THE WATER MARGIN is the Shaw Brothers' attempted adaptation of the massive Chinese novel of the same name which is so big that only a few chapters were brought to the screen for this tale. It's definitely an epic by Shaw Brothers standards, with an all-star cast who are constantly introduced throughout the picture and a sprawling, densely-plotted narrative. I think this film has the most plot I've seen in a Shaw movie and it certainly keeps you involved throughout.
The film has the epic look and feel of something like THE 14 AMAZONS although the really big battle stuff is saved for the climax and worth the wait. This part of the film is Shaw at their most traditional, with different fighters pairing off to battle it out with their individual styles and weapons, and it's great fun and surprisingly gory in places. However, the preceding story is perhaps even more interesting. The narrative is constructed in such a way that you're never sure where exactly the tale is going to end up and it keeps you guessing throughout as to the outcome.
As such I found it a very involving watch and one that demands close attention. There are a ton of famous faces here from the big names like David Chiang and Ti Lung to the experienced character actors like Ku Feng. Lung is hardly in it but does get to fight at the end unlike Chen Kuan Tai who seems to just vanish after his introduction. Chiang gets a big role through and is entirely likable in it. Interestingly enough, the two major rival roles are played by a pair of Japanese actors, Tetsuro Tanba and Toshio Kurosawa, and both are very effective.
The film has the epic look and feel of something like THE 14 AMAZONS although the really big battle stuff is saved for the climax and worth the wait. This part of the film is Shaw at their most traditional, with different fighters pairing off to battle it out with their individual styles and weapons, and it's great fun and surprisingly gory in places. However, the preceding story is perhaps even more interesting. The narrative is constructed in such a way that you're never sure where exactly the tale is going to end up and it keeps you guessing throughout as to the outcome.
As such I found it a very involving watch and one that demands close attention. There are a ton of famous faces here from the big names like David Chiang and Ti Lung to the experienced character actors like Ku Feng. Lung is hardly in it but does get to fight at the end unlike Chen Kuan Tai who seems to just vanish after his introduction. Chiang gets a big role through and is entirely likable in it. Interestingly enough, the two major rival roles are played by a pair of Japanese actors, Tetsuro Tanba and Toshio Kurosawa, and both are very effective.