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Cast:
David
Chiang
Ti
Lung
Ku
Feng
Chan
Chuen
Chin
Han
James
Nam
Lily
Li
Bolo
Yeung
Action:
Tong
Gaai
Liu
Chia Liang
Lau
Kar Wing
Producer:
Run
Run Shaw
Director:
Chang
Cheh
Score:
 
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THE
HEROIC ONES
AKA:
Thirteen Fighters ||
13 Fighters
Year:
1970 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
An
early Chang Cheh epic is given the regal treatment that
Celestial's first batch of DVDs have enjoyed and therefore
receives a new lease of life. The film's importance in terms
of the Shaw Brothers' story and the famed David Chiang/Ti Lung
partnership is fairly obvious though it will be explored
following a reminder of the narrative.
The
setting is an ancient China in turmoil as various barbarian
forces battle for control of the land. The wild-living,
hard-fighting Mongols are allied with other warlord clans in
their clash with General Wang and his vast army. The Mongol
leader and his thirteen sons plan a forceful campaign against
General Wang, while manipulative Lord Zu Wen plans to use any
proposed victory to his advantage. One of the thirteen sons,
Chun Xiao (Chiang), manages to defeat the fearsome figure-head
of Wang's army, but also succeeds in angering Lord Zu Wen in
the process. Nevertheless, the thirteen sons are still focused
on a brave attack on a nearby fortress and courageously power
their way into the city. While there, Chun Xiao meets a young
resident (Lily Li) who offers the brothers shelter while they
hide from the vigilant troops looking for the intruders. This
brief encounter is a rare chance for the youngest son to show
his more humane side, but even this is disrupted when two of
his brothers attack her and are forced out of the house by
Chun Xiao. Following a final clash against General Wang's
might and a decisive victory, the Mongols celebrate their part
in the new rulership of China. Lord Zu Wen has not forgotten
about his humiliation though and devises a scheme to
assassinate the Mongol king and his princely sons.
Chang
Cheh's 'The Heroic Ones' is an ambitious and sumptuous martial
arts epic that set a benchmark for Shaw Brothers at its time
of release. From the opening frames, crammed as they are with
scores of extras and colourful design, it is clear that the
sheer scope of the film is beyond that of the average genre
production. Cheh takes a historical context and fills it with
an immense cast of familiar faces, most notably an early
teaming of David Chiang and Ti Lung. Due to this ambition, it
is easy to sit back an admire 'The Heroic Ones' though
slightly harder to feel genuine devotion towards it. Many of
the elements that are essential to any classic are present
i.e. strong characterisation, a solid storyline and competent
fight choreography. However, the film lacks the real heart
that the great Chang Cheh hits managed to bring to the screen;
the heroes are not always easy to empathise with and the sheer
amount of characters can, at times, be confusing. It is also
reasonable to say that the two-hour running time tends to slow
down the pace to an unnecessary degree, taking away the
overall polish - it is easy to imagine that, had Cheh directed
this later in his illustrious career, he may have rectified
this problem and displayed his mastery of the genre.
The
partnership between David Chiang and Ti Lung lacks a certain
cohesion, perhaps due to the fact that this is very much
Chiang's film while Ti Lung is underused. Later films in their
continuing screen chemistry proved to be more memorable, but
'The Heroic Ones' should act as an excellent platform for fans
eagerly awaiting Celestial's upcoming releases. Chang Cheh
does manage to conjure up some superb moments though. The
scene in which David Chiang begins a brief, yet touching
friendship with Lily Li is a fine contrast to the chaos of the
previous battle sequences. It is the odd incident like this
and the final stand of Ti Lung's character that show how Chang
Cheh at his very apex. Unfortunately, however fascinating 'The
Heroic Ones' definitely is, it fails to live up to these
isolated moments. It remains a worthwhile addition to anyone's
collection though, but is not among Cheh's finest works.
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