It’s a rags-to-riches story by way of the fist!
Directed by Chang Cheh and Pao Hsueh Li and featuring a stellar performance from Chen Kuan Tai as Ma Yung Chen, who heads to the big city seeking his own path to fortune and fame, this Hong Kong gangster epic (clocking in at almost 2 and a half hours) behaves more as a character study as one kung fu fighter from the country rubs shoulders with gangsters, impresses with his skills, but refuses to take any help on his way to the top . . . where it is indeed very, very lonely.
The action is quick. The beatdowns are bloody. And, as Ma Yung Chen and his childhood friend, Hsiao Chiang Pei (Cheng Kang-Yeh), are about to discover, the city of Shanghai cares nothing about them. Just make the water pipes for the city already and get out of the way of Boss Yang (Chiang Nan) and his thugs.
Except Ma Yung Chen and his swaggering attitude can’t do that. It’s not his way. Instead, punches are thrown, heads are bashed in, and all sorts of 20th century fun as this Shaw Brothers production breaks out of the traditional period-piece sword fighting action for a change and thrusts its audience in the streets as one ruffian climbs his way to the top after securing favor from a very different kind of gangster than Boss Yang.
With a fine performance from David Chiang as Boss Tan Si, The Boxer From Shantung serves as a cautionary tale. The fact is that the rise to the top for Yung Chen means that there’s also going to be a great fall and a sacrifice for everything that he wants, but Yung Chen is stubborn, walking blindly into what has to happen.
As far as the action goes, The Boxer From Shantung has four choreographers - Liu Chia Liang, Tang Chia, Liu Chia Yung, Chen Chung - who deliver some explosive hand-to-hand combat throughout the film, including a 20-minute finale that is as bloody and as gritty as one might expect for this narrative.
The Boxer From Shantung, packaged alongside King Boxer and Chinatown Kid, is now on blu-ray thanks to Arrow Video’s release of SHAW BROTHERS PRESENTS | THE BASHER BOX. All the films feature 2K scans from 4K transfers, new sub-titles for better accuracy, and are filled with hours upon hours of special features.
The Boxer From Shantung was one of the most influential films from Shaw Brothers and spawned sequels, remakes, and impersonators galore. Grab your hands on the original thanks to Arrow Video!
Home Video Distributor: Arrow Films
Available on Blu-ray - October 24, 2023
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English; English SDH
Audio: Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono; English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; 3-discset
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
This triple bill of redemption and revenge kicks off in 1972 with Korean director Chung Chang-wha's King Boxer, the film that established kung fu cinema as an international box office powerhouse when it hit Stateside cinemas under the title Five Fingers of Death. From there we see Chang Cheh, arguably Shaw's most prolific director, helm the blood-soaked brutality of The Boxer from Shantung and Chinatown Kid, the latter set on the streets of San Francisco.
Video
Presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, The Boxer From Shantung is beautifully presented on 1080p from Arrow Video. Interiors are strong. Colors pop throughout, but it is the blood effects - burning bright in the transfer - which seal the deal on this one. It’s full of great atmosphere thanks to the quick-footed script and looks visually eye-popping due to the 1080- upgrade. Black levels are strong throughout, bringing out nice details in both the loud and quiet moments of this epic adventure. The tracking shots are glorious to behold in 1080p. Blacks are solid and shadows maintain their lines. Even the costumes are noted stitch by stitch.
Audio
Fans of the genre get uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono tracks, plus Cantonese mono for the film.
Supplements:
Get ready to duel to the death with these supplemental items!
Commentary:
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See Special Features for the breakdown.
Special Features:
Get ready to duel to the death with these supplemental items!
Disc One - King Boxer
- 2K restoration by Arrow Films from a 4K scan of the original negative
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
- Restored uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio
- English subtitles for the Mandarin audio, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub
- Commentary by David Desser, co-editor of The Journal of Japanese and Korean Cinema and The Cinema of Hong Kong
- Appreciation by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
- Interview with director Chung Chang-wha, filmed in 2003 and 2004
- Interview with star Wang Ping, filmed in 2007
- Interview with Korean cinema expert Cho Young-jung, author of Chung Chang-wha: Man of Action, filmed in 2005
- Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu, the first in a three-part documentary on Shaw Brothers' place within the martial arts genre produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003, featuring interviews with Jackie Chan, Jet Li, John
- Woo, Sammo Hung, Gordon Liu, Lau Kar-leung, Cheng Pei-pei, David Chiang and many others
- Alternate opening credits from the American version titled Five Fingers of Death
- Trailers
- Image gallery
Disc Two - The Boxer From Shantung
- 2K restoration by Arrow Films from a 4K scan of the original negative
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
- Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio
- English subtitles for the Mandarin audio, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub
- Interview with star Chen Kuan-tai, filmed in 2007
- Interview with assistant director John Woo, filmed in 2004
- Interview with star David Chiang, filmed in 2003
- Conversation between stars Chen Kuan-tai and Ku Feng, filmed at a Shaw Brothers reunion in 2007
- Trailers
- Image gallery
Disc Three - Chinatown Kid
- 2K restoration of the 115-minute International Version from original film elements
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
- 90-minute Alternate Version
- Uncompressed original Cantonese audio for the International Version, with English subtitles
- Uncompressed original English audio for the International Version, with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles
- Uncompressed original Mandarin audio for the Alternate Version, with English subtitles
- Commentary on the International Version by Terrence J. Brady, author of Alexander Fu Sheng: Biography of the Chinatown Kid
- Select scene video commentary by co-star SUSAn Shaw from 2021
- Elegant Trails: Fu Sheng, a featurette on the actor produced by Celestial Pictures in 2005
- Trailers
- Image gallery
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 134 mins
Director: Cheh Chang; Hsueh-Li Pao
Writer: Cheh Chang; Kuang Ni
Cast: Kuan Tai Chen; Li Ching; David Chiang
Genre: Action | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "Lingzi, you have a lady's temper, but a maid's destiny."
Distributor: Shaw Brothers
Official Site:
Release Date: February 11, 1972 (United States)
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 24, 2023
Synopsis: Leaving the poverty of his life in Shantung to seek fortune in Shanghai, The Boxer is instead drawn into a world of corruption, gang warfare and evil... Where his only protection is his famed fighting technique.
