Assault: The Criminals, Part IV (1977) User Reviews

To live and die in Hong Kong part 4.

[[e-mail] · 6/10 · 16 January 2021]

The last chapter in this outstanding Crime saga of Hong Kong cinema, has two factual episodes: 1) Police Inspector Frankie Wai Wong (THE SHADOW BOXER, THE SHAOLIN MANTIS, THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE) investigates on a gang of rapists; 2) QUEEN OF TEMPLE STREET: a Police Inspector played by Shut Chung Tin (THE TONGFATHER; CHALLENGE OF THE MASTERS) investigates on a gambling Triad after a gamble-addict has sold his wife to a brothel in order to pay his heavy debts. Cult-directors Sun Chung and Kuei Chi Hung deliver as usual, supported by a large cast of local cinematic vets including Teresa Ho Ping (THE 14 AMAZONS), the tough guy of many actioners San Kwai (IRON DRAGON STRIKES BACK, FITS TO FIST), Tin Ching (BLOOD BROTHERS) and so many other performers (mostly seen in the previous three chapters of this saga, in different roles of course). Written by Szetu-On, one of the most prolific and well-regarded HK screenwriters (255 movies!). The not aboundant Kung-Fu action is staged by vet coreographer-bitplayer Huang Pei Chia. This time the good box-office numbers weren't good enough to encourage a fifth CRIMINALS chapter, anyway the whole saga has an above-average quality for the Hong Kong cinematic standard of the 70's, proving Shaw Bros' weren't only Martial Arts and their stars could act even without fistfights. Moreover the tone of the whole saga was somber and different from Hollywood's happy-endings.

Some sin and some grim

[fertilecelluloid · 8/10 · 9 October 2008]

"The Criminals - Assault" is the fourth in this exploitation series, and is yet another very worthy entry. Kuei Chin-hung ("Killer Snakes", "Boxer's Omen")returns for "Maniac", while the director of "Human Skin Lanterns", Sun Chung, delivers "The Queen of Temple Street", one of the grimmest, most depressing dramas to come from any country. In "Maniac", a bunch of perverts are kidnapping and raping local girls. Their abuse entails beating, suspension, pouring milk into orifices, and general deviance. The cops are on the trail of these guys, but since they are relatively ineffective, the director has plenty of screen time to depict their vicious reign. It all ends with lots of shooting and fighting. The title probably refers to one of the perverts, a salivating, huffing and puffing nutbag who couldn't find the word "subtle" in his thespian dictionary.In "The Queen of Temple Street", a ne'er-do-well gambler pays his debts off by selling his beautiful wife into prostitution for a year (initially). The woman is subjected to nothing but abuse, betrayal, and unbelievable requests from her scumbag husband for more money. Naturally, his requests are met with violent opposition. When the woman's brother attempts to extricate her from her one year contract, he is informed that her husband signed her life away for another year. A rescue attempt ends in disaster and a bloody altercation between the woman and her husband brings more doom and gloom. Well directed and beautifully scored, this entry bears few hallmarks of the series. The prostitution story is not intercut with a police investigation, and there is no attempt at humor. The film has a consistency of style with a strong emotional trajectory that raises it to another level. As mentioned earlier, it is terribly grim, abandoning all hope from frame one. It also has rare moments of beauty and pathos.