The Beach of the War Gods

media release: Hong Kong, Taiwan | 1973 | DCP | 101 min. | Mandarin with English subtitles

Director: (Jimmy) Wang Yu

Cast: (Jimmy) Wang Yu, Fei Lung, Tien Yeh

In the final days of the Ming dynasty, a lone swordsman (Wang Yu) rallies a group of elite fighters to defend a coastal town from Japanese marauders. As the villagers are trained for war, a brutal showdown unfolds on the title location. Director and star Wang Yu (One-Armed Swordsman, Master of the Flying Guillotine) blends his signature style of martial arts mayhem with a narrative that should be familiar to anyone who has seen Seven Samurai or The Magnificent Seven. The movie’s “magnificent climactic battle..., at night, lit by torchlight, takes up the whole second half of the picture. It’s the most cinematically impressive large-scale battle sequence in all of Hong Kong seventies martial arts cinema” (Quentin Tarantino).

What is summer without summer movies? At the Cinematheque between June 25 and August 1, every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evening will come alive with free cinematic excitement. Join us for salutes to recently departed film legends David Lynch and Gene Hackman, discover the passionate cinephilia of Claude Lelouch, or sample some 70s Hong Kong martial arts mayhem. There’s more: W.C. Fields, punk rockers & zombies, a 60s Japanese masterwork, and a dazzling Euro bank heist thriller. All programs begin at 7 p.m. in the regular Cinematheque venue, 4070 Vilas Hall, 821 University Avenue. 

Admission free for all screenings, seating limited. No admission 15 minutes after scheduled start times. Please visit our website for a complete listing of programs and descriptions.