Hong Wending san po bai lian jiao (1980)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Lieh Lo

Writer:

Tien Huang (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 January 1980 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Training Montage | Shaolin | Woman's Style Kung Fu | Exploding Heart Technique | Qing Dynasty

Cast

Chia Hui Liu	...	Hong Wen-Ting
Lieh Lo	...	Priest White Lotus
Lung Wei Wang	...	Governor Kau Tin-Chung
Kara Hui	...	Mei-Hsiao (as Ying Hung Wai)
Hou Hsiao	...	Personal Swordsman of White Lotus
Ching-Ching Yeung	...	Ching-Ching (as Ching Ching Yeung)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Miao Ching
Chi Cheng Ho
Pa-Ching Huang
Fa Yuan Li
Hui Huang Lin
Ke Ming Lin
Yun-hsiang Peng
Hsien Sheng
Shan Tai
Wilson Tong		(as Tang Wei-shing)
Chieh Kuang Wu
Hsi-guan Yang
Hua Yang
King Chu Lee	...	Wu Ah-biu (uncredited)
Wing Leung To	...	Bald monk in yellow (uncredited)

Directed by
Lieh Lo

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tien Huang		screenplay

Produced by
Mona Fong	....	producer
Chia-Hsi Huang	....	executive producer
Run Run Shaw	....	producer

Original Music by
Eddie Wang

Cinematography by
Chih Chun Ao

Film Editing by
Hsing-lung Chiang
Yen Hai Li

Art Direction by
Johnson Tsao

Costume Design by
Chi-Yu Liu

Makeup Department
Yen-Lien Peng	....	hair stylist
Hsu-Ching Wu	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pa-Ching Huang	....	assistant director
Tai-Heng Li	....	assistant director

Art Department
Kuo-hsing Huang	....	props
Yu Lai	....	props

Sound Department
Ping Kuang Hsu	....	sound recordist

Stunts
Hou Hsiao	....	assistant stunt coordinator
King Chu Lee	....	assistant stunt coordinator (as King Chu)
Hsin Shen	....	assistant stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Fen Chen	....	lighting technician
Ting Bong Yuen	....	lighting technician

Other crew
Chen-yung Chou	....	script supervisor
Chia-Liang Liu	....	fight instructor
Chia-Liang Liu	....	planner
Chih Hsien Wang	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Shaw Brothers

Also Known As:

Clan of the White Lotus (Hong Kong: English title)
Fists of the White Lotus (USA)
Hung Man-ding saam por bak lin gaau (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)

Runtime:

USA:95 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Company:

Shaw Brothers

Trivia:

In the movie Executioners of Shaolin the white- haired leader Pai Mei killed, so when staff penned together a sequel, they decided to create the character of a twin brother, classmate of the slain Pai Mei, who enacts revenge for his death.

Quotes:

Pai Mei: Hong Wen- Ting. You must be out of your mind to try to fight me. With your childish Tiger- Crane skill. You've got no chance, but to join your friend Ah-Piao in Hell for more lessons.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

The Iron Ghost

This movie is, bar none, the most fantastic kung-fu film ever made, all centered around the main performers, particularly Gordon Liu and Kara Hui, and specifically the star-director, Lo Lieh. Lieh is probably the grandmaster of kung-fu films, and his ability to take even the most mundane sneering thug character and give it life is a credit to his acting. Lieh plays Priest White Lotus here, a white-haired super-villain whose fighting technique consists of essentially becoming as untouchable as a ghost. Priest White Lotus cannot even be touched, much less struck, and the displays of power combined with his eerie abilities make him visually stunning.

But it's more than simple physicality. Lo Lieh gives this supernatural force so much humor, vitality, and humanity, that Priest White Lotus is elevated into one of the great onscreen villains ever, in any genre of film. The scene where Priest White Lotus fights the vengeful hero Liu, who has attacked Lieh during his bath, forcing the Priest to block vicious blows while naked and pulling on his houseclothes, is simply one of the unbelievable joys of watching this movie. You'll laugh, not because the scene is played for laughs, but because the scene is GREAT, and the two actors are dead-on incredible, and you can't believe what you're seeing.

And the final conflict between Liu and Lieh cannot be described. There is a frightening majesty to Lieh's Priest, and Liu's hero the perfect culmination of the kung-fu revenge-hero, that the viewer is inawed by them. They become god-like in their techniques, and yet more human as their familiarity through repeated battles reveals just how much alike the two men have become. The two, evil and good, are seperated not by their skill or philosophy, but by the need for one to nullify the other. They have become so close that it is impossible for them both to exist.

FISTS OF THE WHITE LOTUS is a great film, and unforgettable.