Vengeance (1970)

Vengeance (1970) (Hong Kong/Shaw Bros.)

Roaring 20's, somewhere in China: Everybody smokes.

Wife Fu; Sign Board Fu; I've-got-a-hatchet-in-my-stomach-but-I'm-still-kicking-ass Fu; Heel Taps Fu.

Lee Marvin: Played by David Chiang -- This guy is a coldblooded bad ass.

You killed: My brother.

Sister-in-law Fu; Dagger Fu.

Men's Room Beat-up Scene: Filmed in 1970, is this one of the first?

Hanging-from-the-rafters Fu; A-Night-at-the-Opera Fu.

Humphrey Bogart: Played by David Chiang.

Interlude: Mushy Stuff.

Elevator Fu; Meerschaum Fu; Coffee table Fu; Throw-him-off-the-9th-floor Fu; Broom-handle-Mauser Fu.

Interlude: More mushy stuff.

And: She's a good cook.

Spoiler:

          Cross - Double Cross - Triple Cross.

Possum Fu.

A Point-Blank-style "Sniper gets the wrong guy" scene.

The first 60 or 70 minutes was as good a Noir film as you get. I'd never seen a Kung Fu Noir movie this old. (Not much kung fu -- mainly knife fights.)

The last 20 minutes was a letdown - mainly because the romance I thought would turn poisonous turned treacly. But still a good watch. The audience reacted to everything in the exact opposite way that I did, which is always a good sign. Check it out.