A ruling clan is sent into turmoil with the death of its beloved leader. His demise, however, was orchestrated by those who want to take over the position and soon the clan is under a much less benign influence. These dramas do not affect misanthropic loner Jin Fei (Lung) until he becomes inadvertently involved in the situation after saving a friend. His constant warnings to the clan and its various factions go unheeded, however, and their determination to drag him into the conflict leads to them unleashing his full fury.
The stoic hero is a popular figure in Asian cinema and King Eagle is an early example of it presented well under the Shaw Brothers banner. Some way from the matinee-idol romantic hero of most genre output, these anti-heroes are fascinating creations. King Eagle is a good iteration of this, giving viewers a hero that has removed themselves from a martial world that is determined to drag them back into the mire. Watching this, I did wonder if the makers of ‘John Wick’ had been influenced by Chang Cheh’s work here: there’s a great scene featuring the assassin ‘Deadly Fingers’ where he explains just what the villains have unleashed – it is eerily similar to another scene in the aforementioned Keanu Reeves flick.
Chang Cheh’s ‘King Eagle’ is also a feast for the eyes, a reminder that this is a director who didn’t merely throw together the elements and hope they stuck. Cheh’s artistry is not always given the credit it deserves, as there is much focus on his mixture of heroism and mayhem, but not as much on how he presents the work. Although much of the film is studio-bound, the lighting and framing give everything a significant lift. The new Blu-rays are also giving me a much greater appreciation for the images that Chang Cheh painted.
If there is an issue with ‘King Eagle’ it is with leading man Ti Lung. Not that he isn’t excellent in the role, but I couldn’t help but wonder if the character would have had more gravitas if it had been played by an older actor, someone who looks like he has seen the blood-stained world. Either that or make Ti Lung much less ‘pretty’ and polished; his look still recalls the 60s style of protagonist rather than fully embracing the new decade ahead. That said, Ti Lung was one of the boyish genre idols of the era and at least has the range to make ‘King Eagle’ something special.
‘King Eagle’ might be an early collaboration between director and star, it might lack the choreographed brilliance of later works and it might have a distinctly 60s hangover to it. Nevertheless, it’s an excellent film with a character that should have appeared in more films.
