The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter

The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter

The Hong Kong movie poster.
Traditional 五郎八卦棍
Simplified 五郎八卦棍
Mandarin Wǔláng Bāguà Gùn
Cantonese Ng5long4 Baat3gwaa3 Gwan3
Directed by Lau Kar-leung
Produced by Mona Fong
Run Me Shaw
Run Run Shaw
Written by Lau Kar-leung
Kuang Ni
Starring Gordon Liu
Alexander Fu
Kara Hui
Ko Fei
Music by Stephen Shing
Distributed by Shaw Brothers Studio
Release date
  • 1983 (1983)
Running time
98 minutes
Country Hong Kong
Language Cantonese

The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter is a 1983 Hong Kong film by Shaw Brothers, directed by Lau Kar-leung and starring Gordon Liu and Alexander Fu. It was released as The Invincible Pole Fighters outside of Hong Kong and Invincible Pole Fighter in North America.

Alexander Fu died in a car accident before the filming of The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter was finished and does not appear in the final showdown as originally written in the script.[1]

The film is based on the Generals of the Yang Family (Yeung family in Cantonese) legends.

Plot

With help from the treacherous Song dynasty general Pun Mei, the Khitan-ruled Liao dynasty army succeeded in trapping the loyal Song general Yeung Yip and his seven sons at Golden Beach. Yeung Yip and his sons were all killed or captured in the ambush, except for the 5th son and the 6th son who managed to escape. The 6th son returned home, but was severely traumatised by the events. Meanwhile, the 5th son sought refuge in a monastery in Mount Wutai, but the monastery leaders initially did not consider him calm enough to be a Buddhist monk. As blades were not allowed inside a monastery, he used his training in spears to practice with a pole, eventually developing the unique eight diagram pole fighting technique. When he finally appeared to have put his anger and past behind him, news broke that the Khitans had captured his younger sister, Yeung Baat-mui, who was looking for him. Now he must break Buddhist vows (including not kill and not be bothered by worldly affairs) to save Baat-mui and exact his revenge.

Cast

Note: The characters' names are in Cantonese romanisation.
Cast Role Description
Lily Li Se Choi-fa "Taai-gwan", Yeung Yip's wife
Wong Yue Yeung Ping "Daai-long", Yeung Yip's 1st son
Lau Kar-wing Yeung Ding "Yi-long", Yeung Yip's 2nd son
Mak Tak-law Yeung On "Saam-long", Yeung Yip's 3rd son
Hsiao Ho Yeung Fai "Sei-long", Yeung Yip's 4th son
Gordon Liu Yeung Dak "Ng-long", Yeung Yip's 5th son
Alexander Fu Yeung Chiu "Luk-long", Yeung Yip's 6th son
Cheung Chin-pang Yeung Zi "Chat-long", Yeung Yip's 7th son
Kara Hui Yeung Kei "Baat-mui", Yeung Yip's daughter and 8th child
Yeung Jing-jing Yeung Ying "Gau-mui", Yeung Yip's daughter and 9th child
Lam Hak-ming Pun Mei Song dynasty general
Wang Lung-wei Ye-leut Lin Liao dynasty prince
Chu Tiet-woh Gun Kwai Liao dynasty general
Ko Fei abbot of the Ching-leung Monastery
Ching Chu Master Ji-hung senior monk at the Ching-leung Monastery
Lau Kar-leung hunter

Awards and nominations

1985 – 4th Hong Kong Film Awards

References

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