In the 1970s, the martial arts craze swept the world. The early seventies saw an increase in the exploitation of black metal in cinema, but the original audiences for these films—often blacks from urban centers—felt too limited in terms of profit margins. Enter the kung fu movie. Along with a young male protagonist who was not white, he stood up to the rich at the head and used his fists and legs to administer justice. Five Fingers of Death, starring Lo Lie, started North America’s obsession with all things kung fu.
It was a new spectacle for the American public that many non-whites, especially those in the cities,
could understand even if they were not Asian. But at the same time, it helped create a legacy of representation in film that had both good and bad consequences. Even today, films such as Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings are based on this legacy, though it has also trapped Asian Americans in stereotype. Regardless, the martial arts films of the 1970s were a unique, cultural phenomenon that made men like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. Here are the best martial arts movies of the seventies.
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8. A Touch of Zen
A Touch of Zen is a classic wuxia. During the Ming Dynasty of Chinese history, somewhere in a remote village, an unambitious scholar has a personality change after sleeping with a fugitive. The fugitive (Hsu Feng) is on the run because she plotted against a corrupt eunuch trying to kill her entire family, and the scholar helps her in her attempt for justice. This movie is a mixture of comedy, drama, and action with a deep philosophical layer due to its motifs and references to Zen Buddhism. It’s hindered by its long run time, but the martial arts scenes are elaborate and worth the wait. One fight scene, located inside of a bamboo forest, took twenty-five days to film due to characters having to maneuver through bamboo stalks. A Touch of Zen is a lesson in patience, as it takes an hour to get to the first fight, but that’s what makes it an epic worth watching.
7. Master of the Flying Guillotine
Master of the Flying Guillotine has a strange premise at first glance, but it’s a fan favorite. It’s a sequel to the movie The One-Armed Boxer, in which the main character plays a role in this movie as well. A blind flying guillotine (a weapon used for decapitation) expert is stalking the One-Armed Boxer to enact his revenge. His students are all murdered, which has led to his thirst for vengeance. Master of the Flying Guillotine is a bizarre movie, which is why it’s so entertaining. Goofy and like a fever dream, Master of the Flying Guillotine is considered a holy grail of Hong Kong martial arts films.
6. Five Deadly Venoms
Five Deadly Venoms is one of the biggest cult films in the martial arts genre. Five former pupils of the Poison clan have decided to use their powers, and the dying master entrusts his final pupil with the task of stopping them from stealing his friend’s fortune. Each of the former pupils was trained in a particular style of kung fu based on an animal, but the pupil who has to stop them doesn’t know a unique style of his own, thus making him powerless against the others. The movie begins with a lot of exposition via utilizing voiceovers, but the stunning visuals make up for the slow beginning. While looking back from a contemporary perspective, Five Deadly Venoms may not stand out as much when compared to other kung fu films, but its legacy remains in Quentin Tarantino’s.
5. Fists of Fury
Fists of Fury was Bruce Lee’s second big film after The Big Boss (1971), but Fists of Fury was his first release in the United States. Fists of Fury is unique because it’s set in Shanghai and touches upon the impact of Japanese colonialism in China; the antagonists are all members of a rival Japanese dojo. The movie itself carries anti-Japanese sentiments, as the Japanese characters are openly racist towards the Chinese ones. Lee’s Chen Zhen cycles through grief and rage, fighting the enemy in a noble act of redemption. Fists of Fury was a global hit and drew in over USD 100 million at the box office.
4. The Way of the Dragon
Written, co-produced, and starring Bruce Lee, The Way of the Dragon was the last film of his life and his directorial debut. Chen Ching-hua and her uncle, Wang, own a restaurant in Rome, but a mob boss wants them out so he can take the property for himself. Enter: Bruce Lee as Tang Lung. He seems to be a simple guy from the countryside, but he’s supposedly capable in martial arts. He must protect the restaurant from now on, much to the chagrin of the workers. The Way of the Dragon has Lee’s stamp all over it: a bit odd, even bizarre at times, but well-paced and full of Lee’s kung fu at its finest. Oh, and it has an epic fight between Lee and Chuck Norris in the Colosseum—it’s hard to outdo that.
3. Drunken Master
Drunken Master is Jackie Chan at his finest—it’s also the film that made him a global superstar. He’s the son of Wong Kei-Ying, one of the greatest martial artists from the Qing Dynasty, but Chan isn’t exactly living up to his father’s expectations. Wong sends Fei-hung (Chan) away to a cruel teacher named Beggar So, and he then tries to run away. Drunken Master mixes slapstick comedy with martial arts, and while the story is rather plain at times, the funny moments make up for it. This movie also popularized the comedic style of ancient kung fu that replicates the movement of a drunk person.
2. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin has long been considered one of the greatest martial arts films to exist. Liu Yude (Gordon Liu) was once an average student, but after participating in a rebellion, he watches all of his friends, their families, and classmates get murdered by the government. He then decides to go on this epic journey for vengeance and true liberation from the corrupt government and heads out to a temple to learn kung fu. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin isn’t just a story about trying to achieve his goals—he’s also going through a spiritual journey at the same time. There’s also plenty of political commentaries packed in this film about the Qing Dynasty and foreign occupation.RELATED:
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