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Starring
:
Cheng
Pei Pei
Yi
Yuan
Ku
Ying
Chen
Hao
Chin
Lang
Huang
Wei
Huo
Yen
Action
:
Ku
Ting Chung
Producer
:
Raymond
Chow
Director
:
Ting
Shan
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WHIPLASH
(1974)
A.K.A.
- Hu Bian Zi
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
On
hearing about royal treasure hidden in a cave among a Chinese
mountain range, a group of bandits posing as government
officials decide to trick a local resident into helping them
retrieve it. Meanwhile, the unsuspecting 'guide's daughter,
Tigress (Pei Pei), has her own problems fending off lecherous
thieves at the bottom of the mountain. Although her
whip-cracking, no-holds-barred fighting skills help her to a
certain degree, it is only after she gives them the rather
intoxicating 'Tiger Bone Wine' that she can subdue the
cackling robbers. 'Tigress' then ties the dizzy-headed victims
together and press-gangs them into helping her locate her
father. While overcoming them their might was relatively easy,
frog-marching the grizzled gang up the mountain is a different
proposition as her prisoners frequently use their wiles to
attempt an escape. Eventually, an uneasy alliance is achieved,
something that is essential when the true villains are finally
confronted.
Though
Cheng Pei Pei will forever be associated with her
swash-buckling days with Shaw Brothers, this relatively
unknown Golden Harvest production easily sits near the apex of
her filmography. Gone are the insular indoor sets and
theatrical swordplay, for 'Whiplash' is a film that favours a
gritty, earthy realism that sets it apart from its contemporaries.
The vast majority of the film takes place among the Chinese
mountains and acts as a stark contrast to the studio-bound
productions favoured by the rival Shaw Brothers at the time;
even for this reason alone, 'Whiplash' has an immediate visual
impact that envelops the viewer.
Taking
some obvious cues from the realism of certain Spaghetti
Westerns, 'Whiplash' combines the said visual potency with an
admirable emphasis on characterisation. Each of the bandits
has their own personality and their own relationship with the
character of Tigress, helping to make the non-action scenes
remain engaging throughout. This also ensures that the pace of
the film is consistent and excitement plentiful - director
Ting Shan even manages to keep his audience on board during an
unusual Gilbert and Sullivan-esque interlude championing the
virtues of 'Tiger Bone Wine'.
Ting
Shan manages to get an excellent performance from Cheng Pei
Pei (not a difficult thing to do given her redoubtable
talents) and, more importantly, the supporting cast of genre
bit-players and veterans. The interaction between them is
therefore natural and flows better than many examples of the
genre. It's never easy to predict the motives of Cheng Pei
Pei's forced companions either, creating further moments of
tension as to who can trust who. Such attention to areas that
are sadly overlooked by many action productions means that
'Whiplash' has a maturity that is admirable while the moments
of action have an edgy choreographic style that will please
most veteran fans. 'Whiplash' may not be a particularly well
known film, but with such a skilful blend of characterisation
and robust fight scenes.
Rating:
 
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