Legendary martial arts director who is often seen as the founder of the genre. He never delivered the best martial arts scenes, but the overall quality of his films exceeded that of his contemporaries. Hu's oeuvre is a must for martial arts fans.
Movies
The first Swordman film marks the start of a classic martial arts trilogy. Maybe it's not quite as famous in the West, but if you like martial arts this is a very easy recommendation. Not that big of a surprise when you know the film combines the talents of King Hu, Hark Tsui, and Siu-Tung Ching, some of Hong Kong's greatest and biggest action directors. The plot is quite intricate and detailed, but at its core, it is really very easy to follow. An important document is stolen from the Imperial Library. The guards are fired right away and the emperor employs the services of Ling to retrieve the document. Ling accepts his mission, but he isn't the only one looking to get his hands on the stolen pages. Swordsman is a fun blend of the old and the new. On the one hand, it's easy to see the Shaw Bros legacy, but you can also find clear indications of what 90s HK martial arts would grow into. The action scenes are on point and the plot is solid, it's just that the runtime is quite long and the pacing a little lacking. Good fun though, and essential viewing before watching the two sequels.Read all
Interesting film by King Hu and two other compatriots. The setup is pretty identical to Hou's Three Times, the only real difference is that each short is handled by a different director. That makes it a little more varied, while also a little less coherent. Neither the cast nor the directors manage to best Tsai's masterpiece though. Hu handles the Ming Dynasty entry, a martial arts tale about a rebel trying to outwit the secret police. Hsing follows up with a story about an art troupe struggling to make ends meet, while Pai tells the tale of a shaman trying to secure the wealth and fortune of a fisherman's village. Hu's entry is by far the most accomplished of the three. The other two are decent too, but they're clearly handled by less talented- directors. I'm not quite sure if the setup made a lot of sense or added something of value, but it's fun to see the three leads returning in very different stories. A solid film.Read all
A fine King Hu film with some surprising fantasy elements. It's clear that he was a better director than his Shaw Bros pals, his film aren't really in the same league as theirs, sadly they're not that good that they warrant a 3-hour running time. It's a shame, because if you would cut a full hour out of this one, you'd probably end up with a much better film.
Another solid King Hu film. Like most of his films, quite low on actual martial arts, with more attention given to the plot and surroundings. The pacing is a little slow and I wouldn't have minded a slightly shorter version, but visually it's well beyond the competition and the story is nice enough to follow. Good stuff.
Probably King Hu's most famed martial arts classic, rightfully so. While the film fails as a core action film, the setting and camera work make for some truly stunning moments. Three hours is crazy though and it does drag in places, but the bamboo scene alone makes it worth your time.
A more action-focused King Hu film. It's nice to see him do a straight-up martial arts flick for a change, though it does highlight why directors like Cheh Chang took over the genre. Still, the attractive setting (not filmed in a studio) and some pretty solid action scenes makes sure that boredom never set in. The Ming dynasty is dealing with a Chinese-Japanese pirate problem on its south coast. They are hard to battle, and regular military attacks are expensive and inefficient, so they send Yu Dayou, a tactical mastermind, to solve their problem. He quickly discovers that one of the Chinese officials is accepting bribes from the pirates. It's always nice to see a film like this shot on location, Hu is also very capable capturing these lovely settings. Performances aren't too great, luckily there isn't too much drama or narrative. The fight choreography isn't the best either, though the editing is nice and punchy and the short runtime keeps things nice and tight. A solid Hu.Read all
A rather disappointing film from King Hu. I've been enjoying his later work, so I was quite hopeful when I sat down to watch this film. I didn't really expect a somewhat lengthy and rowdy mix of drama and farce set in the imperial court, but that's exactly what this is. And it turns out that's not really Hu's strong point. The emperor is quite ill and his treatment isn't really working out for him. They're suspecting that the medicine he's been getting isn't doing much for his illness. Luckily he has heard of a famed doctor who lives in a nearby kingdom, but getting to him will prove a lot harder than imagined. The premise is simple, but the actual story is pretty complex, with characters having to jump through plenty of hoops to get everything done. It's also quite lively and loud, which usually doesn't work in favor of Chinese comedies. The cinematography is decent enough, but the comedy is poor and the film started to drag during the second half.Read all
Early King Hu film that wasn't quite what I expected. Don't watch this for the serene/ethereal martial arts vibes, what starts off as a somewhat tepid drama ends up being a precursor of John Woo's heroic bloodshed cinema. That's quite something for a Shaw Bros film from the mid-60s. Ju Rui and Lao San are two painters who run into Hua, a woman employed by a local brothel. They decide to help her out, but the Japanese occupation of their village isn't making things easy for them. As the oppression of the Japanese invaders grows stronger, Ju and Lao will be forced to make a stand for their country. Hu's clean style is already clear, but the first hour feels a little basic. There's a strong narrative focus and not much else, which makes it a tad dull. The heavy firearms in the action-packed finale make for a big tonal shift. While entertaining, it turns out that it's not really Hu's strong suit either, so it's no surprise he'd fare better as a martial arts directors in the rest of his career. Sons of the Good Earth is an interesting entry in Hu's oeuvre, but it's far from his best film.Read all
King Hu's first film is a romantic drama with strong musical influences, made for the Shaw Bros studios. Because of that, it's somewhat of an outlier in his oeuvre, but people familiar with his work are sure to recognize Hu's tranquil directorial style. That at least made it an interesting watch. The film revolves around Chin-Lung Wang, the son of a wealthy minister, who falls in love with Sue San, a prostitute. As their relationship grows stronger, Wang wants to buy off Sue San's deb. When he informs his father of his plan, he disowns Wang right away. Wang won't give up though and looks for other ways to get the money. The plot is pretty basic, the musical elements are woven through the film and pop up once in a while to hold up the plot. Luckily the cinematography is above average and the pacing is solid. I don't think I'll ever become a fan of Chinese operas, but from all the early Shaw Bros musicals I've seen so far this was definitely one of the better ones. Read all
A lesser entry in King Hu's oeuvre. It's clear by now that he loves remote inns, but without some decent fight choreography and with a strong focus on a storyline that fails to excite, it takes way too long to get going. It's all a little disappointing, especially since Hu has some decent entries in his oeuvre that predate this one by several years.
