Master of the Flying Guillotine

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<B>                </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelforless/id361.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelfor"><U><B>Great Web Sites</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> Master of the Flying Guillotine</div> <bR> <div> <B>** ½</B></div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:leeshoquist@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:leeshoquist@aol.com"><U><U>Reviewed by Lee Shoquist</U></U></A></div> <bR> <div> Some films almost defy criticism.  I'm talking about the types of films that have garnered staggering reputations by devoted cultists over the years.  Usually, these are films that have somehow survived despite initial critical drubbings or being overlooked, undervalued and forgotten before their time.  I suppose a good example of this would be Ridley Scott's "Bladerunner," declared a failure by critics and audiences on first release but today stands as a monumental stylistic forerunner and influential piece of movie making.  The life cycle of these films, after initial release and shelving, often means a distinguished waiting period, followed by a "director's" cut. A new marketing push and attempt to reach beyond the niche of loyalists, who have always triumphed the film, may introduce it to the audience somehow missed in the first go-round.  </div> <bR> <div> And that leads us to the latest entry from the cinematic revival vaults, the famous Hong-Kong Kung-Fu cult film, "The Master of the Flying Guillotine."  Regarded as an often-imitated classic of sorts, "Master" has indeed been cleaned up, re-cut, restored and is being re-released with significant fanfare regarding its Holy Grail status and strategic place in film history.   But if a great film is like a fine wine, maybe this one needs to be corked for another decade or two before re-claiming its significance.  From my vantage point today, twenty-seven years after its initial release, it still seems a silly B-movie  - albeit a frequently fun one - cloaked more in the emperor's new clothes than cinematic royalty.  </div> <bR> <div> The story goes something like this: At the height of Manchu's Ching Dynasty, the emperor has declared war on a rising faction of dangerous dissenters left over from the reign of the Ming Dynasty.  He engages the great blind warrior Master Fu Sheng Wu Chi (a regally silly Kam Kong), to dispose of the insurrectionist rebels.  His weapon of choice, a flying guillotine, contains a series of retractable razor-sharp blades designed to instantly decapitate any victim unlucky enough to have it land on his head.  </div> <bR> <div> Meanwhile, the master of the Eagle Claw School (Lung Kun Yee) - a training ground for young rebels - announces a martial arts competition to end all others, and engages the students of the rebel One Armed Boxer (director Jimmy Wang Yu), in a fierce competition.  More importantly, it seems the One Armed Boxer, a spiritual and methodical man, is responsible for the deaths of two of the Master's most powerful disciples.  Vengeance-bent, the Master begins a single-minded pursuit of the One Armed Boxer that will ultimately be a physical and spiritual fight to the death.</div> <bR> <div> Long on kicks and short on anything else, "The Master of the Flying Guillotine" essentially exists as a showcase for several high-flying combat sequences. The most prominent being the marital arts competition that forms the centerpiece of the film, combining nearly a dozen sequential mano-a-mano pairings, the kind which sound suspiciously like someone slapping a leather sofa with a ping-pong paddle a hundred times, until someone ultimately lands with a thud.  I also got a kick out of the climax of the film, which features a loony showdown - American Western style - between the Master and the One Armed Boxer, set within a coffin store. </div> <bR> <div> But on the other hand, I'm perplexed when it comes to the bottom line of a film like "The Master of the Flying Guillotine."  A part of me can clearly see that it's a well-executed example of the Kung-Fu genre of the 70s, and contains some inventive combat, color and energy.   Watching the film I felt a fond affection for its innocence and low-key approach to irony and humor.  But then there are those pesky other issues like story and human interest, both pretty much dispensed of here for the sake of shattered limbs and decapitations.  </div> <bR> <div> Of course, I realize in a film like this, the intention is to provide high-energy combat, over-the-top set pieces and tongue-in-cheek humor; and "The Master of the Flying Guillotine" sporadically contains all three.  But I found the film as a whole to be much less than the sum of its parts.  And for all its international reputation as an archival classic and seminal moment in the history of Kung-Fu films, I was strangely apathetic to its achievements and modest aspirations.  To me, it's a pretty average movie with a few fun things going on, a high camp value and not much else to recommend.  </div> <bR> <div> I'm sure the renewed appeal in martial arts films that has come on the heels of a crowd-pleaser like Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," is no doubt responsible for the re-release of this film.  But unlike that film, a seamless blend of breathtaking martial arts and exotic romanticism, "The Master of the Flying Guillotine" is, from its inception, a film created only for genre cultists, with little crossover or universal appeal.  It's a niche film, loaded with back-to-back dueling and little else.   </div> <bR> <div> The film's presentation was also disappointing.  For a film that has supposedly been restored prior to this theatrical run, the print I viewed was alternately washed out and garish; aged-looking and complete with "raw" production values.  Several scenes appeared to be color-timed in different temperatures, the result of which was often jarring scene-to-scene transitions.  I supposed we should be thankful that a full missing twelve minutes was restored, as well as the English subtitles in favor of the usual dubbed version which has apparently been a mainstay.  But I am a little shocked that this film is getting a full theatrical push, given that its charms seem much more suited to a late-night engagement or festival revival.  I am also a bit shocked that this film is getting a mainstream re-release.  To me, it would seem more comfortable on a midnight bill or festival date than in a regular run.  </div> <bR> <div> "The Master of the Flying Guillotine" is a mixed experience.  I'm not recommending it, but I'm certainly aware of its modest charms that will likely engage its cultists in its new, complete version.  And though I'm not sure about its classic status, nor am I on the bandwagon about the necessity of restoring this film, it provides an okay ninety minutes of retro-fun, just not much else.   </div> <bR> <div> Not Rated</div> <bR> <div> Contains extreme violence, much of which is cartoonish in nature.  </div> <div>    </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="621" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> Lee Shoquist © 2002</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  </div> <bR> <div>   </div> <bR> <div>  </div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>