Cinema Film Archive Executioners from Shaolin
Executioners from Shaolin
Director: Lau Kar-leung
Starring: Kuan Tai Chen, Li-Li Li, Yue Wong, Lo Lieh, Gordon Liu.
Productor: Run Me Shaw
Music by: Yung-yu Chen
Country: Hong Kong
Release date: 1977.
Executioners from Shaolin or Hung Hsi Kuan is a 1977 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Lau Kar-leung. It is released as Shaolin Executioners outside of Hong Kong and as Executioners of Death in North America.
The film is a multi-generational story of revenge pitting the disciples of Shaolin temple against the historical figure of Pai Mei, founder of Pai Mei kung fu.
PLOT
The title scene is a battle between Pai Mei and a master of the Shaolin temple in an empty red backdrop (this type of opening is a trademark of director Lau Kar-leung). Here we get the first display of Pai Mei's mastery of internal kung-fu techniques that allow him to retract his privates into his groin. After using his body protection techniques to ward off a clawing attack to the face, he traps a kick to the groin from Master Zhishan and delivers his own coup d'grace.
Master Zhishan's vision blurs as the scene changes to a more realistic scene of the aftermath of the temple's destruction. Bai Mei's protege, area governor Kao Tsin-chung (Kong Do) and his army, chase the fleeing ex-students of Shao Lin. Tung Chin-chin, (Gordon Liu) after watching waves of other students fall to the pursuing army's arrows, makes a heroic last stand to divert their attention. He falls to a hail of arrows, crushing the throats of the soldiers he is closest to. It is left to Hung Hsi-Kuan to lead the remaining students to safety.
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