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Starring
:
Cheng
Pei Pei
Yueh
Hua
Ku
Feng
Tien
Fong
Lee
Sau Kei
Action
:
Simon
Chui
Producer
:
Run
Run Shaw
Director
:
Lo
Wei
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THE
SHADOW WHIP (1971)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
After
the significant kudos earned by King Hu's masterpiece 'Come
Drink With Me', any re-teaming of its stars, Cheng Pei Pei
and Yueh Hua, was surely something to be anticipated. Lo Wei's
'The Shadow Whip' tries to recapture the magic with its
casting, but there's little doubt as to which of the two films
is the better.
Shortly
after arriving in town, righteously-inclined wanderer Wang (Hua)
finds himself involved in a dispute when he defends an
innocent man. The ensuing fight sees Wang initially hold his
own, but after a few minutes he is outnumbered by hordes of
heinous thugs. However, Wang is saved by the timely
intervention of Miss Yun (Cheng Pei Pei) who utilises the
fabled 'Shadow Whip' to save him and her loyal servant who was
also involved. Fascinated by the technique Miss Yun uses, Wang
decides to follow her in order to learn more and see if her
teacher will be willing to pass on the skills to him. When
Wang does finally meet Yun's teacher, Uncle Fang, he is
distressed to learn that the discovery of the hermit-like
master has alerted vengeance seeking fighter Hong. Gradually,
Miss Yun and Wang learn of the conspiracy against Uncle Fang
that has made him the most hated man in the martial world.
Despite the obvious dangers, both resolve to defend Fang and,
at the same time, clear his name.
For
'The Shadow Whip' to have been able to stand
shoulder-to-shoulder with 'Come Drink With Me', Lo Wei
would've needed to excel himself in such a way that he has
rarely achieved. That he hasn't come close to such an effort
is patently obvious by the time the very short 73 minute
running time ends. Lo Wei has borne the brunt of much
criticism for his directorial style, but films like 'Dragon
Fist' and 'Fist
Of Fury' (not including Bruce Lee's inspiration) have
proved that he can be relied on for an above average feature.
'The Shadow Whip', unfortunately, is merely routine despite
some excellent moments early on. There's never the same level
of consideration afforded to the storyline and characterisations
that made 'Come Drink With Me' such a great film.
While
it fails to ignite the screen, 'The Shadow Whip' does offer
some moments of interest - especially during its opening
twenty minute period. The snow-covered locations create a
visually appealing environment for the action to be set
against; the stark, cold white of the snow-filled surroundings
makes a pleasant change from the usual Chinese backdrops.
Having such intriguing vistas to utilise gives 'The Shadow
Whip' a stylish look that it, unfortunately, fails to
capitalise on.
The
weaknesses of 'The Shadow Whip' cannot really be heaped on any
one department. The lead performers, while fairly uninvolving,
are not exactly given much help in the flat characterisation
they're landed with. Meanwhile, Lo Wei's sense of pacing
during the film leaves much to be desired; the first portion
is well-defined and creates interest, but, soon after, Lo Wei
cannot seem to decide how to continue the rhythm of the
remainder of the production. While a Shaw Brothers' feature
with these problems may have been partially forgiven if the
action was spellbinding, 'The Shadow Whip' is uninspired in
this area too. The scenes with the eponymous whip are
well-handled and certainly offer a different style to most
choreography of the time, but there are far too many awkward
'special effects' to contend with. Little tricks here and
there only add to the feeling that this is an archaic
swordplay flick. 'The Shadow Whip' is unremarkable film-making
that squanders some golden opportunities to be much more.
Rating:
 
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