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THE ANONYMOUS HEROES (1971)
IVL/Celestial Pictures
Directed by Cheng Cheh
Produced by Run Run Shaw
Written by I Kuang
Cinematography by Kung Mu To
Music by Chen Yung Yu
Fight Choreography by Tong Gai, Yuen Chen Yan
Cast: Ti Lung, David Chiang, Ching Li, Ku Feng, Wang Chung, Tong Dik, Lo Mang, 
Video: Widescreen (2.35.1)
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: Mandarin, English, Thai, Malaysia
Packaging: Keepcase
Chapter Stops: 12
100 Minutes

After striking gold with THE HEROIC ONES (1970), VENGEANCE (1970), and THE DUEL (1971), the fabulous foursome of David Chiang, Ti Lung, Ku Feng, and director Chang Cheh joined forces again for another Shaw Brothers action epic, THE ANONYMOUS HEROES. I use the terms "action epic" instead of "Kung Fu movie", because THE ANONYMOUS HEROES is more about action and suspense than a showcase of martial arts demonstrations. The movie is not without its moments of hand-to-hand combat, however. Joining the fab four are Shaw Brothers luminaries Ching Li (THE FOUR RIDERS, ANGRY GUEST, LEGEND OF THE BAT), Wang Chung (DUEL OF FISTS, THE WATER MARGIN, THE SAVAGE FIVE), and Cheng Miu (MAGNIFICENT SWORDSMEN, THE MAGIC BLADE, COBRA GIRL) who essays his usual role—that of the cunning lead villain. Is that enough star power for you? No? How about appearances by Lo Meng, Fung Hak On, Chen Sing, Lau Kar Wing, Hon Gwok Choi, Philip Ko, and future director Yuen Woo Ping. Even if you don’t enjoy THE ANONYMOUS HEROES itself, you can get a kick out of spotting all the greatest talents in the Hong Kong film industry! Celestial Pictures presents THE ANONYMOUS HEROES as a full-blown special edition DVD as part of their distribution deal with IVL.

Meng Kang (David Chiang) and Tieh (Ti Lung) are shallow thrill seekers and friends whose goal it is in life to merely have a good time. These reckless youths are recruited to the side of the Chinese revolution by Wan (Ku Feng shedding his gray wig and mustache in a rare heroic role). Meanwhile, Marshall Chin (Cheng Miu), a high-ranking army official, secures a cache of 3000 rifles delivered from the nation of Japan. Marshall Chin intends to use these weapons to crush the rebel forces. Wan convinces Meng and Tieh to assist him in stealing the rifles away from the army. The task seems hopeless however, since Marshall Chin is aware of the spies in his midst and places the rifles under heavy guard. Three men alone cannot defy an entire army. Help arrives in the form of the beautiful and spunky Pepper (Ching Li), whose father is a captain of the guard. Pepper meets up with Meng and Tieh and offers her assistance. She immediately is attracted to the charms of Meng Kang. The three men at first turn down her help, but when she acquires trucks and weapons from her father, our heroes see how valuable she can be after all. But with the odds still against them, the guile of Wan comes up with a plan. He provides military uniforms to Meng and Tieh in an effort to penetrate the ranks of Marshall Chin. Our heroes successfully go undercover and attempt to steal the guns. Marshall Chin is on to their plan and the sends his the army against the reluctant revolutionaries.

The strongest asset of THE ANONYMOUS HEROES is the ingenious script which is typical of I Kuang. The plot involves more intrigue and suspense (and less Kung Fu) than one would usually expect from a Shaw Brothers action vehicle. The performances match the thrill-packed storyline and precise direction of Cheng Cheh. The only flaw with the casting is that David Chiang and Ti Lung play the same type of character they usually do in the Chang Cheh martial arts epics. You know, Chiang is once again the charming rogue and Ti Lung is his comparatively stoic straight man. However, both characters are confident that they can outwit and outfight their military opponents. Ku Feng steals the show once again as the revolutionary leader who is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for his noble cause. Ching Li projects a lot of personality into her spoiled character, Pepper. She doesn’t get involved in the combat but instead prefers to sit on the sidelines using a pistol to take out enemy soldiers. THE ANONYMOUS HEROES boasts an enormous body count and a real downer of an ending (as only Cheng Cheh can deliver). However, the serious mood established by the director is often undone by the smirking David Chiang and the arrogant characterization of Ti Lung. People constantly speculate about the connection between Spaghetti Westerns and Kung Fu films. THE ANONYMOUS HEROES is one of the most Western-based Chinese motion pictures I’ve ever seen. Though the film takes place in China during World War 2, Cheng Cheh incorporates plenty of traditional Western elements, such as heroes on horseback, gunfights, and steam locomotives. Kung Mu To’s colorful cinematography also conjures images of mountain valleys and other scenic bits of nature.

SIGHT

Celestial presents THE ANONYMOUS HEROES in the original 2.35.1 Shawscope ratio, with no 16x9 enhancement. Keeping in mind the 1971 vintage of the movie, Celestial have delivered another truly amazing transfer. The image delineates all the picture information without any loss of film-like quality. Chang Cheh makes excellent use of exteriors with the lavish interiors, and they all look quite beautiful on film, bursting with dark hues such as blues, browns, and greens. Liu Chia Liang’s choreography incorporates guns into the combat scenes and the transfer captures all the kinetic mayhem. Chang Cheh packed this picture with violence and death and its all presented with disturbing vividness. Flesh tones are full and blacks are deep. The easy-to-read subtitles are presented below the black letterboxed area. Outside of some film grain, this is another outstanding effort from Celestial.

SOUND

Celestial has forsaken the original mono soundtrack in favor of a souped up Dolby Digital 5.1 remix. Yes, this is going to piss a lot of folks off, but viewing these old classics in an all-encompassing sound field with true stereo separation is truly a pleasing acoustic experience. The soundfield for THE ANONYMOUS HEROES brims with rumbling trains, heavy trucks, echoing gunshots, and rioting brawls. Also heard are ambient noises like chirping birds, ricocheting bullets, and rushing winds. The disc includes the original Mandarin dubbed dialog track, which is crystal clear fidelity. The score is by Shaw Brothers ace composer, Chen Yung Yu. So while its disappointing that the original mono track is missing, and there’s no English language option, the sound field is nothing short of outstanding. Just next time Celestial, be sure to include the original optional mono soundtrack.

FEATURES

In addition to remastered video and audio quality, Celestial includes an wealth of bonus materials. From the Special Features menu, you can select the Behind the Scenes option, which takes you on set of the 1971 production of THE ANONYMOUS HEROES in the form of Black & White sideshow complete with English subtitles. You can also view the original Chinese theatrical poster and the access a gallery of Photo Stills. Don’t forget the Production Notes and short Bios for Cheng Cheh, David Chiang, and Ti Lung (in English yet!). Also included are remastered original language widescreen trailers for these recent Celestial DVD releases: THE ANONYMOUS HEROES, THE MAGIC BLADE, KIDNAP, HONG KONG RHAPSODY, and HOUSE OF 72 TENANTS. Film critics Jude Poyer and Miles Wood provide insightful audio commentary (in English) for THE ANONYMOUS HEROES and shed a lot of light on the production and cast members. Clearly, the thing that will fascinate Kung Fu fans most is the killer interview with David Chiang. He still looks great and talks about his career with the Shaw Brothers studio for over 20 minutes! Also worth mentioning is an interview with Lo Mang (here billed as Tubo Law) who has a brief role in the movie as well. While not as insightful as David Chiang, hearing from Golden Arms himself is a real treat. Rounding out the interview section is an examination of THE ANONYMOUS HEROES by Chinese film critic Po Fung. All these interviews feature English subtitles!

CONCLUSION

THE ANONYMOUS HEROES will disappoint those Shaw Brothers fans who have grown accustomed to non-stop martial arts sequences every five minutes. This is not CHINESE SUPER NINJAS, AVENGING EAGLE, or KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARMS. But it is a superior action flick that is guaranteed to entertain enthusiasts of Hong Kong cinema. The story, cast, and cinematography are top notch. As for the DVD itself, it’s another solid job from the folks at Celestial/IVL. They are getting better with the extras and the David Chiang interview is worth the price of the disc alone.

THE ANONYMOUS HEROES is available from HKFlix.com

-- Tony Mustafa

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