1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

Shaw Brothers Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, and operated from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

Hong Kong New Wave The Hong Kong New Wave is a film movement in Chinese-language Hong Kong cinema that emerged in the late 1970s and lasted into the early 2000s. Origins of the movement The Hong Kong New Wave started in 1979 with the release of numerous notable fil ...

wuxia ( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted f ...

Qing empire The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

Forbidden City The Forbidden City () is a Chinese palace, palace complex in Dongcheng District, Beijing, China, at the center of the Imperial City, Beijing, Imperial City of Beijing. It is surrounded by numerous opulent imperial gardens and temples includ ...

tael Tael (),"Tael" entry
at the

Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...

villagers, is ambushed and staked alive. It falls to Leng to execute his companion and end his suffering. Then Leng hunts down the two bandits to the seaside where they are, once again, ambushed. Soon thereafter, they also discover a highly skilled assassin, Fan Jin-Peng, whom the bandits want to hire to assassinate Leng. Leng ultimately defeats the assassin, but gets injured and loses the older constable, Ma Zhong. Later, the constables are attacked by gang leader Fang Feng-Jia and the remaining bandits. Thanks to the unexpected return of Leng's brother, Leng survives and is carried unconsciously on horseback to the residence of Fang. There he is welcomed by the bandit's blind daughter, Xiao Lan, who tends to his wounds. Later when Fang returns, the two men hide their conflict for Xiao Lan and pretend to be friends. After leaving Fang's home, Fang is wounded by Leng, but he still manages to escape to his hideout. When Leng finds Fang, they are both attacked by a mysterious group of armed men that do not appear to belong to the group of robbers. Fang, dying from the wounds inflicted by Leng, reveals it was Lord Liu that had sent his troops after them and that he in fact arranged for the gold to be stolen. He choose Leng to hunt down the robbers, knowing he would not spare their lives, and in this way hide all evidence. Fang then offers to sacrifice his life in order to let the constable escape. However, this is on the condition that Leng promises to take care of his blind daughter. Leng survives the attack and soon discovers his brother was killed by Lord Liu's troops. A grief-stricken and betrayed Leng seeks vengeance. He succeeds in murdering Lord Liu, but not before he activates a trap mechanism that kills Leng. We are left with the daughter of gang leader Fang waiting in vain for either her father, or Leng, to return.

Cast

Law enforcement and state officials

The outlaws

Themes

Social Inequality

An underlying theme in ''Killer Constable'' is the oppression of the poor and famished

Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...

by the corrupt and greedy

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and ...

ruling class (which include the protagonist). Film historian

David Bordwell David Jay Bordwell (; born July 23, 1947) is an American film theorist and film historian. Since receiving his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1974, he has written more than fifteen volumes on the subject of cinema including ''Narration in th ...

points out that the cruelty of class warfare is, as also in many of Kuei's previous works, an important theme in ''Killer Constable'' and quotes director Kuei : “I simply wanted to depict how insignificant commoners are and how, under totalitarian rule, they turn out to be the victims”. Similarly, movie critic John White of the Digital Fix highlights the "dramatic message of a political class which uses the security force/police as its tool for keeping the people oppressed and itself enriched".

Justice

In the 1970s, crime-centered themes gained traction in Hong Kong cinema and, as in the case of ''Killer Constable'', spread into the Kung Fu genre. Researcher Benjamin Freudenberg argues that the figure of the Killer Constable represents "the traditional Confucian fear of mechanic enforcement of the legal text". Film writer Hayley Scanlon similarly states that "Killer Constable is a critique of blind justice... " and that "the only good and true thing in the cruel wold of Killer Constable is the blind daughter of one of the criminals". In one instance constable Ling and gang leader Fang go as far as pretending to be old friends in order to prevent her from finding out the truth, a scene that may have inspired a similar event in The Killer by John Woo.

Production

''Killer Constable'' was produced by the

Shaw Brothers Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, and operated from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...

using a Hong Kong-Korea co-production construct. Filming occurred in Hong Kong and

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

and included a Korean assistant director Kim Seon-Gyeong. Several Korean actors picked up minor rolls, such as Kwan Yung-Moon. An altered version of ''Killer Constable'', 노명검 (''The No-myung Sword''), was made for the Korean market, with different scenes, extended runtime and altered plot. For the main character of the ''Killer Constable'' director Chih-Hung Kwei has explained that he was influenced by ''

Doctor Zhivago ''Doctor Zhivago'' is the title of a novel by Boris Pasternak and its various adaptations. Description The story, in all of its forms, describes the life of the fictional Russian physician and poet Yuri Zhivago and deals with love and loss during ...

'': "I love Dr. Zhivago. In Killer Constable, I want to create a character like Zhivago. Despite his position in the high court, the protagonist is a righteous man. Yet in the corruption and poverty-stricken era at the end of the Qing dynasty, there is not much good he can do on his own. Hence he is deluded by society and lives his life foolishly. " Lead actor Chen Kuan-tai had previously left

Shaw Brothers Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, and operated from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...

in a contract dispute, but was available as he re-joined

Shaw Brothers Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, and operated from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...

in 1978. He had starred as the lead in earlier successful movies directed by Chih-Hung Kwei, such as '' The Teahouse'' (1974) and ''

Big Brother Cheng Big Brother Cheng is a 1975 sequel to the Hong Kong hit crime drama '' The Teahouse'' directed by Kuei Chih-Hung. Written by On Szeto, it follows the eponymous character as he continues to protect his community from thugs. Cast *Kuan Tai Che ...

'' (1975), that also share the same screenwriter Sze To On. The movie marks the start of the long-time collaboration of Chih-Hung Kwei with cinematographer Lee San-Yip, who would film nearly all of his following movies such as the Hex series and ''

The Boxer's Omen ''The Boxer's Omen'' (魔, ''Mó'', ''Magic'') is a 1983 Hong Kong horror film directed by Kuei Chih-Hung and produced by Shaw Brothers Studio. It is sometimes described as a sequel to ''Bewitched'' (1980), also directed by Chih-Hung. Plot Ch ...

''. During shooting, director

Kuei Chih-Hung Kuei Chih-Hung (桂治洪, aka Kwei Chi Hung, Gui Zhi-Hong, Gwai Chi-hung) (20 December 1937 – 1 October 1999) was a filmmaker who worked for the Hong Kong-based Shaw Brothers Studios, directing more than 40 films throughout the late 1960s, 19 ...

aimed for a large degree of realism. In a 2002 interview, Chen Kuan-tai has stated that "We were using real weapons" in ''Killer Constable'' and that a fellow actor chopped off his right-hand pinky finger when shooting a fight scene. Actor Austin Wai was originally panned to star in ''Killer Constable'', but had to leave due to a severe back injury.

Release

''Killer Constable'' ran in Hong Kong theaters from 28 March 1980 to 3 April 1980. At the 5th edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, it was selected as one of eight feature films of the ''Hong Kong '81'' section and was also part of the special retrospective on ''A study of the Hong Kong swordplay film''. The Korean version of ''Killer Constable'', ''The No-myung Sword'', opened in cinemas on 20 March 1981. ''Killer Constable'' was also theatrically released in

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

under the title ''Der gnadenlose Vollstrecker'' in 1981. The US theatrical release occurred four years after the release in Hong Kong, under the title ''Karate Exterminators'', in November 1984 by distributor World-Northal Corporation (World Wide Entertainment), who also managed the US television broadcast rights.

Reception

''Killer Constable'' has been lauded as Chih-Hung Kwei's masterpiece and one of the best movies to emerge from the Shaw Brothers studio. Author Stephen Teo labels it as "... one of the best Shaw Brothers wuxia films of the eighties..." in this book 'Chinese Martial Arts Cinema – The Wuxia Tradition' and movie critic John White of the Digital Fix argues 'This is one of the best films Shaw Brothers ever made'. The Hong Kong Film Critics Society included ''Killer Constable'' in their list of "The Best 200 Chinese-language Films". Contemporary reviews, such as those in the popular Hong Kong movie magazine City Entertainment ( zh, 電影雙周刊), praise the carefully crafted atmosphere through set photography and martial arts arrangements. In a modern review, Matthew Le-feuvre o
cityonfire.com
gives the film a 9/10 rating and finds that "the real beauty is within the film’s iconography". Similarly,

Grady Hendrix Grady Hendrix is an American author, journalist, public speaker, and screenwriter known for his best-selling 2014 novel '' Horrorstör''. Hendrix lives in Manhattan and was one of the founders of the New York Asian Film Festival. Life and career ...

notes that the cinematography of Lee San-Yip shows a "style that found its strength in his harshly geometric compositions, stylized lighting, and Lee’s uncanny ability to shoot coherent action in near-total darkness." A less favorable view was given by 135 readers o
LoveHKFilm.com
who voted 'Killer Constable' to place 100 in a ''Top 100 Hong Kong Films of the Eighties''. More critical reviews argue the movie has an uneven quality, in particular finding the fight choreography lacking. However, film critic David Chute praises the sword battle scenes in the 1993 issue of Asian Trash Cinema.

Box office

''Killer Constable'' was no box office success and grossed HK$984,108.50 (approximately 176 000 US$) at the Hong Kong box office, becoming the 74th-highest grossing Chinese film of the year 1980. In

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

, 28 548 tickets were sold in

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

, grossing approximately (about ).

Home media

VHS

In the US market, home video releases of ''Killer Constable'' emerged that were not sanctioned by the Shaw Brothers, some appearing under the title ''Lightning Kung Fu''.

GoldStar GoldStar was a South Korean electronics company established in 1958. The corporate name was changed to LG Electronics and LG Cable on February 28, 1995, after merging with Lucky Chemical. LG Cable was spun off from LG Electronics and changed i ...

Home Video released a Korean version of ''Killer Constable'' in 1986.

DVD

Blu-ray

References

External links

* * * *
Killer Constable
' at

Hong Kong Cinemagic Hong Kong Cinemagic, sometimes referred to as HKCinemagic, is a bilingual ( French and English) website providing a repository for information about Chinese language films from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, and the people who created them. The websi ...

*
Killer Constable
' at the Korean Movie Database {{Kuei Chih-Hung Kung fu films Hong Kong martial arts films 1980 martial arts films 1980 films Shaw Brothers Studio films Films set in 19th-century Qing dynasty Hong Kong films about revenge 1980s Mandarin-language films 1980s Hong Kong films