Executioners from Shaolin
Executioners from Shaolin
洪熙官
Overview
"Following the destruction of the Shaolin Temple by the Qing dynasty, the surviving disciples scatter. Hung Hei-Kwun marries a master of the Crane style, and their son must eventually combine his father's Tiger style and mother's Crane style to defeat the seemingly invincible, white-browed priest Pai Mei, who killed his father."
Iconic Tracked Scenes
- ▶
Hung Hei-Kwun attempts to kill the white-browed priest Pai Mei but is horrifyingly trapped by Pai Mei's internal kung fu techniques.
"fighting pai mei""white eyebrow priest" - ▶
The comedic yet highly technical marital disputes where the husband's Tiger style clashes with the wife's evasive Crane style.
"tiger vs crane marriage""husband and wife sparring" - ▶
The son confronts Pai Mei, successfully merging Tiger and Crane to finally bypass the priest's invulnerability.
"tiger crane combination""defeating pai mei"
Why It's Remembered
- ★The opening title sequence perfectly demonstrating Tiger vs Crane forms.
- ★Hung Hei-Kwun's tragic, failed fight against Pai Mei's 'sucking' technique.
- ★The son finally weaponizing the combined Tiger-Crane style against Pai Mei's literal weak spot.
Cultural Context
- ◈Directed by Lau Kar-Leung, this film codified the clash between Tiger and Crane styles on screen.
- ◈Introduced the iconic, supposedly indestructible villain Pai Mei (White Eyebrow), played legendaryly by Lo Lieh.
- ◈A foundational text for the 'revenge spanning generations' wuxia trope.
About the Action Elements
Executioners from Shaolin is widely celebrated among martial arts cinema fans for sequences involving pai mei, white eyebrow, trapped, internal kung fu, failed revenge. One of the most memorable sequences features Chen Kuan-Tai naturally executing fighting pai mei, where the choreography and unique set pieces become the unexpected highlight of the film.