This 1970's Shaw Brothers studio epic from legendary director Chang Cheh still seems to be as increasingly watchable to this day.

Chen Kuan Tai stars as Ma Yong Zhen, a street urchin in 1930's Shanghai who gets by washing carriages for the upper-class. But he desires more, he wants to have his own power, wealth and status in the city of Shanghai. After a couple of errands with the Four Dragon's gang, Ma gets the recognition he yearns for and is seen as a saviour to the poor and begins his parade by taking over districts in Shanghai. Soon the power and status he has craved for begins to crumble the inner-happiness he has longed for.

The film has proved to be very influential to this day, as John Woo was assistant director and the Four Dragon's gang was also used in Stephen Chow's 'Kung Fu Hustle' (but known as the Axe Gang), the finale of Ryo Seung Wan's 'City of Violence' also bears resemblance to the finale of 'Ma Yong Zhen'. Chen proves to be a worthy lead as his appearance and performance comes as very empathetic and proves quite adequately in fight sequences. Chang Cheh regular David Chiang plays a small role but sadly shows very little martial arts skills. The fights are somewhat average, if not very bloody but the story line, the central performances, the cinematography and the music score make this film stand out as an evergreen classic. What drew me into this film was it's cool and slick opening sequence (kind of like Chang Cheh's 'Vengeance') it creates the atmosphere of mystery, danger, rage and excitement.

All I can say is if you can see a worthy version of this movie (sadly there's no DVD released in the UK yet) go and see it. But I'm sure other DVD distributors in other countries have released the full uncut version of this classic.

In short, Ma Yung Cheng leaves behind the poverty of Shantung for the corrupt city of Shanghai, a place where he becomes the first Chinese fighter to defeat a professional Russian wrestler (Mario Milano, who was born in Italy, started wrestling in Venezuela and became a star in Australia), only to find that the fame that he achieves is more dangerous than he ever imagined.

This film is a marvel of the Shaw Brothers production team, as while most of their movies had two months to shoot, this only had one, meaning that director Cheh Chang was only able to direct during the night while uncredited director Hsueh-Li Pao directed during the day. They needed all the time they could get, as the battle with the Russian took six days and the hatchet mob fight took ten.

Ma Yung Cheng and the gangster he befriends, Tan Si, are two men who have ideals in a world that has none. Having that mindset is their hubris; even when Ma Yung Cheng becomes a gangster, he refuses to allow his men to take money from the poor for protection and also honors the territory of Tan Si. Their enemies will not allow them the same courtesy.

Imagine if Scarface had stabbings and punches in the face instead of all that cocaine and you'll have a bit of an inkling of just how awesome this movie is. I mean, I lost count of all the blade and axe wounds and the final battle is as heartbreaking as it is incredibly packed with action.

Another glorious drama from the Shaw Brothers studio, following a similar story to their many others, with the noticeable change of setting: instead of ancient China we're here introduced to the 1920s Shanghai backdrop for the classic tale of one man's rise and fall in the power stakes. Imagine this a kind of Chinese SCARFACE; its morals of the power of corruption, the falsity of greed, and its story structure are all very similar. Unfortunately it's a lengthy film that can't quite retain interest throughout all of its scenes, meaning I had to watch it in a number of goes to follow the story. And although the kung fu fights are adequate for the most part, they are hardly classic examples of choreography, with a few exceptions (the battle with the Russian fighter is a great one for example).

The thing that holds this film together remarkably well are the performances. Chen Kuan Tai (EXECUTIONERS FROM SHAOLIN) is excellent as the lead, a dedicated, ruthless but humane young man, and he proves to be a worthwhile hero. John Cheung (SNAKE IN THE MONKEY'S SHADOW) provides support as his loyal friend and servant, whilst Shaw Brothers hero David Chiang excels in his more minor turn as a boss. The villains are a remarkable bunch, consisting of the vicious 'Four Champions', and their performances are also excellent (as is the usual for a Shaw Brothers movie). The most memorable thing by far in this film is the thirty-minute finale, in which a mortally wounded Chen Kuan Tai attempts to get revenge on those who caused his death and also the death of his friend. The result is a real bloodbath of a fight, with violent director Chang Cheh really making use of the crimson gore with endless blood spurts and slimy torsos. Watching this finale is a real test, as you can almost feel Tai's pain thanks to his strong acting. In fact the film is worth watching for this tour-de-force climax alone.