Duel of the Iron Fist

A bunch of gangsters just hack the living $#!+ out of each other. Duel Of The Iron Fist is a mindless hack and slash action movie. It's just gleaming with angry f····rs wielding an assortment of blades and killing each other off in masses and in bloody like fashion. Seriously, you cannot go five minutes without some blood splashing mayhem. Now, I know the acting is stiff and the story is a bit disjointed; I don't give a flying f···. Angry Chinese people hacking each other to death is all that matters. 10 out of f·····g 10. End of f·····g review.

Boasting a young production assistant by the name of John Woo, this knife-fighting film is considered by many to be the first HK-style gangster film. In fact Ti Lung would go on to star in "A Better Tomorrow". Ignore the shoddy production values, and enjoy this morality play. WARNING: Some US prints end with the government troops fighting Ti Lung and David Chiang in the rain. This is not the ending, the fight goes on for another 15 minutes! Enjoy the risible dubbing; at one point Ti Lung has 3 different accents in one sentence!

THE DUEL is an excellent Shaw adventure from the triumvirate combiation of director Chang Cheh and stars Ti Lung and David Chiang, perhaps their ultimate outing. It follows a simple, revenge-themed narrative that has much in common with other classics like VENGEANCE! And BOXER FROM SHANTUNG, with Lung going off the deep end when his clan leader is murdered. Chiang has a great dark role as a hired assassin. There's little plot but a huge amount of incredible fight scenes which are packed with blood sprays and a who's who supporting cast of famous Shaw fighters. The ending is the most homoerotic I've ever seen, and the whole thing is tremendously entertaining; I'd go so far as to say this is one of Shaw's best.

Just to let everyone know that the new DVD release of this movie is NOT the original version, but an edited one.

The VHS version was released sometime ago, and clocked in at 90 minutes. It's called "Duel Of The Shaolin Fist". At least it's widescreen, but it's been edited considerably.

The DVD release is full screen (so we get a good look at half their faces in many scenes), and it is 98 minutes long. Unfortunately, the final scene is edited out, the film is spotty, and it skips. Don't be misled by the original title. It's NOT "Duel Of The Iron Fist"! When will we be able to get an uncut original DVD of this classic movie?

The "8" I rated it is for the full-length original, not this mess.

Johnboy

To make it short.... Ti Lung, David Chiang, were the guys in the 70's as far as Martial Arts movies.The one thing wrong today is that it's on VHS tape, but the last 10 minute segment is cut like in some versions of the movie when it played. If you can see the complete version if possible. It doesn't end the way most films would....Still, the part that plays is very good. Very violent set pieces, very bloody, but with great stylized fight throughout. Ti Lung is the best! See also if you can find it The New one Armed Swordsman or in the USA it came out as Triple Irons.