Yang family who use all of
their military prowess to support their rulers. The bitterly
jealous general Pang Mai looks for a way to usurp the good
standing the Yangs have accrued and plots with the ruthless
Tartars to do so. In the film's nightmarish opening, this plan
is carried out and the Yang warriors are ambushed by their
vicious enemies. Not only do the Yangs find themselves with
little chance of survival, they also realise that they have
been set up as traitors. In the ensuing battle the Tartars
slaughter the Yangs and only the fifth and sixth sons manage
to escape. The sixth son (Fu Sheng) is driven insane by the
trauma of the massacre and spends his time under the watchful
eye of his mother and sisters. Meanwhile the fifth son (Liu
Chia Hui) is saved from death by a brave hunter who lays his
own life on the line for the sake of the Yangs. Desperate for
revenge, the fifth son heads towards the local temple to take
stock of what has happened and refine his pole fighting
skills. After persuading the abbot of his desire to learn the
monks' pole style, the fifth son marches to a final
confrontation with those who have devastated his family. In
one of the Jade Screen's finest finales, the heroic avenger is
joined by his sister and a band of monks in this
emotionally-charged battle.
Multi-layered
and superbly made, 'Eight Diagram Pole Fighters' remains one
of the greatest martial arts movies of all time. Few films
before or since have reached the level of intensity and power
that this has; from the acting to the directing, everyone
involved here gives of their very best. For anyone ignorant
enough to base their judgements of the martial arts genre on clichés
and low quality rubbish, this will prove to be a real
awakening. Liu Chia Liang manages to create a very bleak and
almost hopeless landscape with liberal use of the Shaw
Brothers soundstage vividly distorting the atmosphere. Coupled
with the peerless direction is a series of performances that
are worthy of praise; Liu Chia Hui and Hui Ying Hung are
totally convincing in their roles while Fu Sheng's descent
into insanity is shockingly effective.
Although
this stands as a masterpiece without any mention of the
action, the scenes of combat are what may attract many
viewers. On this merit the film again scores full marks with a
few incredible fight scenes really burning themselves on the
memory. Foremost among these is the memorable climax and the
one-on-one pole fight between Liu Chia Hui and Kao Fei. The
aforementioned pole duel between master and student is simply
one of the greatest martial arts sequences ever seen. Nearly
twenty years since its release it is still a flawless piece of
choreographic genius.
Whether
you consider yourself a connoisseur of kung fu films or just
great works of cinema in general, 'Eight Diagram Pole Fighter'
is a major achievement.
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