THE HEROIC ONES
A film review by J. Crawford
Copyright 1995 J. Crawford
a.k.a. THIRTEEN FIGHTERS Directed by Chang Cheh - 1970? Running Time - 117 min.
Revenge, burnings, traditional dance numbers, drinking (drunkenness), lechery, attempted rape, plotting, more revenge, ... dynastic intrigue, pageantry, all the elements of a classic Shaw Brothers production (filmed in Shawscope!) are included in THE HEROIC ONES. This gem of the classic age of kung fu movies is directed by the great Chang Cheh who clearly is the forerunner of modern day filmmakers like Tsui Hark and his contemporaries. If you've seen any of Hark's films (SWORDSMAN; WONG FEI HONG 1, 2, 3; ZU, WARRIORS OF MAGIC MOUNTAIN; etc.), you should check out Cheh's HEROIC ONES.
This epic features David Chiang in the role of the 13th prince, a powerful young fighter, one of thirteen brothers who all seem to be skilled martial artists. Chiang, at the time, was a rising young star at the Shaw Brothers studio, Western audiences saw him paired with the late great Peter Cushing a few years later in the Hammer/Shaw Brothers co-production THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES (a.k.a. 7 BROTHERS AGAINST DRACULA).
The 13th prince is the favored son of the king with 13 sons. he appears to be the youngest, brashest, strongest, and most charming of the 13 brothers. His lofty status with the king causes jealousy among a couple of his brothers which leads to a very gruesome family feud. throughout this adventure there are a number of excellent fighting scenes. The last third of the film is full of great sword-fighting and super kung fu.
Director Chang Cheh has made over a hundred films in his long and illustrious career. His work for the Shaw Brothers studio represents the best films produced during the 1960s and early 1970s at that most renowned motion picture factory. His use of lighting and costumes to establish character is outstanding here. His camera seems to be always moving into the action and the editing draws the viewer in to the story at hand.
All the performers do well in their roles. Ti Lung performs well as the 11th prince as does Chin Han in his role as the eldest son. Han turns in a surprisingly poignant performance. there are many good scenes in THE HEROIC ONES but one of the very best is an extended scene in which Ti Lung must rescue his father from an assassination attempt and together they must fight their way out of the enemy's city.
This is apparently a complete version of the film and it contains one of the bloodiest, most visceral murders that I can recall seeing in any Shaw Brothers film of that era. It took this viewer completely by surprise and I loved it. The screenplay, up to that point, gives no indication of this scene happening and when it does, it blows you away. There are some universal ideas and concepts included in THE HEROIC ONES that are clearly expressed in this wonderful film without spoken words. Clearly, Chang Cheh should have a place of honor in the history of global cinema.
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