Guest peringaten Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 The more I come to understand these films from all studios, independents and directors, the more I come to believe Sun Chung the finest director to ever grace us with a martial flick (don't worry about that statement too hard though; besides technically, considering all the wondrous attributes and precedents each influential auteur brought to bear it's perhaps a somewhat moot one, but still)... Anyway, thinking about it, whilst knowing plenty about the likes of Chang Cheh and LKL, etc. I know little to nothing about the man himself other than that garnered sitting down and enjoying one of his films, and even then I'm sure I could learn yet more from subsequent viewings... So, this thread... learn me, and indeed all of us more about Sun Chung. Anything related to the man, from thoughts on his work and methods to his background... So initially all I can gather is he was Taiwanese and born in 1941... And after a couple of assistant director jobs (according to HKCinemagic) his first fully fledged directorial work was indeed his Shaw debut Devil's Mirror... Any thoughts or knowledge to drop on this mastermind of martial cinema? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest vengeanceofhumanlanterns Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 peringaten, interesting subject though, all I've read are the bio's on the Celestial's in the filmographies. I do agree. Definitely one of the greats IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peringaten Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 Yep, for sure a guy whose name needs more trumpeting... So in the interests of garnering any and all information and opinion in this thread to further appreciation and understanding let's start with that Celestial bio... I'm gonna type it here: "Born in 1941 in Taiwan, he graduated from the state-run film school in Taiwan before becoming a production intern. There he developed his filming and editing ability which led to a deeply emotional visual style. Whilst his first film as director was a Taiwanese comedy, he was equally adept at satire, modern-day crime dramas and martial arts movies. All his skills came into play when he joined Shaw Brothers in 1970, leading to some of the studio's most exciting, unusual, and memorable thrillers. He was, in fact, the pioneer among Shaw Brothers to utilize modern camera technology such as the Steadicam. After he left Shaw Brothers, Sun continued to make internationally popular action adventures as A Fist Full Of Talons and City War before leaving the film industry in the early 1990s." Ok, fair enough, that's a bit of background for us... Now considering the quality of his work, general perception seems to tell me he is way too underapreciated in the west... Thinking about it - what was the situation back in the day? For example Chang Cheh and LKL have had longstanding reputations outside of HK it seems... Why not so much Sun Chung? Or is my perception off-kilter? What was the situation with his films before their Celestial incarnations? Did many make it over here through World Northal or onto Black Belt Theatre? Were many dubbed even? I understand Avenging Eagle & Deadly Breaking Sword were both dubbed; did any others make it over in this manner? Wonder how he and his films were percieved in domestic territories too... So many questions about this guy... If there's one director I want to know more about it's SC... Genius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peringaten Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Well this is interesting, a bit of first hand testimony on SC's working methods, albeit cursory and brief, from HKCinemagic's fine Siu Yam Yam interview... regarding SC's Big Bad Sis HKCinemagic : What did you think of Big Bad Sister? Shaw Yum Yum: I loved Big Bad Sister because it gave me a chance to fight. But I can't fight for real. When I was at Chang's Films, I received two to three month basic training. The director for Big Bad Sister, Sun Chung was quite violent. Very tough on the actors on the films. It was very demanding physically. He likes to make things bloody. Now that's curious... Come on people, I want to know more about this guy - anyone got any more info... clippings or magazine articles, general thoughts? No other reason than I am just damn curious about this guy. More should be known!! Put it in this thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BKarza Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 I just have this small bit from the defunct Hong Kong Film Connecion magazine. It was an interview with old Shaw and Golden harvest guy, Chua Lam. This small portion is in regard to Sun Chung. Interviewer:"That's right they(Venoms) always appeared as a group. But there were other people, who were doing interesting work too. And what about Suen Chung, the man who made Judgement for an Assassin? Chua Lam: He was assistant director and he directed one or two pictures in Taiwan and we saw him as a bright young man and we brought him over. We had many Taiwan directors at this time. We bring in Japanese, Taiwan, whatever we can lay our hands on. He was brought in, he was very bright...he was very stubborn, he studied politics in Taiwan, that is a school for spies! They have ways of bending people's wills to get what they want. He's very, ver involved in his politics thing. He can start jumping up and down at you, then he can be very nice at the same time. It's a character that the Hong Kong people tend not to easily accept. He made a few good one most notably Queen of Temple Street." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peringaten Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Good stuff! The Sun Chung picture's getting ever so slightly clearer... wonder where we can find more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest teako170 Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 According to Shaw Screen... Sun Chung was a native of Shandong but grew up in Taiwan and graduated from the directing/scriptwriting department of the Nat'l Institute of Arts in Taiwan. After a year of military service, Sun started to work as a script continuity person and director's assistance in Taiwan's Central Motion Picture Co., becoming assistant director to Li Xing and Bai Jingrui. His first two directorials (the musical "Wild Girls / Ye Yatou" in '68 and the comedy "Tops in Every Trade / Hang Chu Zhuangyuan" in '70) were both critical and box office successes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peringaten Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 Nice stuff Teako. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stuntman Jules Posted May 1, 2007 Share Posted May 1, 2007 Interesting fellow no doubt. Tarantino called him the "Kubrick of the Shaw Brothers". While I'm a slightly bigger fan of Chor Yuen's films over Sun Chung's, still, Sun Chung had way more range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest the golden dragon Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 This Shaws director has a certain quality I define as Shakespearian. He seems to have a special touch. Can you list his movies for me. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest killer meteor Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 www.hkcinemagic.com/en/people.asp?id=549 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest the golden dragon Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 Killer Meteor. Thanks. That site is SO informative. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stuntman Jules Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 The best of all the Shaw Brothers directors, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Markgway Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 :eek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Austin Jones Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Yeah, Devil's Mirror really blindsided me with how good it was. Talk about flying under the radar... Excellent use of dark atmospheres and brilliant cinematography. Austin Jones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest killer meteor Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 He had his off-days but Human Lanterns was fantastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stuntman Jules Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Sun Chung's films are just brilliant, they have the best cinematography, the most fluent camera work and the acting is always top notch as well. Chang Cheh's films are great, bloody fun, but they have a very stylistic sloppiness and overuse of the zoom lens. Chor Yuen's films are beautifully made but his Gu Long stuff can get pretty f***ing weird. Kuei Chih Hung's movies are hardly good pieces of cinema, even if they are almost always a hoot to watch. Lau Kar Leung's films focus too much on comedy most of the time and are a tad bit lighthearted for my taste. Sun Chung's films, on the other hand, have few, if any, of the above flaws. They are entertaining AND superbly directed, which to me makes him likely the Shaws' finest director. The only Sun Chung film I've seen which isn't that good is THE BLOODY ESCAPE, but even that has great moments. I believe Chang Cheh handled the action scenes, which is not surprisingly considering that they just reek of his stylistic sloppiness wheras the drama scenes are very Sun Chung. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peringaten Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Li Han Hsiang was Shaws greatest director I believe. One for the buffs. Helmed Shaws largest and most ambitious works, in many ways moulded studio's styling I believe, yet with a singular clarity of vision. No one really touched him in full flow. Sun Chung's my favourite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jmungus Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 The only Sun Chung film I've seen which isn't that good is THE BLOODY ESCAPE, but even that has great moments. I believe Chang Cheh handled the action scenes, which is not surprisingly considering that they just reek of his stylistic sloppiness wheras the drama scenes are very Sun Chung. thats exactly my belief and opinion as well. Li Han Hsiang was Shaws greatest director I believe. hmmmm..... :| since his work usually doesnt appeal to me, hes completely insignificant in my book, but thats not really his fault now is it. i know the empress dowager (grand, ambitious, bleh), emperor chien lung (pretty decent stuff; should check out the sequels too some time), tiger and the widow (average) and tiger killer (now thats a good'un) back to sun chung; matter of fact im just back from rewatching devils mirror. i counted one cut that was a little uneven (palaver in a mansions main hall. music would stop abruptly and the rapid cut to an entirely different setting- a long nighttime shot from a front yard into an entrance hall with zero sound- made the whole thing feel a lil awkward) and one or two only halfway convincing leaps/jumps. everything else was perfect! >the story/script was solid enough >screenplay was air tight and smooth as silk. >the attention to detail in shooting scenes was phenomenal >the sets were spectacular and well chosen >also, they`d make very good use of the set/props during action scenes. >cam work was creative and flawless- dare i say 'revolutionary' !?!?!!! >choreography was spectacular for its time. simon chui`s pretty cool i must say. cooperated with a certain chui chung hok on DM. looked up CCH, they`d also action-direct duel for gold and finger of doom (great one too) together. there was much love put into the action shots. check out how swift and seamless all that leaping and jumping (incl. acrobatic elements) came out. >sun chung is the master of time and space- the pace was set to "high octane roller coaster ride entertainment" and boy could SC make perfect use of all 3 dimensions the sound stages and outdoor spots would offer. unparalleled!!! >there was no underacting, little overacting, rock solid performances by all actors according to their respective characters, be it the heroes, the baddies, the shady ones, the henchmen or the lesser ones...servants, guards etc. sun chung respects the art of the actors as well as the art of the martial artists/choreographers and absorbs everything they can give to aid his movie. there was little to no background stories or any real depths to the characters; call it a flaw if u will. i dont, since this clearly is a classic actioner that wants to tell a straight story and show lots of exciting physical stuff. its a) almost impossible and even undesirable actually for a movie to have "it" all. the only director i know who can pull off "a movie with everything" and make it good is tsui hark, but only provided hes inspired and has a decent script on his hands. >okay, i ll stop here. this is gettin outta hand lol havin a hard time believing this was SC`s directorial debut. the man was talented like no other. how can u never have helmed a big studio movie before in your lifetime and create such a reference masterpiece ??? DM oozes with technical perfection thats not for showing off or covering up possible weaknesses, but for supporting a fun and engaging action adventure with wicked sword fighting AND LOVELY BLOOD-GUSHING, i might add :eek this aint just spurting lots of fake blood; this is poetry in red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest deliriocaldo Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Kuei Chih Hung's movies are hardly good pieces of cinema, even if they are almost always a hoot to watch. Kuei Chih Hung certainly is the best and most interesting Shaw director, in my book at least. Granted, his work isn't completely consistent. Among his 40+ movies in a brief time 14 years (1970-1984), he certainly has done some crappy stuff - comedies like THE RAT CATCHER come to my mind -, but when he's in top form, there's hardly anything to compare him to, in Shaw realm as well as on a global scale. Films like KILLER CONSTABLE, BOXER'S OMEN or the "Deaf Mute Killer" episode of HOMICIDES, THE CRIMINALS PT. 2 show a unique vision and are just brillant in the way they are realized. World cinema at its best, if you ask me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Markgway Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Shaw Bros directors all have an uneven output dictated to by the sheer volume of films they made. For every classic there will be a poor or medicore effort to match. That's why it's tricky for me to say who's the best. Do I only tally up their good works or include their bad works too? To make any choice would be too apply criticism and try to take into consideration cinematics, storytelling and entertainment value. In the end I would have to go with Chang Cheh as I have more films of his in my collection that I've liked enough to keep than for any other director (I realise he made more). I have to say that I've found Sun Chung to be vastly overrated in recent times. Probably the best of his I've seen are The Kung-Fu Instructor and The Proud Youth (and no I've not yet seen Rendezvous With Death!! :b ) but works such as The Master Strikes Back, Notorious Eight and The Drug Connection are to me below average. My view is no doubt informed by the fact that his most celebrated films (ie. Human Lanterns, Avenging Eagle) didn't do as much for me as most of you guys. Ironically one of the best Sun Chung films is his drama Queen of Temple Street - a part of the otherwise mostly dire The Criminals series. I guess this proves how subjective this whole subject is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pressureworld Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 My view is no doubt informed by the fact that his most celebrated films (ie. Human Lanterns, Avenging Eagle) didn't do as much for me as most of you guys. I would have to agree with Mark on this one I think Sun is good but a little overrated at least on this forum. I can't for the life of me understand the hype behind Avenging Eagle the story is good, the fights are average and the villain is campy. Human lanterns I did enjoy more but again it's good not great I think Blood Brothers was great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Cognoscente Posted May 10, 2021 Member Share Posted May 10, 2021 On 6/24/2007 at 1:11 PM, Guest killer meteor said: He had his off-days but Human Lanterns was fantastic In his memoir, Wong Jing complimented Sun Chung (one of Jing's top five favourite Shaw directors): "He had no bad movies, just different types of good. I can't pick a favourite Shaw Brothers movie but my favourite non-Shaw movie is The Gambler, which is why I was more than okay with him to direct Notorious Eight." 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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