The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter (1984)

Wu (Gordon Liu) and Liu (Fu Sheng) are the sole survivors of an ambush in THE 8 DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER. Liu's mind snaps and he attacks anyone he comes into contact with, believing them to be The Enemy (who are led by Wang Lung Wei); even his own people have a hard time restraining him, and he eventually goes mute. Wu, meanwhile, is rescued by the film's director (Liu Chia-Liang), who sacrifices himself when he allows Wu to escape via an intentionally-caused cave-in. Wu tries to force his way into a Shaolin Temple, but the Monks reject him as a possible disciple because he's "too violent..." He begins to learn wirework on his own, and before long is allowed to join the Temple. THE 8 DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER isn't a bad movie, but the opening scenes are so overly Stylized that they don't seem to belong to the rest of the movie. The use of wirework doesn't help any, either.

Chia-Liang Liu, this film's director, was responsible for Jackie Chan's best film of recent vintage, "Drunken Master 2". This is an earlier effort of his that is like a filmed martial arts stage play with rich design and impeccable choreography. Like most such films, it is about martial arts disciples defending honor and resisting vengeance (but not resisting it for long). I find the story lines of these Shaw films extremely uninvolving because the characters remind me of narrow-minded religious zealots whose thought processes are collective. That gripe aside, this is a feast of fight choreography and holds a special place in the Shaw canon. Its plot turns are incomprehensible at times and its dialog is stilted, but it's still impressive. The Celestial DVD boasts an exceptional, clean print. The colors are strong and the transfer is sharp. I'm just not a big fan of period martial arts films, but I do appreciate their artistry. Chai-Liang Liu's staging and direction is beyond solid.

i don't know how many times i tried to start watching this movie. After hearing great things and purchasing it, i found the first 15-30 minutes exceedingly awful (and they are). Of course, these intro scenes are good for a few laughs, but once you get past it, the film is top notch. The fight scenes are wonderful (great pole fighting, as you'd expect from the title), and once again Gordon Liu is himself (i.e. THE MAN).It's a bit difficult to keep characters straight at first, but put this one in you DVD/VHS player, sit back, and get ready for some really (unintentional) funny moments as well as some of the best Kung Fu action out there.

As in the case of many Shaw Brothers masterpieces, the following lessons can be learned:a) DON'T be a traitor b) DON'T leave the hero unless one is 100% sure that he's dead c) DON'T MAKE THE HERO (in this case, LUI CHIA HUI) ANGRY - YOU WON'T LIKE HIM WHEN HE'S ANGRY. d) If you love this type of movie, DON'T leave this life without seeing it.