Da zui xia (1966)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

King Hu

Writers:

King Hu (writer) and
Yang Erh (writer)

Release Date:

7 April 1966 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Crime

Plot:

A group of bandits kidnaps the governor's son and demands their imprisoned leader to be set free in exchange.

Plot Keywords:

Kung Fu | Beautiful Woman | Stone | Severed Hand | Temple

Cast

Pei-pei Cheng	...	Golden Swallow
Hua Yueh	...	Drunken Cat
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hsi Chang	...	Innkeeper
Hsin Yen Chao
Hung Lieh Chen	...	Jade Faced Tiger
Yang Chiang
Siu-Tung Ching	...	Boy killed at monastery
Alan Chui Chung San
Ngai Fung
Ying-Chieh Han	...	Bandit
Li Jen Ho	...	Monk
Hsia Hsu
Feng Ku	...	Bandit chopping hand off
Yunzhong Li	...	Smiling Tiger Tsu Kan (as Yun-Chung Li)
Mars
Yin Tze Pan
Lao Shen
Tsai Pao Tung
Jo-Ping Wang
Ho Yam	...	Inn waiter
Chih-Ching Yang	...	Abbot Liao Kung
Siu Tien Yuen	...	Bandit

Also Known As:

Come Drink with Me (International: English title)
Great Drunken Hero (USA) (literal English title)

Runtime:

Japan:90 min | USA:95 min | Hong Kong:91 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:16 | Finland:K-15 (2006) | Hong Kong:IIA | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Taiwan

Company:

Shaw Brothers

Trivia:

Includes a 12 year old 'Chan, Jackie' in a small role.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Top Fighter 2 (1996) (V)

The original 'Drunken Master' - should have been released in America in 1967

If this film had been released in America in the year of its production, 1966, or the year afterward, I guarantee that the rave for Hong Kong action films would have surfaced then, and not 1972 (and on) with "5 fingers of death" and "fist of fury". And it would not just have happened among young men (the principle audience for the 'fu film in the '70s), but among Hollywood veterans as well, which would have begun a trend to introduce Hong Kong methods - and professionals - into Hollywood itself.

because this film is dam' well made. The film looks as though King Hu spent hours watching and analyzing George Steven's accomplishment in "Shane", and then figuring out how to do Stevens 'one better' so to speak, and yet maintain his film's appeal to his base audience in Hong Kong and other Chinese communities.

So what we have here is part 'adult western', part 'chinese opera' and all adventure movie from start to finish.

And this is not for kids - and I'm not referring to the violence. The subtle humor of the dialog, the maturity of the acting, the wisdom of the ethical problems raised and of their resolutions, these are for adults to enjoy, and then later to ponder. When the hero stabs a villain, and the villain's blood gushes over the hero's face, this is a brutal reminder of just how serious a violent choice - i.e., the choice to engage in violence, however noble the cause - really is. - A question the film takes seriously, as any good film would.

Very well made, cleverly written, with strong performances from all. A real gem.