Shaolin Traitorous

Shaolin Traitorous
Shaolin Traitorous
Traditional Chinese	大太監
Directed by	Sung Ting Mei
Screenplay by	Chang Hsin-Yi
Starring	Sammo Hung; Polly Kuan; Carter Wong
Cinematography	Chen Hay-Lock
Edited by	Huang Chiu-Kuei; Siu Nam
Music by	Stanley Chow Fook-Leung
Production; company	Fortuna Films Co.
Release date	July 23, 1976 (Hong Kong);
Running time	90 min.
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Mandarin

The Traitorous aka. Shaolin Traitorous (Chinese: 大太監) is a 1976 Hong Kong film directed by Sung Ting-mei (宋廷美). It is a wuxia film starring Sammo Hung, Polly Kuan and Chang Yi.^[1]

Plot

The film portrays a conflict between a eunuch and two descendants of loyal ministers who are incriminated by the eunuch.^[1]

As a child, Yung witnesses the murder of his parents by three kung fu masters. His father, a Ming loyalist was kicked out of his political post and now a Ming traitor named Tin Erh Keng (portrayed by Chang Yi) and his two lieutenants magnificently ride in on horseback to finish them off. Sammo Hung and Hau Pak-wai do most of the dirty work in a gruesome fight to the finish. Yung's mother dies wearing a bracelet with bells on it and this becomes an important plot device throughout the film as years later, he carries the bracelet and its sound reminds the killers of their deed. The child finds his way to Shaolin and patiently waits outside until admitted and is later accepted as a student by one of the elder monks. The training is painlessly short compared with other Shaolin tales and consists of carrying buckets up stairs, leaping out of pits, and actual combat training. One important skill is his ability to puncture objects with his fingers, as his main foe shares the same ability. Although the 'Bronzemen' make an appearance as statues, Yung has no trouble leaving the temple ready to find the killers and make mincemeat of them.

With his backstory told, Yung now becomes the nameless hero who wanders into town and aids the afflicted while searching for the killers. An unexpected foe comes in the form of a woman named Hsiao Yun-erh (Polly Kuan), Tin's adopted daughter. She challenges Yung in one of the better teahouse confrontations. The match is unresolved, although Yung has the upper hand in more ways than one. Ultimately, Yung has to deal with Hsiao, figure out a way to get past a wild kung fu multi-man formation known as the Tien Lo Set, and defeat the lieutenants in order to challenge Tin himself.

Cast and roles

Carter Wong - adult Shang Yung (尚勇)
Polly Kuan - Hsiao Yun-erh (芸兒)
Chang Yi - Tin Erh Keng (田爾耕)
Sammo Hung - First Head (大擋頭)

References

^ ^a ^b Song, Shanshan (2016). From the Masculine to the Feminine: Eunuch Images in Hong Kong Wuxia Films from the 1960s to the early 2010s (PhD thesis). University of Canterbury. pp. 89–95, 123–131.

External links

The Traitorous at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase
Shaolin Traitorous at IMDb
The Traitorous at Hong Kong Cinemagic

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[eunuch-1] Song, Shanshan (2016). From the Masculine to the Feminine: Eunuch Images in Hong Kong Wuxia Films from the 1960s to the early 2010s (PhD thesis). University of Canterbury. pp. 89–95, 123–131.

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