“Dragon Blood” Theatrical Poster
Director: John Liu
Cast: John Liu, Phillip Ko Fei, Roger Paschy, Cyrielle Claire, Guy Ignace, Godfrey Ho, Lucien Michaud
Running Time: 91 min.
By Paul Bramhall
Dragon Blood can be considered to be superkicker John Liu’s last hurrah, both in front of the camera and behind it, pulling star and director duties for a third time after Zen Kwun Do Strikes in Paris and Ninja In the Claws of the CIA. It wasn’t necessarily meant to be that way, with Liu looking to take on star and director roles again for 1984’s New York Ninja, a project that started filming but was never completed (until of course the Vinegar Syndrome release in 2021, which was constructed without Liu’s involvement). Liu would return to screens one last time in 1998 after a 16-year absence to take on a supporting role in Robert Tai’s Trinity Goes East, but other than that his life is largely shrouded in mystery.
As a swansong though to his brief career as a kung fu thespian, having broke out just 6 years earlier in Secret Rivals, Dragon Blood is a worthy one. The plot is somewhat bewildering, but essentially it involves Liu as a Chinese immigrant in Mexico (and depending on which source you read, it was either filmed on location or in Tenerife, Spain). The year is 1886, and being in possession of a pair of gold dragons sees all kinds of unsavoury gringos after him, looking to get their hands on the valuable treasures, including an “assassin from the Chinese courts” played by the legendary Phillip Ko Fei (who clocked in 14 roles in 1982, including classics like Legend of a Fighter and Brothers from the Walled City). When Liu’s ambushed by a group of sombrero wearing gun slingers, after having his face pushed into a fire he’s blinded, and becomes a kind of kung fu Zatoichi – just replace the katana with Liu’s right leg.
That’s the in-a-nutshell version, although onscreen it plays out via a bewildering series of flashbacks and characters with tenuous connections to the plot. However that doesn’t necessarily impact the entertainment value of Dragon Blood. Despite its messiness, this is probably the most invested I’ve seen Liu in a role, and he was clearly making a movie he was passionate about. The opening credits have been given added bombast since his previous directorial outing, with his own name now billed as “Founder of Zen Kwun Do”. Roger Paschy is back, and he’s billed as “1972 World Karate Champion”. The best is saved for co-star Cyrielle Claire, who gets billed as “Star from Tusk”! Tusk was director Alejandro Jodorowsky’s 80’s come-back flick, after his infamous 70’s work like El Topo and The Holy Mountain, and focused on the story between “an English girl and an Indian elephant” (taken straight from IMDB, so it must be true!).
Perhaps it shouldn’t be so surprising that a movie based in Mexico starring the founder of his own cult like martial art, a karate champion, a kung fu legend, and the star of Tusk ends up being an intriguing proposition. A kind of kung fu spaghetti western, or perhaps it should be called a kung fu burrito western, the fact that Liu’s directorial ambitions clearly exceed his directorial capabilities here result in an entertaining kung fu flick, in many ways incomparable to any other movie out there, even those that tried the same. Having lost his sight Liu embarks on a series of blindfolded training scenes to enhance his hearing. In one he legitimately decimates a cactus with his kicks (long before Jackass), and in another he practices kicking eggs thrown by Claire, until at one point she randomly decides to hurl a knife at him (which he catches, affectionately yelling “YOUUUUUUU!”, before the scene abruptly cuts to another).
Special mention should really go to the bizarre setup which sees Liu responsible for raising his brothers son, a chubby white kid that has a tendency to hit himself with nunchucks, and forces Liu to smoke insisting that “cigars smell nice”. Even after much thought I’m still not clear on why this kid needed to be in the movie, but still, I’m not sure the expectation was that anyone should still be thinking about it after the credits roll. The dubbing for everyone is a hoot, with Liu’s measured tone occasionally interrupted by frenzied high pitched outbursts, my favorite of which has him yelling “THOSE DRAGONS ARE DRIVING ME MAD!!!”. In another exchange Liu berates Claire for going out without leaving him a note, to which she responds by telling him he wouldn’t have been able to read it anyway, leading Liu to an outburst of “Oh yeah, I’M BLIND!!!”
If the talent in front of the camera is intriguing, then Dragon Blood also comes with a couple of equally intriguing co-credits. Godfrey Ho, the master of cut ‘n’ paste cinema (usually of the ninja variety – so perhaps it was he that convinced Liu to do a ninja flick next!?), is listed as assistant director, while Ko Fei is listed as assistant choreographer. While the Godfrey Ho influence isn’t particularly felt, Ko Fei’s involvement in the fight choreography certainly is. While Liu also took on fight choreographer duties (along with just about every other role that goes into making a movie!) for his previous 2 directorial outings, the choreography in both Zen Kwun Do Strikes in Paris and Ninja In the Claws of the CIA was far from inspired, and mostly there to showcase Liu’s kicking ability. With Ko Fei onboard, at least for the fight scenes he’s involved in (and there’s a fair few!), we get lengthier and more intricate exchanges.
Liu gets to face off against Ko Fei’s drunken poising boxing a couple of times throughout Dragon Blood, and while not particularly lengthy, what we do get is Liu’s kicking incorporated into a more flowing style of choreography, rather than just kick, kick, knockout! A rare glimpse into what perhaps Liu’s style could have evolved into if he’d continued to work with top tier choreographers into the 80’s, rather than retiring from the film industry, Dragon Blood may not convert any Liu naysayers, but I’d also daresay he’s never looked better in terms of fighting performance. One missed opportunity that sticks out is the fact the Liu initially carries around an oversized Spanish Navaja folding knife, a unique weapon that would have been exciting to see incorporated into a fight scene, but for the most part it seems to be present mainly for its aesthetically pleasing nature.
The foreign cast members don’t fare quite so well, with Lucien Michaud and Guy Ignace (who are untraceable beyond John Liu’s productions) as the bad guys who have had it up to here with the “kung fu barbarians”. There’s a strong theme of racial tension throughout Dragon Blood, with Liu’s driving force being the fight for Chinese immigrants to have a better life overseas, which while clumsily handled still manages to be clearly conveyed. After fighting Roger Paschy, playing a Chinese character (called Roger Paschy) who doesn’t want to get involved, he also comes to the realisation that immigrants’ rights are worth battling for, and for the finale Liu is left to duke it out with Ko Fei while Paschy takes on Michaud. It probably doesn’t need to be stated which of the fights are better, but needless to say the gweilo crew in Hong Kong didn’t have much to fear from these guys.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the finale is just how abruptly it dives into a ruthlessly nihilistic outcome, with kung fu’s biggest enemy – the gun – making an appearance to send any chance of a happy ending straight down the drain. On reflection, I actually like it, and there’s something distinctly Chang Cheh-esque about watching a character die a heroic death on the beach while doing the splits and smoking a cigar. It definitely wasn’t expected, but somehow still manages to feel more gratifying than the classic beat the bad guy freeze frame that many a kung fu movie is happy to end on.
Compared to the other kung fu movies that were coming out at the same time, Dragon Blood definitely isn’t particularly memorable, however within the niche within a niche world of the John Liu kung fu flick, I’d be willing to say it’s his best all round movie. Combining a lethal mix sombreros, camels, eggs, and John Liu actually trying to act, the finished product may not be entirely coherent, but it’s eclectic cast of characters and desert shooting locations ensure it’s certainly never dull.
Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 6.5/10
