The Boxer from Shantung
馬永貞 | Ma yong zhen
1972
Synopsis
Early 1900s. A young Northern Chinese man’s fearsome boxing ability allows him to muscle his way to the top of the Shanghai underworld. But when he refuses to become an assassin for the city’s leading gang, he finds life on Shanghai’s mean streets far riskier than the boxing ring.
Editorial
What good are codes of honor in an unchivalrous world? It’s the key question for director Chang Cheh in this period crime epic. With action staging by choreographer supreme Lau Kar-leung, The Boxer from Shantung builds to a pyrrhic last stand that ranks among the bloodiest battles in the Shaw canon.
