9th Old School Kung Fu Fest: 7 Grandmasters Review

This will be one of many reviews during the 9th Annual Old School Kung Fu Fest by the Museum of the Moving Image and Subway Cinema featuring the works of Director Joseph Kuo, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

7 Grandmasters offers so much of what makes the Kung-Fu Action Films of the 1970s great. The film features incredible characters with intense motivations, an almost certain double-cross before the final fight, interesting lore surrounding specialized fighting skills, but most importantly, some of the best-worst wigs and makeup available at that time.

7 Grandmasters tells the story of Sang Kuan Chun (Long), a Kung-Fu legend who is deemed the best fighter in all of China by the Emperor. But before he can truly accept this mantle he must first claim it honorably by dueling the 7 best fighters in all of the provinces. As Yu Chang (Lung) and his students progress across the country dueling each of his foes, the story slightly shifts towards the acceptance of a new student, Siu Ying (Li), who through sheer determination shows more promise than all of his pupils combined and quickly ascends as Chun’s star pupil. But Ying is also harboring a hidden quest of revenge once he becomes a Kung-Fu master in order to avenge the death of his father many years before in an epic duel by a mysterious Kung-Fu master. Of course, this wouldn’t be a true 70s Kung-Fu film without a twist and such occurs when Ying is lied to about who actually killed his father leading to a climactic battle worthy of the wait.

There is so much to love about Kuo’s vision for 7 Grandmasters with the first and foremost being the fight choreography which offers exciting head-to-head action and featuring moves such as “Rolling the Lazy Mule,” “Four Legs Facing the Sky,” and “The Laying Body.” But like all great Kung-Fu films at its heart is its lore, often centering around the mysterious teachings of an elder whose manual contains fighting techniques meant to be passed down to his students and used for good.

Here, this figure is Chun’s master, Pai Mei, who had perfected several fighting styles, some of which fell into the hands of the enemy only to be used against them in the final fight. The other standout aspect to love is easily the film’s characters. Chun is a strong protagonist whose sole purpose before retiring to a peaceful life is to prove that he’s the best and worthy of the honor bestowed upon him by the Emperor. Ying is equally as interesting because the viewer finds him in a state of wandering only to be given a purpose and calling through Chun’s teachings and it’s through this that he realizes his full potential in order to avenge his family.

Fans of Kung-Fu who want to be entertained by a film whose impact can be felt throughout the action films of today and the inspiration behind other directors such as Quentin Tarantino, look no further than 7 Grandmasters. It’s entertaining, exciting with just the right amount of humor anything they could ever want.

still courtesy of Hong Hwa International Films

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