Corey Yuen Kwai – A Tribute

Truly a strange week. I, like so many others, was stunned by the news that Hong Kong legend Corey Yuen Kwai had died. Even more surprised that it happened two years ago. And then, as I start writing a tribute to another film-maker who has contributed so much to the movies I love over the years, a close friend dies and I wonder what I achieve by writing tributes for people I never met when I should be concentrating on those around me. As I’ve mentioned in other articles – these obituaries are becoming depressingly frequent – it’s all about honouring those who have provided so much for cinema, especially those who will not get mentioned much in the Western press. And yet Yuen Kwai especially has seen his influence pour into many of the big budget films millions enjoy today – that is an enviable legacy.

All of the aforementioned would be hard for a young Yuen Kwai to comprehend, perhaps even when fellow classmates like Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung were beginning to develop modest international followings. Yet fans of old school films would see his face in genre greats like ‘Invincible Armour’ and ‘Dance of the Drunk Mantis’ and know that he was something a bit special. There were plenty of small roles before these, but most of his impressive work was taking place behind the camera. When he did turn up as a henchman, his severe looks hardly shouted ‘big screen star’, but then Hong Kong cinema has always been a home for all kinds of performers if they have skills in other areas. Rewatching ‘Dance of the Drunk Mantis’ before writing this, I noticed how Yuen Kwai was certainly not just taking up space, even though he was stood next to the unrivalled Hwang Jang-Lee. Kwai shows the skill to go toe-to-toe with the remarkably acrobatic cast and becomes a key part to just how good this official ‘Drunken Master’ sequel is.

Dance Of The Drunk Mantis (1979)

It would take a few years for his face to become more of a fixture in Hong Kong action films. He’d turn up in ‘Righting Wrongs’ (which he also directed) and ‘Millionaires’ Express’ and ‘Eastern Condors’ – his aloof look, cigarette permanently stuck to his bottom lip, is one of those iconic faces that I think of when I imagine the Golden Era of Hong Kong cinema. There were meatier roles in ‘Fist of Fury 1991’ and ‘In The Blood’ (which, again, he directed) and just his screen work would be worthy of a tribute at FarEastFilms. But we all know that Yuen Kwai did something even more incredible. He contributed to some of the greatest action films of all-time, doing stunt work and orchestrating action choreography at the highest level. A quick scan through his IMDB page is a reminder of this as how many can boast the following on their CV: ‘Drunken Master’ (assistant stunt co-ordinator); ‘Dance of the Drunk Mantis (stunt co-ordinator); ‘Hitman in the Hand of Buddha’ (action choreographer); ‘Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain’ (stunt co-ordinator); ‘Operation Scorpio’ (action choreographer); ‘Moon Warriors’ (stunt action director). This is only scratching the surface of the work he contributed to behind the camera.

Fans will have noticed some notable absences from the films previously discussed. The reason for this is that Yuen Kwai’s greatest works often featured him as director alongside his other credits. Again, a short article can never do justice to everything he directed but there are some personal highlights that I have to mention. His directorial debut is, for me, one of his best. ‘Ninja in the Dragon’s Den’ is a superb genre piece, mixing humour and action with as much invention and creativity as Yuen Woo-Ping had shown before. It’s full of outrageous action sequences like the ‘Stilt Fu’ and the two-against-one finale, but a special mention has to go to how much fun his cast seems to be having. Conan Lee and Hiroyuki Sanada are a wonderful double-act, with their director letting them play off each other’s mischievous nature brilliantly. It’s an outstanding debut and saw him take his talents West (albeit for Ng See-Yuen’s ‘Seasonal Pictures’) with cult classic ‘No Retreat, No Surrender’.

Righting Wrongs (1986)

It was the two films he directed and provided choreography for between his two ‘No Retreat, No Surrender’ gigs that really cemented his reputation for many fans. While he had given ample evidence of his skill previously, ‘Yes, Madam!’ in 1985 and ‘Righting Wrongs’ would take Yuen Kwai’s fame to new heights and become two of the greatest Hong Kong action films ever. ‘Yes Madam’ has become iconic, an incredible vehicle for Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Rothrock and, behind the lens, Yuen Kwai who put together an unstoppable piece of genre brilliance. And yet he would top this a year later with the remarkable Yuen Biao film ‘Righting Wrongs’, a darker and edgier flick that even gives the action choreographer and director a meaty role in the story. Two superb films that showed that, on his day, Yuen Kwai could sit comfortably among the Jackies and Sammos of the world.

Kwai then diversified by co-directing the box-office smash ‘All for the Winner’ in 1990 and returning to the fighting femme genre with the excellent ‘She Shoots Straight’. This was a rate of bona fide hits that put his name among the Hong Kong elite. In 1991 he co-directed one of his most memorable films, ‘Saviour of the Soul’, a visual tour-de-force sci-fi action movie that began to make ripples worldwide as it played at various festivals. The style and aesthetic would not only drip feed into upcoming Hong Kong productions, but also had elements ‘borrowed’ by Hollywood shortly after. A sequel would follow – the less said about that the better – and then Yuen Kwai would concentrate his efforts on Jet Li. Having given Yuen Biao, Michelle Yeoh, Conan Lee and Joyce Godenzi vehicles worthy of their talents, he was now responsible for providing Li with a trio of hits. ‘Fong Sai Yuk’ was undoubtedly the best – a new-wave martial arts film of the highest order – ‘Fong Sai Yuk II’ and especially ‘My Father is a Hero’ are two fine films to add to Kwai’s (and Li’s) filmography. Following that, Yuen Kwai mixed a few more local hits with increasing work in Hollywood, with his action choreography having tremendous influence to this day. It really cannot be overestimated just how much Yuen Kwai’s style is felt in the blockbusters seen today; that ability to make non-fighters look impressive on screen started with people like Kwai and Yuen Woo Ping.

Fist of Fury 1991 (1991)

This has been a whirlwind look through a remarkable career and, of course, it doesn’t do it justice. Then again, a life is more than just the sum of one’s work, however incredible it was. That said, the amount of open-mouth wonder he helped create, the rewind-worthy scenes he helped shape and the bruises he gained doing all of this will never be forgotten. Another great film-maker, forged by the harshest of upbringings and furnished with enviable talents, has left Hong Kong cinema. Once again, we are so grateful for what they have left behind.