As a cinephile with a soft spot for martial arts movies, you might not immediately think of “The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter” when discussing the funniest films in the genre. However, the climactic battle of this movie is so hilarious it’ll leave you rolling on the floor! In the US, it’s also known by its original dubbed title, “The Invincible Pole Fighter.” This film, along with its more famous counterpart, stands as one of Gordon Liu’s finest kung fu performances. If you’re familiar with him as the hero from “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin,” then you know what I’m talking about! Just like its well-known relative, “The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter” is a thrilling martial arts revenge spectacle.
The storyline of the movie revolves around Liu, who is the 5th son of a highly respected Song Dynasty general known far and wide for their exceptional mastery in wielding spears. Tragedy strikes when his father and most of his seven brothers are brutally killed in an ambush during battle at the hands of a rebellious army. As a result, Liu’s character, Yeung Dak, is compelled to conceal himself within a Shaolin monastery due to its monastic rules against sharp weapons. This forces him to abandon his spear and adopt a new weapon, a basic staff, as his replacement.
The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter’s Monks Have A Hilarious Way Of Fighting The Movie’s Villains
The Bad Guys Of The Film End Up Literally Toothless
Absolutely, similar to most martial arts revenge films, the antagonists from the initial assault reappear in the story, taking Yeung Dak’s unsuspecting younger sister captive, unaware that he had survived and chosen a life as a monk post-attack. Despite his desire to confront his old adversaries, Yeung Dak’s experiences at the monastery have profoundly transformed him; he now takes new vows to spare any living being’s life, creating an intriguing dilemma for him as he approaches the climactic battle of the movie.
The resolution to this ethical dilemma was presented earlier in the film. Due to their vows, these monks vehemently oppose taking another life, even when it comes to bloodthirsty wolves causing destruction in their land. Instead of using lethal force against these predators, they are depicted using their polearms to break their teeth, thus stopping them from causing any more harm without actually killing them. Remarkably, Yeung Dak and his fellow benevolent monks opted for this method when confronting Dak’s adversaries, resulting in one of the most iconic final battles in kung fu film lore.
Instead of interpreting “shattering the enemy’s teeth” as a metaphor for Yeung Dak and their allies, the final battle actually involves them targeting the villains’ mouths and literally knocking out their incisors with their staves. It’s an audaciously violent and humorous display, with their staffs making contact with the villains’ faces and leaving rows of teeth stuck in the varnish as they are wrenched away. Other enemies receive impromptu dental work from the sharp ends of polearms, a shockingly efficient treatment. The entire scene is a hilariously gruesome spectacle that needs to be witnessed to be believed.
The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter Is One Of Shaw Brothers’ Best Films
The Amazing Choreography Isn’t Just In The Ending
One fascinating way The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter stands out among Shaw Brothers’ martial arts films is through its intense final battle against ruthless antagonists. Given the vast number of movies under their label and the high regard they were held in during the ’70s and ’80s, this speaks volumes about the film’s quality. A significant factor contributing to its appeal is Gordon Liu’s powerful portrayal, convincingly expressing the suppressed wrath of a once war master now transformed into a peacemaker, despite causing some dental discomfort.
In addition to its less common triumphs, the film’s fight sequences stand out as exceptional in every scene. The innovative ways it employs a basic weapon like a bo staff, which earned it a nomination for Best Action Choreography at the 4th Hong Kong Film Awards, is truly impressive. Each action sequence surpasses the one before, leading to an outrageously extravagant finale in The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter , which showcases one of the most original methods of non-lethal victory ever imagined.
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2025-05-25 23:21