Gang violence is wrong

“The Avenging Eagle” directed by Chung Sun stimulates viewers through long pans, non-typical points of view and melodramatic fight scenes. The combination of potent aesthetic appeal and histrionic raw kung fu intertwines; the film is the best of both worlds. It includes all elements of classic action, yet does not neglect a late 70s mise-en-scene, emphasizing the allure of otherwise simple images.

The story begins with Chi Ming-sing (Ti Lung), a starving man left to die in the middle of the desert. He is saved by the stranger Cheuk Yi-Fan (Alexander Fu Sheng). The pair’s on-and-off-again battles, due to Chi’s suspicions, finally subside and the two become something like partners.

Eventually, Chi tells his new ally about his orphaned and abusive past. Chi explains that at the age of seven he was forced into the infamous murderous Eagle Clan and raised by Chief Yoh Xi-hung (Ku Feng) to brutally annihilate, loot and obey. Chi further recalls a horrible incident in which he was forced to watch the Eagle Clan brutally murder a family which had saved Chi’s life in the past, announcing that he has since lost his will to murder. Both Chi and Cheuk, for different reasons, enter a long and grueling mission together, filled with countless twists and surprises, in search of the ruthless Yoh. The suspense continues right up until the final second of the movie. The ending is thoughtfully twisted; Sun’s masterpiece will leave audiences in disarray.

The director of photography clearly knows how to work a camera in the conventional sense. An epic pan of hundreds of galloping horse hooves illustrates a scene that could easily be found in Hollywood. Thus, when other scenes are shown as melodramatic, audiences know they too serve an intentional purpose. This purpose is clear. “The Avenging Eagle” embraces the spirit of classic kung fu. The first full fight scene is so elaborate that no true kung fu, action or even dance fanatic could ask for better. The scene is equipped with jumps, axels and even a frame where the two men both do the splits.

There is a definite contrast inherent in the film’s nature, and it is hard to find a movie so versatile. For instance, the voice dubbing is extremely apparent, yet it adds to the kung fu experience in a fantastic way. The acting so well resembles the tone of the dubbed voices as if nothing had been lost in translation at all. Even the obvious wigs give the movie a classic appeal. Yet, many of the important scenes of the film are sublimely portrayed in serious and emotionally gripping truth (such as Chi’s recollection of his youth training for the Eagle Clan). Likewise with set design, while some scenes explore a frontier open-frame wilderness, others resemble a Tim Burton-esque eerie and surreal landscape. The expanse of style and juxtaposition of the serious and melodramatic makes this film a pleasure to watch.

“The Avenging Eagle” is much more than a compilation of heavily choreographed fight scenes. It is framed around a heavy moral commentary and discusses the standards of friendship, the meaning of revenge and perhaps most importantly, encourages the questioning of authority. For the kung fu lover, it is a classic. For the Hollywood action fan, it will be a difficult transition. But for anyone willing to try something different, it is a must-see. ?