Old-skool kung fu
Meghan Hicks
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Wizened and deadly: Liu as Kill Bill Vol. 2's white-haired master
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Fantasia celebrates the genre's greats by inviting the legendary Gordon Liu
It's hard to make a list of top kung fu films without filling it with Shaw Brothers productions starring Gordon Liu. In honour of one of the genre's premiere stars, Fantasia is paying homage to the kung fu legend by inviting him to Montreal for a screening of the restored print of the Shaw Brothers' Disciples of the 36th Chamber, the third in a classic trilogy that started off with the famous The 36th Chamber of Shaolin - arguably one of the best kung fu films of all time.In Disciples, Liu reprises his role as San Te, a monk who studied kung fu at the Shaolin Temple in order to fight the Manchurian government in the first film of the series. This third instalment, also directed by Lau Kar-leung, matches San Te against Fong Sai-yuk (Hsiao Hou), who must split his loyalties between with the Shaolin Temple that rescued him and a Manchu lord full of false promises. Employing more of the comic elements introduced in the second sequel, Disciples blends humour with incredibly choreographed and exciting action sequences.
Liu agrees that Disciples is a good introduction to his work. While The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is probably more renowned, due to its blend of comedy and action, Disciples may be "more entertaining." The 36th Chamber films are just a few entries in the long Shaw Brothers catalogue, a studio that had its golden age in the '70s and '80s. Many of these films featured Liu as the hard-featured, bald-headed star, but if you're still
wondering who this Gordon Liu is, you'll likely remember him as The Bride's white-haired master in Kill Bill Vol. 2, or as Johnnie Mo in Kill Bill Vol. 1."I think the influence is substantial," says Liu of the Shaw Brothers studio, "or else director Quentin Tarantino would not have made Kill Bill in that particular style that he did, and he would not have invited me to play in both Part I and 2 either. He even put the Shaw Scope logo at the beginning of Kill Bill to pay homage to the Shaw movies."
While Liu continues to work in Hong Kong television and cinema, he spends much of his time making music with the same passion he devoted to studying kung fu in his youth. As an actor, he is clearly proud to have played a large part in the Shaw Studio legacy. While many modern Hong Kong films employ special effects in place of real stunts and show signs of Western influence, the sense of traditional storytelling makes Shaw films endure.
"I think the classic Shaw kung fu movies usually would carry good moral lessons in them, whereas the contemporary movies put more emphasis on the entertainment and commercial values," Liu says. "So while today's audiences may be captivated by the big stars and the great sets and stunts, [...] they may quickly forget about the movie afterwards. Unless there is further substance in the movie that touches your heart, it is difficult to have that lasting appeal."
Disciples of the 36th Chamber
Premieres at Fantasia on July 5
As part of the Gordon Liu: A Legendary Kung Fu Star special event
In the presence of Gordon Liu
www.fantasiafest.com
Fantasia, in its lenghty run has had many honored guests but scoring the legendary Gordon Liu was a special treat. Besides screening one of the man's classics fans of his get to meet him. Unlike the usually stuffy atmosphere that hangs over Losique's filmfest Fantasia affords fans to interact with their icons in a much more personal level.
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Pedro Eggers
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