''The Water Margin'', also known ''Outlaws of the Marsh'' and ''Seven Blows Of The Dragon'', is a 1972 Hong Kong film adapted from the Chinese classical 14th-century novel ''

Water Margin ''Water Margin'' (''Shuihu zhuan'') is one of the earliest Chinese novels written in vernacular Mandarin, and is attributed to Shi Nai'an. It is also translated as ''Outlaws of the Marsh'' and ''All Men Are Brothers''. The story, which is s ...

''. It was produced by the

Shaw Brothers Studio 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 ...

and directed by

Chang Cheh Chang Cheh (; 10 February 1923 – 22 June 2002) was a Chinese people, Chinese filmmaker, screenwriter, lyricist and producer active in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Chang Cheh directed more than 90 films in Greater China, the majority of them wi ...

Plot

The plot is based on the story of how "Jade Unicorn"

Lu Junyi Lu Junyi is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels, four great classical novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Jade Qilin", he ranks second among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 S ...

came to join the outlaw band at

Liangshan Marsh Mount Liang (, often referred to in Chinese as ) is a mountain in Liangshan County, Shandong, China which rises to 197.9 metres above sea level. It is well known as the stronghold of the 108 Heroes in the classic Chinese novel ''Water Margin ...

and the outlaws' battle with the Zeng Family Fortress. Liangshan's chief

Chao Gai Chao Gai, nicknamed "Pagoda-Shifting Heavenly King", is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is not one of the 108 Stars of Destiny because he dies before the Grand Assembly ...

was ambushed and killed by Shi Wengong. His fellows vow to avenge him. The current ''de facto'' leaders of Liangshan,

Song Jiang A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...

and

Wu Yong Wu Yong is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Knowledgeable Star", he ranks third among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Back ...

, decide that given Shi Wengong's skill, Lu Junyi (Shi's former fellow student) will be the best person to assist them in taking revenge. The outlaws also note that if they succeed in recruiting Lu Junyi, they will also win over Lu's servant,

Yan Qing Yan Qing is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "''Langzi''" (浪子; meaning "the Wanderer" or "the Prodigal"), he ranks last among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the fir ...

, who is also a formidable martial artist. Wu Yong disguises himself as fortune teller and infiltrates the northern capital, where Lu Junyi stays, together with Li Kui, who is disguised as his idiotic assistant. They visit Lu Junyi and lie to him that a great calamity will befall him if he does not travel 1,000 miles to the southeast. Lu Junyi is skeptical of the advice and asks Yan Qing for his opinion. By then, Yan Qing has recognized Li Kui and provokes the hot-tempered Li into a fight. Li Kui is defeated and confined together with Wu Yong. Wu Yong uses reverse psychology on Lu Junyi and manages to persuade Lu to release them. Just then, Lu Junyi's steward Li Gu, who is in a secret affair with Lu's wife, reports the outlaws' presence to the authorities so as to seize his master's fortune. When soldiers arrive to capture the outlaws, Lu Junyi orders Yan Qing to escort Wu Yong and Li Kui safely out while he confronts the soldiers and is arrested. Yan Qing attempts to free Lu Junyi from prison but Lu is captured again when Yan leaves him for a short while. Yan Qing travels to Liangshan to seek help and he attempts to rob two men for his travel expenses. The two men turn out to be actually outlaws from Liangshan, one of them being

Shi Xiu Shi Xiu is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Daredevil Third Brother", he ranks 33rd among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. ...

. Shi Xiu goes to find Lu Junyi while his companion brings Yan Qing back to Liangshan. While in the city, Shi Xiu sees that Lu Junyi is about to be executed in the market square so he storms the area alone in an attempt to free Lu. Both Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu are eventually overwhelmed by soldiers and taken into captive. Meanwhile, Yan Qing meets the Liangshan outlaws and they plan to infiltrate the northern capital to save Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu. They take strategic positions around the execution ground and attack the soldiers when the prisoners are about to be beheaded. This time, the outlaws overpower the guards and swiftly take control of the area. Accompanied by the outlaws, Lu Junyi marches home and kills his disloyal steward Li Gu while his adulterous wife is slain by Yan Qing. As the outlaws leave the city, they run into Shi Wengong and his men, resulting in both sides clashing in an immense battle. Shi Wengong's forces are routed so he challenges the outlaws to engage him and his five students in man-on-man duels. The five students fight with

Lin Chong Lin Chong is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels Classic Chinese Novels () are the best-known novels of pre-modern Chinese literature. These are among the world's longest and oldest novels. They ...

, Li Kui,

Hu Sanniang Hu Sanniang (literally "Third Sister Hu") is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed " Ten Feet of Blue", she ranks 59th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 23rd among th ...

Wu Song Wu Song ( zh, c=武松, p=wǔ sōng), also known as Wu the Second ( zh, c=武二郎, p=wŭ èrláng, labels=no), is a legendary hero recounted since the 13th century; and one of the well-known fictional characters in the ''Water Margin'', one of ...

and Shi Xiu, while Lu Junyi faces Shi Wengong. By the time the five heroes had defeated Shi Wengong's students, Lu Junyi was still locked his duel with Shi. Yan Qing and Li Kui join in the fray and Shi Wengong is injured gravely but still remains alive. After declaring that Lu Junyi is now the new leader of Liangshan, Shi Wengong stops everyone from approaching and commits suicide. The outlaws, seeing that their quest for vengeance is now complete, ride back to their stronghold and the film ends.

Cast

David Chiang use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinate ...

Tetsurō Tamba was a Japanese actor with a career spanning five decades. He is best known in the West for his role in the 1967 James Bond film '' You Only Live Twice'' as Tiger Tanaka. Biography Tamba had a part-time job as an interpreter at Supreme Commande ...

Toshio Kurosawa was a Japanese baseball outfielder who played eight seasons in the Japanese Baseball League from 1936 to 1947. His career was cut short due to typhoid fever, from which he died at age 33. Kurosawa's number 4 was retired by his last club, the Yo ...

as Shi Wengong *Tung Lam as

Ku Feng Chan Sze-man (born 3 July 1930), better known by his stage name Ku Feng, is a Hong Kong actor. Background He studied in Beijing, and has appeared in hundreds of films, many of which were produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio Shaw Brothers ( ...

*Chin Feng as

Elliot Ngok Yueh Hua (; 14 July 1942 – 20 October 2018) was a Shanghai-born Hong Kong actor, later based in Canada, with Shaw Brothers Studio and TVB. Yueh is one of the most versatile and prolific leading actors of Shaw Brothers. Yueh starred in five t ...

*Wong Chung as

Ti Lung Ti Lung (born 19 August 1946) is a Hong Kong actor, known for his numerous starring roles in a string of Shaw Brothers Studio's films, particularly '' The Blood Brothers'', '' The Avenging Eagle'', ''Clans of Intrigue'', '' The Duel'', ''The Senti ...

* Lily Ho as

*Fan Mei-sheng as Li Kui *

Wu Ma Fung Wang-yuen (22 September 1942 – 4 February 2014), better known by his stage name Wu Ma, was a Hong Kong actor, director, producer and writer. Wu Ma made his screen debut in 1963, and with over 240 appearances to his name (plus 49 directoria ...

Shi Qian Shi Qian is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Flea on a Drum", he ranks 107th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 71st among the 72 Earthly Fiends. Background Shi ...

*Cheng Lui as Wang Ying *

Paul Chun Paul Chun (; born 26 June 1945) is a Hong Kong actor. He has appeared in more than 130 films and television series since 1949. In 1966, he appeared in ''The Sand Pebbles'', an American film produced and directed by Robert Wise. Early life He wa ...

Hua Rong Hua Rong is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Little Li Guang", he ranks ninth among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Backgr ...

Chen Kuan-tai Chen Kuan-tai (born 24 September 1945) is a martial artist and Hong Kong martial arts film star. Background A former fireman, he won a world's kungfu Championship in 1969. He has primarily appeared in Shaw Brothers productions, and was one of th ...

Shi Jin Shi Jin is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Nine-Tattoo Dragon", he ranks 23rd among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Back ...

* Danny Lee as

Zhang Shun Zhang Shun is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "White Stripe in the Waves", he ranks 30th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destin ...

*Wu Chi-chin as Yang Xiong *Lee Hang as

Dai Zong Dai Zong is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Magic Traveller", he ranks 20th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Backgr ...

Lau Dan Danny Lau Dan (; born 13 January 1944) is a Hong Kong actor. Works Lau is known to portray good characters, but could play cunning and sly characters with ease (includes ''The Bund'' and ''Land of Wealth''). He is most noted for being the on ...

Lei Heng Lei Heng is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 25th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Liangshan heroes, and is nicknamed "Winged Tiger". Back ...

*Lei Lung as

Qin Ming Qin may refer to: Dynasties and states * Qin (state) (秦), a major state during the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China * Qin dynasty (秦), founded by the Qin state in 221 BC and ended in 206 BC * Daqin (大秦), ancient Chinese name for the Roman Emp ...

*Pang Pang as

Lu Zhishen Lu Zhishen is a fictional character in '' Water Margin'', one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. He is the main character in the first segment of the novel, which spans about six chapters. Nicknamed "Flowery Monk", he ra ...

*Zhang Yang as

Chai Jin Chai Jin is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Little Whirlwind", he ranks 10th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Backgr ...

*Leung Seung-wan as

Liu Tang Liu Tang is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Red Haired Devil", he ranks 21st among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Backgrou ...

*Lo Wai as

Zhu Tong Zhu Tong is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Lord of the Beautiful Beard", he ranks 12th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Desti ...

*Ho Hon-chau as

Zhang Heng Zhang Heng (; AD 78–139), formerly romanized as Chang Heng, was a Chinese polymathic scientist and statesman who lived during the Han dynasty. Educated in the capital cities of Luoyang and Chang'an, he achieved success as an astronomer, ma ...

*Tin Ching as Li Gu *Ling Ling as Madam Jia (Lu Junyi's wife) *Ruby Siu Siu as Xu Hong *Woo Wai as

Cai Fu Cai Fu is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Iron Arm", he ranks 94th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 58th among the 72 Earthly Fiends. Background Living in D ...

*Yeung Chak-lam as

Cai Qing Cai Qing is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Stalk of Flower", he ranks 95th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 59th among the 72 Earthly Fiends. Background Livi ...

*Liu Wai as Dong Chao *Lee Man-tai as Xue Ba *Lee Wan-chung as Grand Secretary Liang Shijie *Shum Lo as chief clerk *Wong Ching-ho as court clerk *Nam Seok-hun as Wen Da *Lau Gong as Li Cheng *Cheng Miu as Zeng Nong *Tong Yim-chan as Zeng Sheng *Wang Kuang-yu as Zeng Mi *Wong Pau-gei as Zeng Suo *Chan Chuen as Zeng Kui *Cheung Ban as Zeng Tu *Nam Wai-lit as chief wrestler *Gai Yuen as wrestler *Wong Ching as wrestler *Cheung Hei as old man *Tsang Choh-lam as innkeeper *Chin Chun as Lu Junyi's servant *Ko Fei as Lu Junyi's servant *Sai Gwa-pau as Lu Junyi's servant *Fuk Yan-cheng as Lu Junyi's servant *Ko Hung as Lu Junyi's servant / bandit *Huang Ha as Lu Junyi's servant / Zeng militiaman *Yeung Pak-chan as Lu Junyi's servant / Zeng militiaman *Yuen Shun-yee as Zeng militiaman *Law Keung as Zeng militiaman *Ho Bo-sing as Zeng militiaman *Fung Hap-so as Zeng militiaman *Yee Kwan as constable *Yi Fung as constable *Chui Fat as constable *Chow Kong as constable *Chow Yun-gin as constable *Chan Dik-hak as constable *Tam Bo as constable *Kong Chuen as constable *Cheung Chi-ping as constable *Ling Hon as constable carrying execution placard *Tung Choi-bo as constable / Zeng militiaman *Lau Jun-fai as soldier *San Kuai as bandit *Lee Wan-miu as wrestling spectator *To Wing-leung as wrestling spectator *Chai Lam as wrestling spectator *Gam Tin-chue as wrestling spectator *Bak Yu as mamasan *Yen Shi-kwan *

Yuen Cheung-yan Yuen Cheung-yan is a Hong kong actor, director, stuntman, and fight choreographer who has worked for many years in the Hong Kong film industry. During the 1970s and early 1980s, he worked with his elder brother, Yuen Woo-ping, and other members ...

*Wong Cheung *Fung Hak-on *Ho Kei-cheong *Fung Ming

Release

The film was bought for release in the US by

New World Pictures New World Pictures (also known as New World Entertainment and New World Communications Group, Inc.) was an American independent production, distribution, and (in its final years as an autonomous entity) multimedia company. It was founded in 197 ...

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

cut out a third of the film, had the Shaw brothers shoot an additional sex scene and added a new narration.Christopher T Koetting, ''Mind Warp!: The Fantastic True Story of Roger Corman's New World Pictures'', Hemlock Books. 2009 p 60

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Water Margin, The 1972 films 1970s action films Hong Kong martial arts films 1970s Mandarin-language films Wuxia films Films directed by Chang Cheh Shaw Brothers Studio films Films based on Water Margin New World Pictures films 1970s Hong Kong films

Plot

Cast

Release

See also

References

External links