In the years that followed the move from Shanghai to Hong Kong as the heart of the Chinese film industry, following the “Cultural Revolution” in 1949, Shaw Brothers wanted to modernise their studio by bringing in new and fresh directors and stars, tying them to contracts and giving them regular work, much like how the Japanese and Hollywood studio systems had worked (and would continue to do so until the late 60s), and so it was this shift in focus that brought forward a fresh faced director into the fold, a director called Chang Cheh.
This duo of films, released by Eureka Entertainment, show Chang Cheh at the beginning and the end of his most prolific period with Shaw Brothers, a time that would lead to the discovery of two of both his and the studios biggest stars, Jimmy Wang Yu and David Chiang.
With only his 5th film (out of 94) in 1966, Chang Cheh was still finding his feet and Shaw Brothers wasn’t always the most encouraging of a director to “discover his style” (something that would scare off the legendary King Hu to make his own visions in Taiwan), and whilst that would certainly shine through in later films, here we have a director in a Studio that believes in the factory mentality when it comes to film making. Art is great, but it doesn’t make money and it’s seldom done on schedule. Magnificent Trio is indicative of the wuxia pian genre of the time, all kitchen sink drama wrapped in silk and flashing steel, and whilst it lacks the artistry that would fill every frame of his later films (something that would really start to shine through with Golden Swallow in 1968), Jimmy Wang Yu, Lo Lieh and Cheng Lei defend a local village from the tyranny of the area’s magistrate.
Chang Cheh wasn’t just a director — he was a machine. These films show him raw, rising, and ruthless.
Dripping with ponderous sacrifice and righteous anger, Magnificent Trio is everything you could ever want from a Wuxia is all there and present, delivered with a stoicism that under plays the urgency felt by each character, even those you wish to see impaled on the end of a sword. Don’t get me wrong, this does verge on the ridiculous (at times) with heroic characters being pierced by spears and chopped by swords, yet they continue on through swathes of enemies until the script requires them to succumb to their injuries.
Magnificent Wanderers on the other hand shows Chang Cheh in full control and knowing full well what he needs to do and when to do it by. Shots are filled, zoom ins and outs are placed with expert timing and our four leads, David Chiang, Alexander Fu Sheng, Chi Kuan Chun (The Ways Of Kung Fu, 1979) and Li Yimin (The Mystery Of Chess Boxing, 1979) are here to right the wrongs of corrupt local officials as the plan to steal the donated gifts intended for the “friend” of the Mongol Leader (Li Ying, The Green Dragon Inn, 1977).
Much more a comedy, as was the fashion of the time (especially with Lau Kar Leung emerging from Chang Cheh’s shadow and delivering a multitude of classics in a relatively short space of time), and whilst all his trademark in camera shots are present, what Magnificent Wanderers lacks is the heart that had served him so well to this point. Chang Cheh wasn’t a comedy director, but never one to disappoint Director Chang delivered on time and within budget.
Filled with the usual commentary tracks from the likes of Mike Leeder, Arne Venema, Frank Djeng and Michael Worth. Also included is a brief look at the style of Cheng Cheh’s camera work by Gary Bettinson, all sealed with a 2K restoration of two films that wouldn’t immediately float to the top of the pile of “great” Chang Cheh’s great movies, but as a way of satisfying that curiosity of digging deeper into this great director’s filmography, you could do far worse.
The Magnificent Chang Cheh is out now on Eureka Entertainment Blu-Ray
Ben’s Archive – Chang Cheh: The Magnificent Trio (1966) & Magnificent Wanderers (1977)
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