Siu-Tung Chin’s DUEL TO THE DEATH was originally released in 1982 as XIAN SI JUE (don’t confuse this with Yuen Chor’s 1978 Kung Fu film of the same name). This period martial arts fantasy is based on a real-life tournament held every ten years during the Ming Dynasty (1368-166 AD). The feudal nation of Japan would send their most gifted swordsman to battle China’s top-rated martial artist, and it was a fight to the death. Director and martial-arts choreographer supreme, Sui Ting Chin, took the fact-based premise and parlayed it into a ground-breaking martial arts picture that ushered in a new age of Chinese action dramas, while staying true to the roots of the genre (like the Shaw Brothers epics). DUEL TO THE DEATH was hailed a masterpiece when it was released in Asia, but went largely unheralded in English speaking countries, where it eventually showed up on VHS in 1993. In summer of 2000, Media Asia finally released the landmark martial arts film on DVD.

Director Sui-Ting Chin eventually went on to major success when he teamed up with producer Tsui Hark and directed the THE CHINESE GHOST STORY and SWORDSMAN films. Sui-Ting Chin’s efforts revolutionized modern Hong Kong cinema. He was the person responsible for the usage of wires and cables in modern martial arts movies and crime dramas (though Cable-Fu is abhorred by fans of classic martial arts films). Norman Tsui Sui-Keung steals the show as Hashimoto, the Japanese fighter/swordsman who will do anything for the betterment of his lord and country. Damien Lau shows some charisma as young master, Po Ching Wan. Flora Cheung is graceful and drop-dead gorgeous, but a flat actress. It’s no surprise to discover her career went nowhere after this film.

A team of silent Ninjas stalk a Shaolin monastery in the hills of China. They desecrate the holy temple, and kill some monks, until the old Shaolin master sends his top pupil, Po Ching Wan (Damien Lau), into battle against the dark-clad invaders. With the aid of the Abbot and his monk brothers, Po Ching Wan drives the Ninjas away. Next, the temple receives a visit from a Japanese delegate, Kenshu, who expresses his desire to test the top Shaolin fighters against Japan’s leading martial arts practitioner, Hashimoto (Norman Tsui Sui-Leung). Hashimoto turns out to be an honorable man, but he is manipulated by the corrupt Shogun Lord, to whom Hashimoto has pledged himself, for the betterment of Japan.

In honor of the Japanese-Chinese tournament, the Chinese residents hold a festival attended by Chinese warriors and Japanese delegates. The Japanese have little faith in the Chinese celebrations, and begin causing trouble in the streets. This piques the attention of Sui Man (Flora Cheung), a female martial artist who stands up to the Japanese bullies. Later she is assaulted by a band of Ninjas, who have been abducting China’s best martial artists; including the Abbot of the Shaolin temple (and friend of Po Ching Wan). Po Ching Wan joins Sui Man in fighting off the Ninja band. She is grateful for his assistance, and she takes him to meet her father at the Silver Saint village. Her father is the Lord of Silver Saint village, and his family has acted as caretakers for the Japanese-Chinese tournament down through the ages.

At the village of the Silver Saint, Sui Man’s father warmly receives the fighters. Surpringly, Po Ching Wan meets his future opponent Hashimoto, and the two become friends. Po Ching Wan also gets emotionally involved with the beautiful Sui Man (whose has some skeletons in the family closet). The presence of the Ninjas and the disappearance of the top Chinese fighters indicate that some kind of conspiracy is afoot. Po Ching Wan and Hashimoto share resources to solve the mystery. But Hashimoto makes one thing perfectly clear: he will join Po Ching Wan in uncovering the conspiracy, but he has pledged himself to kill China’s top fighter in battle. So the two fighters team up to battle the Ninja horde, each knowing that should they survive the skirmish, they must face one another, and duel to the death.

DUEL TO THE DEATH is one of the bloodiest and most violent Kung Fu films of its time. Here are some examples of what you'll see in the picture:

A swordsman gets his bloodied arm chopped from his body.

Kamikaze Ninjas shove lit dynamite into their black suits and throw themselves onto their selected victims; the ensuing explosion kills both of them!

An old lady impales a Japanese bully on his own sword.

A female martial artist uses her sword to slit the throat of her opponent.

A man has his legs lopped off at the knee!

A woman is eviscerated.

An evil Ninja is completely sliced in half, from head to toe.

A warrior purposely stabs himself with a knife, to give his injured opponent a fighting chance.

A man gets decapitated, and his head ends up impaled on a tree; he speaks his final words, then his head implodes!

One of Ching Siu-Tung’s biggest talents is his ability to tell a traditional story in a fantasy setting, that breaks from the conventions of social realism (such as THE CHINESE GHOST STORY series). With his trademark use of special effects and wires, his characters can fly and move through the air with superfluous energy and grace. Ching Siu-Tung’s non-naturalistic visual style is also present in DUEL TO THE DEATH. In all his films, Ching Siu-Tung shows his interest in Chinese nationalism in his depiction of mythical China. It may be argued that DUEL TO THE DEATH is, due to its nationalistic sentiment, a very atypical Hong Kong martial arts film, with the myth of a heroic China operating as a structuring element to its narrative.

While it is not really a ghost story or fantasy film, the plot is driven by the presence of the mythical and mysterious Ninja. These Ninjas display superhuman powers such as the power of flight, invisibility, and transformation. The ways in which Ching Siu-Tung includes these elements into the film is consistent with the non-naturalistic traditions of the Hong Kong popular cinema. The presence of the enigmatic Ninja add to the pace of the film, and create a real sense of tension and excitement to the audience. The narrative climaxes with a swordplay confrontation showing each country’s swordfighting style. The concluding battle takes place in a strikingly cinematic location, on top of jagged oceanside cliffs that are sprayed with ocean water, mist, and fog. The fight choreography here is fast, larger than life, and particularly bloody. Ching Siu-Tung’s fight choreography includes the varying fighting styles of a Japanese samurai (and Ninjitsu) techniques, and the Shaolin techniques and sword stances.

Spoiler Alert: DUEL TO THE DEATH is rich in history and story. There is a subplot which reveals the Japanese warlords are trying to steal the secrets of the Shaolin martial arts. The actual death duel between Hashimoto and Po Ching Wan was merely a smokescreen, whereupon the Japanese contingent can capture the 12 greatest Chinese martial arts champions (who by tradition are supposed to attend the tournament). When the 12 great fighters make their way to the tournament they are captured by the Ninja battalion. The Ninjas intend to take the Chinese warriors back to Japan, where the Shogun masters will force them to reveal the secrets of the Shaolin martial arts.

One of the strengths of DUEL TO THE DEATH is that it contrasts the combat perspectives and philosophies between the two Asian cultures. The film deals with interesting philosophical issues about honor and dedication. Ching Siu-Tung creates a world where Chinese Martial artists have perfected Kung Fu through their dedication to traditional values. On the other end of the equation, the Japanese warriors are shown to be mercenaries who have no moral center. This way, Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu, along with the concurrent philosophical beliefs, are presented as physically and spiritually superior to the Japanese martial arts. This motivates the Japanese Warlords to concoct an elaborate plan to covet the Shaolin techniques. Even the good, but misguided Japanese fighter, Hashimoto, fails to fully understand the true nature of honor. So in order to goad his opponent into meaningless combat, he murders the Shaolin Abbot. In contrast, the Chinese warrior (Po Ching Wan) is the epitome of positive character; he is hard working, respects his masters, and possesses a strong natural sense of right and wrong. Hashimoto may be the superior warrior, but lacks knowledge of what is important in life. Yes, the negative portrayal of the Japanese value system is a trifle one-sided. But to be fair, DUEL TO THE DEATH features not only Japanese vs. Chinese, but Japanese vs. Japanese and Chinese vs. Chinese as well.