Tian xia di yi quan (1972)

Director:

Chang-hwa Jeong

Writer:

Yang Chiang (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 March 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

The New Movie Sensation That's Storming the Entire World!

Plot:

Two martial arts schools prepare for an important tournament. |

Plot Keywords:

Martial Arts | Tournament | Chopstick | Hand | Juggling

Cast

Lieh Lo	...	Chao Chih-Hao
Ping Wang	...	Sung Ying Ying
Hsiung Chao	...	Okada
Chin-Feng Wang	...	Yen Chu Hung
Mien Fang	...	Sun Hsin-Pei
Feng Tien	...	Meng Tung-Shun
James Nam	...	Han Lung (as Nan Kung-Hsun)
Shen Chan	...	Wan Hung-chieh
Bolo Yeung	...	Pa Tu-er, Mongolian Fighter
Wen Chung Ku	...	Sung Wu-yang
Lung Yu	...	Tu Wei
Yukio Someno	...	Oshima Shotaro (as Ran Yeh)
Tse Lin Yang	...	Sun's pupil
Chi Chu Chin	...	Chen Lang
Bong-jin Jin	...	Lu Ta-ming (as Chen Feng Chen)
Hsing Chung Hung	...	Inn-keeper
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chuan Chen	...	Wan's henchman
Chuen Chiang	...	Zaemon
Hsia Hsu	...	Street challenger
Pei Chi Huang
Chia Yung Liu
Wai Lo
Choh Lam Tsang	...	Street barker
Fat Tsui
Ching Ho Wang	...	Tournament official
Ching Wong	...	Meng henchman
Ha Wong
Shu Tong Wong	...	Yen Chi Hung
Shi-Kwan Yen
Shun-Yee Yuen

Directed by
Chang-hwa Jeong		(as Chang Ho Cheng)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Yang Chiang		screenplay

Produced by
Run Run Shaw	....	producer

Original Music by
Yung-Yu Chen

Cinematography by
Yung-lung Wang

Film Editing by
Hsing-lung Chiang
Kung Wing Fan

Art Direction by
Chi-Jui Chen

Makeup Department
Yuen Fang	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ching Po Chang	....	assistant director
Wei Chun Chen	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Yung-Hua Wang	....	sound recordist

Stunts
Chuan Chen	....	action coordinator
Chia Yung Liu	....	action coordinator

Production Companies

• Shaw Brothers

Distributors

• Shaw Brothers (1972) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Columbia-Warner Distributors (1973) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1986) (UK) (video)
• Steeplechase Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Steeplechase Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (197?) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Dragon Dynasty (2007) (USA) (DVD) (special collector's edition)

Also Known As:

5 Fingers of Death (USA) (poster title)
Five Fingers of Death (USA)
Hand of Death
Invincible Boxer
Iron Palm (Hong Kong: English title) (working title)
King Boxer (Hong Kong: English title) (original subtitled version)
King Boxer: Five Fingers of Death (USA) (DVD box title)
Tin ha dai yat kuen (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)

Runtime:

USA:104 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating) | Australia:R (2007) | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:R18 | UK:15 (re-rating) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2009) | Finland:(Banned) (1973) | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Company:

Shaw Brothers

Trivia:

The English dubbed version, released through Warner Brothers, was the film that launched the craze for "kung fu" movies in the United States.

Quotes:

messenger: Hey listen! Some great news! Chi-Hao's beat up Chen Lang down at Chen Sun House.
Han Lung: What? You're kidding.
messenger: No, no, no, I saw it happening!
Han Lung: God damn it.

Movie Connections:

Edited into 42nd Street Forever, Volume 3: Exploitation Explosion (2008) (V)

MUST-SEE for Kung Fu Fans

"Five Fingers of Death" is a classic of 70's kung fu cinema. As the film that "broke out" HK cinema to the west, this is a must see for any serious fan of the genre. It's also a damn entertaining film, with hard-hitting, non-stop action, solid and mostly believable fight choreography and great over-the-top 70's era dubbing ("Oh I see ... so you want it THE HARD WAY!! HWAA!!").

"Five Fingers" is an eye-for-an-eye revenge tale ... and I mean literally, eye for an eye! It's great to see Lo Lieh portraying a hero. He played so many great villains later in his career - including Pai Mei in the classic FIST OF THE WHITE LOTUS, which was one of the characters Tarantino used in creating the Pai Mei of KILL BILL.

My only complaint is that I wish there was a better quality DVD - mine looks like it was a VHS transfer. Overall this is a great film - don't miss it!

Bart Blackstone Film Club - Hollywood, CA