“Heroes of the East” starring Gordon Liu (Ho Tao), Yuka Mizuno (Yumiko Koda), and Yasuaki Kurata (Takeno). Directed by Lau Kar-Leung for Run Run Shaw/Shaw Brothers. The 1978 film is a cult classic. I had the pleasure of watching it on television during Martial Arts Saturday, which aired on my local station. This review is spoiler free, with the focus on the characters, the message, and the takeaways of the film. “Heroes of the East” was amazingly produced by Run Run Shaw. It’s ground-breaking and ahead of its time.
It’s the 21st Century. The push for representation in cinema has increased. What makes “Heroes of the East” special is they got it right in 1978. Cinema in the 20th Century had more representation then than it does today. It was filmed in Hong Kong and Japan. The film was a sensitive subject. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, from July 7, 1937, to September 2, 1945, the Japanese occupied the Republic of China. It began with a military conflict between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan over the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937. The dispute escalated into a battle that waged for 8-years. Thirty-three years later a film is produced about a conflict between the Chinese and Japanese. Not enough time has passed for memories of the war to fade.
Run Run Shaw realized tensions may still be high. He was careful to focus on representation. Japanese actors were cast for Japanese roles. Additionally, he artfully has shown the differences in cultures and beliefs and how each could easily misinterpret and become offended over the slightest thing. To soften the tone of the film, he used an intercultural couple, Ho Tao (Chinese) playing and Yuka Mizuno (Japanese) to represent the conflict. Ho Tao marries Yumiko in an arranged marriage. It started off smoothly, with the couple highly attracted to each other, until cultural differences surface. Yumiko’s love for Japanese martial arts makes her seemingly arrogant and proud. She feels her skills are superior to Ho Tao’s and doesn’t mind expression that sentiment on several occasions. At first, Ho Tao treats it as light-hearted fare between husband and wife until Yumiko’s insults to personal. This results in the couple separating and Yumiko returning to Japan, seemingly to the arms of a former lover, Takeno. To encourage Yumiko to return to Hong Kong, Ho Tao hatches a plan with his servant, Chow Kan (Kang-Yeh Cheng) that is guaranteed to make her return. Yumiko received a letter that appears Ho Tao is challenging her to a dual. Takeno becomes enraged over its content.
What takes place is more misinterpretation carefully crafted by Run Run Shaw. Ho Tao must defend Chinese heritage against Takeno’s seemingly Japanese superiority. Both cultures have much to be proud of, so it’s interesting to note how Shaw balanced the appreciation for both. Although there are some areas of the film that made me cringe, such as the use of “Jap” in the dialogue. It’s an ethnic slur. Ho Tao uses this expression when casually speaking with his wife. This indicates that old habits still remain after the Second Sino-Japanese War, where the word was used as a slur.
Another area I like to highlight is Ho Tao and Yumiko’s personality. Both are stubborn, arrogant, and proud. That is the running theme of “Heroes of the East.” However, Shaw displayed their immaturity and inability to resolve their conflict through communication. This is absolutely brilliant storytelling. Shaw demonstrated open dialogue as conflict resolution.
The conclusion of “Heroes of the East” ended superbly. Shaw took this moment to educate. I highly recommend watching this film. You can rent it today via DVD Netflix.
“Heroes of the East” Trailer
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