“Duel of Fists” Chinese Theatrical Poster
Director: Chang Cheh
Producer: Runme Shaw
Cast: David Chiang, Ti Lung, Cheng Lee, Guk Fung, Chan Sing, Cheng Miu, Wong Chung, Yeung Chi Hing, Yuen Wo Ping, Yen Shi-Kwan, Yuen Shun-Yi, Yuen Cheung Yan, Chan Chuen, Lau Laan Ying, Tong Dik
Running Time: 102 min.
By JJ Hatfield
In 1971 Chang Cheh took Ti Lung and David Chiang to Thailand to film a Muay Thai boxing tournament movie/travelogue. That may not be the Shaw Brothers description, but it’s accurate. It might have worked as one or the other, but the mix is annoying, tiresome, and a waste of talent.
A young up and coming engineer and martial arts expert learns a long-hidden secret at his father’s deathbed. Before he passes father informs son he once had an affair with a woman in Thailand which produced a male child. With only vague clues to follow the loyal son sets off to find his Muay Thai fighting brother as it was his father’s dying wish. By the time the long-lost brother is discovered, he is in a fight for his life.
David Chiang (The New One-Armed Swordsman) is Fan Ke, the dutiful son who exchanges his suit, tie, and glasses for brightly colored early 70’s polyester threads while he searches for his brother Wen Lieh played by Ti Lung (The Pirate). Fan Ke finds a ditzy date (Pawana Chanajit), and they promptly forget about searching for his brother and go sightseeing around Bangkok instead. Meanwhile, Wen Lieh is discovering the reality of being a Muay Thai fighter with less than ethical associates. He has risen to a position of being a top fighter in Thailand only to learn his talent and skills in the ring may not be enough to win the tournament or keep him alive. When Wen Lieh is not fighting, he spends time with his girlfriend, Yu Lan (Ching Li) who is teary-eyed for most of the movie.
The primary cause of Yu Lan’s weeping is Cannon the killer Muay Thai boxer. Cannon (Ku Feng) will fight Wen Lieh for the championship. Despite Yu Lan’s pleas Wen Lieh has no intention of quitting because this is a Chang Cheh movie and real men never back down even if they are about to be served their heads. That and Wen Lieh must fight because he needs the money for… well it is such an original idea I don’t want to give it away.
Too often the camera is trained on Chiang and his hyper-happy girlfriend pretending to look at a well-known tourist spot. I could understand if Chang wanted to include the brothers going to a temple to offer incense for their deceased father, but the travelogue episodes were like having to watch your neighbor’s home movies of their summer vacation. Momentum was lost, and so was the film.
Muay Thai boxing received respectful treatment by Lau Kar Leung and Tong Gaai when the fighting was in the squared circle. Ti Lung and Ku Feng are passable as Muay Thai boxers. Editing creates the illusion that the actors are performing extensive Muay Thai boxing pre-fight rituals and bouts. However, the two are on-screen less than it appears. In contrast to the two men ‘dueling’, the fights that occur outside the ring are chaotic brawling with multiple opponents. Neither style produces much in the way of memorable matches.
Duel of Fists should have focused on Muay Thai boxing and the search for the brother story. The two female characters were wasted (and Chanajit may have been wasted on something). The travelogue should never have been used in an action film. The two stars do not exert themselves acting, and I think Chang was off enjoying the sites as there is little sign of his direction.
The only reason I ranked Duel of Fists as high as I did was that it is one of the first movies to have a tournament as the focus of the film as well as being one of the first to showcase Muay Thai boxing.
There are many excellent movies with the “Iron Triangle,” and most offer better action than Duel of Fists. If you are working your way through Chang Cheh, Ti Lung or David Chiang movies save Duel of Fists for later. This one barely kicks a 6/10.
JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 6/10
The return of JJ Hatfield! I agree with this review, one of the few times when a sequel is far more entertaining than the original, as ‘The Angry Guest’ is a hoot in comparison to ‘Duel of Fists’. Chang Cheh was cranking them out during this time period, with ‘The Duel’ from the same year possibly being my all time favorite Iron Triangle flick.
It’s interesting how Muay Thai was portrayed in Hong Kong back in the day. Are there any other Shaw Brothers or Golden Harvest productions that showcase it? For GH, the only one I know of is the Angela Mao flick, The Tournament.
Another one for GH is ‘One Armed Boxer’, which featured Kwan Hung as a Muay Thai fighter. The sequel, ‘Master of the Flying Guillotine’, of course featured it even more, but that was an indie production.
Paul, you’re right about “The Angry Guest.” It is entertaining. And Fan Ke’s girlfriend is gone and Wen Lieh’s mom and girlfriend are…not very active, which makes for a better film right there.