Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter
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| Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter | |
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 The Hong Kong movie poster. |
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| Directed by | Lau Kar-leung |
| Produced by | Mona Fong Run Me Shaw Run Run Shaw |
| Written by | Lau Kar-leung Kuang Ni |
| Starring | Alexander Fu Sheng Gordon Liu Lau Kar-leung |
| Music by | Stephen Shing |
| Distributed by | Shaw Brothers Studio |
| Release date(s) | 1983 |
| Running time | 98 min. |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter (五郎八卦棍, Wu lang ba gua gun, also Invincible Pole Fighter or Master Pole Fighter) is a 1983 Hong Kong martial arts film produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio starring Gordon Liu and Alexander Fu Sheng. Fu Sheng died during the making of this movie and thus does not appear in the final showdown as originally written in the script. After Fu Sheng's death, the story was changed to center on Gordon Liu, who is at his best with a dizzying display of quarterstaff skills. Writer-director Lau Kar-leung makes an appearance as a hunter.
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[edit] Plot
The Yangs are a well-known family of soldiers in the service of the government but are betrayed by a government official conspiring with the Mongols. All of the Yang family males except the 4th, 5th, and 6th brothers are killed (played by Hsiao Hou, Fu Sheng and Gordon Liu respectively). 4th brother is captured by the Liao and is not mentioned again during the movie (in the source story he marries a Liao princess and returns). Fu Sheng loses his mind after the death of his family, while the other brother (Gordon Liu), takes refuge in a temple to put his anger and past behind him. Liu's superb martial arts skill, particularly with the quarterstaff, impress the temple's senior monks. After refusing to leave the temple at first, Liu later fights for the right to depart after he learns that his sister has been captured by the conspirators and a senior monk is killed by the Mongols. Liu confronts the Mongols and during the ensuing battle to free his sister, the monks from the temple arrive to lend support and help him to defeat the Mongols.
[edit] Popular culture
Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter is singularly influential to the Wu-Tang Clan. Their upcoming fifth album, 8 Diagrams, takes it name from the film.
The movie has been sampled on the track "Tribute to the 5th Brother" which is featured on 9th Prince his solo album, Granddaddy Flow. It is produced and features The RZA.
