The Duel

1971 "So Many Blades, So Much Blood!"
7| 1h43m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 21 April 1971 Released
Producted By: Shaw Brothers
Country: Hong Kong
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Tan Jen-chieh's life spins out of control when he’s forced into exile to clear his name following the murder of his adopted father. He's hunted in the streets. His lover, Butterfly, turns to prostitution. And his father's likely killer – a smooth operator known as the Rambler – is always lingering nearby. But before Tan and the Rambler can slit each other's throats, they learn they've been double-crossed and go two against everyone in a rage of double-edged vengeance.

Genre

Drama, Action, Crime

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Director

Chang Cheh

Production Companies

Shaw Brothers

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The Duel Audience Reviews

VividSimon Simply Perfect
Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated
Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!
filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
poe426 DUEL OF THE IRON FIST was part of the first kung fu double feature I ever saw in a theater (the other film was KUNG FU- THE INVINCIBLE FIST), and it still holds up. Butterfly-tattooed Ti Lung and the always impeccably-dressed David Chiang (called "The Rover," a kind of Doc Holliday who's good with knives, but whose nagging cough bodes ill) find themselves at odds with a local gang. Lung eventually has to leave and go "incognito." He's found out in short order, of course, and has to fight his way to freedom. The action is good and rarely lets up as Lung wades through scores of assailants. Although at first there appear to be no traditional "good guys" in this movie, there ARE a couple of surprising turnarounds by the time the Finale (set partially in a raging downpour) takes place. Chang Cheh paved the way for future superstar action directors like John Woo, and DUEL OF THE IRON fist is the GODFATHER of Triad action films.
MartinHafer One Chinese gang attacks and wipes out another gang in the beginning of the film. Unfortunately, the patriarch of the winning family is killed in the process. Oddly, and without any discernible reason, the gang solicits a volunteer to blame the massacre on and he leaves until the police decide to stop investigating. Now how ONE MAN ALONE is the one responsible for about 50 deaths is beyond me, so sending this one guy away just seemed silly, but that's the plot. Later, when this man comes home, betrayals and scheming have occurred--leading to almost one hour and fifteen minutes of non-stop killing.If you are looking for a Chinese martial arts film with much of a plot, then you should probably skip this movie, as its practically non-stop action and practically no plot or character development--even when compared to other martial arts films. I would estimate that 80-90% of the film are fight scenes--endless and reasonably well made fight scenes using knives. Again and again and again, fight scenes! If you want a film with a body count perhaps running into the hundreds as people are slashed, kicked, and slashed, then this is the film for you. The problem was by the end of the film there are literally no people left to kill and the film really lost my interest!! Deep it ain't, but if you want to see excitement and action ONLY, then this film is for you! By the way, this movie is set in contemporary times and no one thinks of shooting the hero until just near the end. And, when they FINALLY do the logical thing, it's too late and the effort is really, really lame! Logical errors like this and the lady's suicide (why???) make this a "turn off your brain" type of film.
patronise This film is a lot of fun. The revenge based plot means infinite opportunities for groups of bad guys to leap out from no where to try and kill the hero - which results in some fantastic, often knife based fights. It may not be realistic, but it sure is spectacular. And then there's the fun to be had with the bad dubbing by Americans from down South and the quirky, chop-sockyness of this film. But if that's not enough, the first major fight scene in this film will be very familiar to fans of Kill Bill volume 1. It was this film that inspired Quientin Tarintino's brilliant finale in the Blue Flower. The set is very reminiscent, and there is even a moment where the power is cut and the fighters are in darkness. So for classic, old school cinema that's still relevant to today - Dual of the Iron Fist is an excellent film.
Boodikka Boasting a young production assistant by the name of John Woo, this knife-fighting film is considered by many to be the first HK-style gangster film. In fact Ti Lung would go on to star in "A Better Tomorrow". Ignore the shoddy production values, and enjoy this morality play. WARNING: Some US prints end with the government troops fighting Ti Lung and David Chiang in the rain. This is not the ending, the fight goes on for another 15 minutes! Enjoy the risible dubbing; at one point Ti Lung has 3 different accents in one sentence!