Fist of Fury
Directed by Lo Wei
- drama
- action
- thriller
The story
During the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, Chen Zhen, the star pupil of a recently-deceased martial arts teacher battles a Japanese dojo which seeks the demise of his fighting school.
What it’s like
Hard, saturated colour in a 1970s Hong Kong studio style: flat daylight on dusty courtyards and wooden dojo floors, sudden amber lamplight in the nights, and a tight, mostly static camera that lets bodies fill the frame. Fight scenes are staged in long, uncut-feeling sequences, with quick zooms and close shots on fists and feet, while the score leans on brassy, percussive cues and wailing strings that punch in on every confrontation. The vibe is grim, wounded and defiant, a rain-soaked bitterness that turns into fury, best watched on a Saturday afternoon or as a double bill with other classic kung fu films. Its pacing is brisk and uneven, with long stretches of mourning and tension broken by bursts of combat, and the emotional arc follows a grieving young man who is pushed past restraint into open rage. The violence is frequent and bloody: kicks and fists land with stagey force, there are brutal beatings and several killings, plus a shocking final act, but there is little gore and no sexual content. It suits fans of martial arts cinema, historical revenge dramas, and anyone who wants a classic one-man-against-many showdown.
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