1977 • Hong Kong • Directed by Sammo Hung

In the years following the passing of Bruce Lee, the flame of Hong Kong action cinema was being kept alive via the masterful choreography of Sammo Hung in a multitude of films, typically under the direction of Huang Feng (Hapkido, The Shaolin Plot). However, in 1977, Hung would finally get his chance to fully take the directing reins, with his former director by his side as co-writer, paving the way for The Iron-Fisted Monk!

Rice Miller Luk (Hung) is just a simple man trying to live a quiet life, until one day the Manchu Bannermen bully their way through town, killing his uncle in the process. When a nearby Shaolin monk, San De (Chen Sing, The Shaolin Plot), easily defeats them and sees the fallen Luk, he offers him a chance to learn martial arts at the Shaolin Temple. However, Luk’s impatience with his training sees him return to his town to witness an even more ruthless organization of Manchus, led by a depraved official (Fung Hak-An, Warriors Two) who has a nasty and violent habit of taking whatever (and whoever) he wants. Will Luk’s incomplete Shaolin teachings, combined with the skill set of San De, be enough to put an end to the Manchu stronghold plaguing their people?

Predating The 36th Chamber of Shaolin’s variation of the story of San De and Miller Luk by a year, and notorious for its uncensored version receiving a retroactive Category Iii rating in Hong Kong (the equivalent of the American Nc-17), The Iron-Fisted Monk pulls no punches, literally or figuratively, explosively marking the beginning for one of the greatest martial arts film directors of all time!