Opium and the Kung-Fu Master

Tang Chia is considered one of the greatest Kung fu choreographers ever, but he only directed three movies of his own. The first two were weird and wonderful Kung fu phantasmagoricals, but this, his last, is not only his greatest, but one of the greatest ever. Ti Lung, in one of his finest performances, plays Tieh Chiao-san, head of the Ten Kwangtung Tigers, who falls victim to opium, the title drug which crippled China. The tragedies and drama that ensue are as stunning as the Kung fu, created by a superlative team of six martial artists. It leads to a truly unforgettable climax, as a trembling Tieh, still weak from going cold turkey, must face the gangsters who have ruined his town while he was addicted. A legitimate masterpiece and one of the finest, most effecting martial arts movies Shaw Brothers ever produced.