The Flying Guillotine (1975)
Directed by Ho Meng-Hua / Meng Hua Ho
Genres - Action, Adventure |
Sub-Genres - Martial Arts |
Release Date - Feb 18, 1975 (USA - Unknown) |
Run Time - 111 min. |
Countries - Hong Kong |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Donald Guarisco
This Shaw Brothers production introduced the world to one of the most memorably bizarre weapons to ever appear in a martial arts film. Flying Guillotine was inspired by a historical account of the Manchu dynasty and revolves around the development of the title weapon, which is created by general Xin Kang (Ku Feng) to appease an emperor who requests a device that will allow him to quietly dispatch his enemies. Ma Teng (Chen Kuan-Tai) is enlisted to become part of an elite squad trained to use the weapon and quickly excels. However, he finds himself on the run when rival student Xu Shuang-kun (Frankie Wai) plots against him. Ma Teng finds happiness for a short while by living in seclusion with street performer Yu Ping (Lau Ng-Kei) but is ultimately forced to square off with the gang of killers he once belonged to. Flying Guillotine was a big hit for Shaw Brothers, inspiring two follow-ups (Flying Guillotine II and The Vengeful Beauty) as well as a slew of imitators like Master of the Flying Guillotine. It remains a cult favorite today amongst martial arts film fans and is considered by many to be one of the all-time Shaw Brothers classics.
Characteristics
Keywords
bad-guy, bodyguard, China, criminal, emperor, escape, false-accusation, flying, fugitive, good-guy, guillotine, Kung-Fu, martial-arts, pursuit, tension, tracking [following]