The Films
Though she’s a familiar name to kung fu movie fans, Angela Mao Ying has never had the crossover recognition of contemporaries like Bruce Lee and Sammo Hung. Perhaps this 50th anniversary reissue of two of her films will do something to address that.
Both films in this set date from 1972, and were directed by Huang Feng, but Lady Whirlwind was made and released first. In this, Mao plays Tien Li-Chun, who is on a mission of vengeance against Ling Shih-hua (Chang Yi), who she blames for her sister’s suicide. However, Ling Shih-hua is engaged in a battle with some local gangsters (led by Pai Ying, as Tung Ku and also including a bearded, 20 year old, Sammo Hung). Tien agrees to spare Ling, but only until he can kill Tung Ku.
Lady Whirlwind is an early effort from Golden Harvest studios, and despite some beautiful scenery provided by the Korean locations, it feels very creaky today. The problem with it in this set is that, while she’s second billed and technically one of the leads, it seldom shows off Angela Mao to her best advantage. There’s no question of her sheer screen presence, her perma-scowl and unblinking eyes as she regards Chang Yi with vengeance in her heart sometimes betray what I might call Meiko Kaji energy (and nobody ever had more intimidating energy than Kaji), but she feels like a minor player in much of the story.
For so much of the screen time, we’re focused on Ling Shih-hua’s pursuit of Tung Ku and his goons, but there’s nothing interesting about this story. By contrast, Tien’s show of restraint until another’s vengeance is complete is interesting, but her motives for that mercy are under-explored and the ending is anti-climactic and, even by the standards of classic kung fu movies, abrupt. There is a great movie to be made with this premise, but it’s one that foregrounds Mao’s character, has her team up with Chang, but leaves her animosity towards him bubbling under.
This is also an early work for Sammo Hung, who appears in a supporting role and choreographed the film’s fights. Great as Sammo is, this isn’t the best demonstration of his skills. The moves are, as was the style at the time, big and wide. Sammo and Huang Feng do make the fights fast without camera trickery ramping the speed up, but they often also feel sloppy, with many visible misses and obviously pulled punches that dilute the impact. There’s plenty of blood (another thing that betrays how early this is in Golden Harvest’s history, making the Shaw Brothers influence very obvious), but the impact is largely lacking. Overall, Lady Whirlwind is a disappointment, despite its leading lady’s obvious talent and charisma.
Made only a few months after Lady Whirlwind, with much of the same crew, Hapkido nevertheless represents a great leap forward for all concerned. The plot is deeper this time, with Mao, Carter Wong and Sammo Hung playing Chinese students of the titular Korean martial art. Returning to Guangzhou to set up a school, they become targets of a local Japanese martial arts school who, because they occupy Korea, consider themselves owners of Hapkido.
Hapkido is immediately more engaging than Lady Whirlwind because, while it uses one of the standby martial arts movie plots in its confrontation between rival schools, it also adds strong political context to the story by having this cultural crossover between two countries that were brutally occupied by Japanese forces. Mao brings the same level of presence to her role as she did in Lady Whirlwind, but here the story affords her much more time, and allows her to drive things forward. It is she, throughout, who is both the voice of reason and the best fighter when seen alongside her kung fu brothers played by Carter Wong and Sammo Hung, who has his first really substantial role here, as the impetuous and hotheaded member of the group.
Hung steps his game up as choreographer here. The fights retain the speed we saw in Lady Whirlwind but, perhaps because of embracing the titular style, the movements are sharper and a little more contained, with Mao in particular being given short and effective strikes much of the time. The fighting is more full on here, and we can now see the seeds of the style that Sammo would bring to many of his films going forward. Though Hapkido post dates Fist of Fury by only a few months (March and October 1972 releases respectively), the influence seems clear not just on the story but on several of the fights, most notably the first time Mao’s Yu Ying goes to the dojo, and demolishes about 15 of their students in a truly impressive sequence.
Wong and Hung acquit themselves well, with Wong’s one-armed fight (the other is injured early on) being another highlight, and Sammo’s sequence when the Japanese students find where he’s been hiding hinting a little at his future mastery of the use of scenery in his work. As well as the excellent fighting, all three acquit themselves well in their performances, the forceful but controlled and compassionate persona that Mao gives Yu Ying being a highlight.
It’s true that in the final sequences, Yu Ying has to call in some male help from back in Korea, but it’s hard to mind on two levels. First, Ying isn’t someone who needs saving. She’s been shown as both smart and an unstoppable force to this point, with many fantastic fight sequences dedicated to showing off Mao’s skill, and second… that help comes in the form of Hwang Jang Lee, and any chance to see him fight on screen is to be savoured. It’s nice to see him in a heroic role, as fast and furious as he ever was.
If Lady Whirlwind is like watching some great talents take their first faltering steps, then Hapkido is the swift and stunning realisation of their potential. A classic of its genre, and one whose influence cannot be overstated.
Lady Whirlwind: ★★
Hapkido: ★★★★½
The Discs
As ever, these are impressive restorations from Eureka. I chose the Mandarin soundtracks, and found them well balanced and clearly subtitled. The only caveat I have is that while some out of focus shots in Lady Whirlwind are clearly stylistic choices, there are a couple of shots in the film’s third act that look notably grainier and out of focus. I assume this was a print issue, and it lasts only a few seconds in an otherwise impeccable presentation, but it is worth noting.
The Extras
Again as per usual, these discs are loaded with extras. Lady Whirlwind boasts three commentaries. Frank Djeng supplies two of them, paired respectively with Bobby Samuels and Michael Worth. These teams are familiar from other Eureka commentary tracks, and they are always incredibly informative and have a great dynamic. The third track comes from film historian Samm Deighan. I will say that all these commentators liked Lady Whirlwind a lot more than me, so hopefully when I can listen to them fully I might find I appreciate it more.
Also on the Lady Whirlwind disc is a 2022 interview with Angela Mao, who is delightful, reminiscing about her films and promising that if you come to her son’s restaurant she’ll be happy to come out and say hello. There is also a longer interview with her son, Thomas King, which is particularly interesting in discussing his progressive realisation of just how famous his mother is among kung fu fans.
The Hapkido disc has another two commentaries (Djeng again with Samuels and Worth) and a second part of the interview with Angela Mao (taken together they add up to about 40 minutes).
There are also archival interviews with Mao, Sammo Hung & Yuen Biao and Carter Wong. These all look to be from the ’90s, and I assume they were used on the old Hong Kong Legends disc. They are mostly more general, but worthwhile.
A real gem is an original promotional film, featuring Hapkido master Ji-han Jae instructing the stars of the film. This is something I just wouldn’t have expected to have survived for 50 years, but it’s in better shape than the archival interviews and is an enormously fun extra for fans.
Both discs are filled out with alternate credit sequences, trailers and image galleries
