Jimmy Wang Yu went into exile in Taiwan to direct One-Armed Boxer, and its action-packed style made it entertaining
- The film’s main draw is the international fighters, using an array of different fighting styles, that Wang’s character must face to avenge his disfigurement
- Some of the actors were real martial artists, and the fight scenes are very good – gritty, sometimes brutal and so realistic they look like gangster fights
Jimmy Wang Yu’s appearances in classic Shaw Brothers wuxia films such as Golden Swallow and One-Armed Swordsman in the 1960s saw him become Hong Kong’s biggest martial arts star. But by 1970, he wanted to forge a new path as a director.
Wang’s big idea was to focus on unarmed combat rather than swordfighting, and his hit directorial debut Chinese Boxer is credited with starting the craze in Hong Kong for kung fu films, which replaced wuxia movies at the box office.
In a controversial move, Wang broke his contract with Shaw Brothers and moved to fledgling rival studio Golden Harvest, where he directed the entertaining One-Armed Boxer in 1972. This necessitated him relocating to Taiwan, where the film was made.
One-Armed Boxer is an energetic, action-packed movie and features Wang playing the titular character, who seeks revenge on the villains who cut off his arm. The film’s main attraction is the international array of fighters that Wang must face to achieve his goal.
The Post discussed Wang’s movie with Asian film expert Frank Djeng, who supplies the commentary for One-Armed Boxer’s new Blu-ray release by Eureka Classics in the UK. Eureka will release the film on May 24.
The villains use a lot of different martial arts styles in the film, although they are all highly exaggerated.