Five Fingers of Death

"Come prepared for the thrill of a lifetime!"

1972 1h 46m ZH

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 122

ActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A young boxer joins a martial arts school to increase his skill so he can enter a martial arts competition. He leaves the school when he hears that a local gangster is terrorizing the town. He comes to the aid of a young singer and brings on the wrath of the local gang. He eventually enters the martial arts competition after learning iron palm technique and takes out all competition.

“Come prepared for the thrill of a lifetime!”

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Cast

Lo Lieh
Chao Chih-Hao
Wang Ping
Sung Ying Ying
Huang Chin-feng
Singer Yen Chu-Hung
Tien Feng
Master Meng Tung-Shan
Tung Lin
Meng Tien-Hsiung
Fang Mian
Master Suen Hsin-Pei
Ku Wen-Chung
Master Sung Wu-Yang
James Nam Seok-Hoon
Han Lung

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jeong Chang-hwa
Writers: Patrick Kong Yeung
Languages: Mandarin
Countries: Hong Kong

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

54 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jeong Chang-hwa, shot by Choi Seung-Woo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Wu Da-Jiang. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Chiang Hsing-Lung shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Lo Lieh and Wang Ping and Huang Chin-feng carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Come prepared for the thrill of a lifetime!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0070800 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jeong Chang-hwa directs. Choi Seung-Woo behind the camera. Wu Da-Jiang scores. Chiang Hsing-Lung cuts. Produced in Hong Kong. Dialogue in Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

154 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Jeong Chang-hwa, shot by Choi Seung-Woo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Wu Da-Jiang. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Chiang Hsing-Lung shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Lo Lieh and Wang Ping and Huang Chin-feng carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Come prepared for the thrill of a lifetime!".
7IMDB entry: tt0070800 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Released under 21 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Choi Seung-Woo
Original score: Wu Da-Jiang
Editing: Chiang Hsing-Lung
Makeup / hair: Fong Yuen
Runtime: 106 min · 1h 46m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: ZH
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Five Fingers of Death (1972)

Also by

Jeong Chang-hwa

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2025-11-06
★ 5/10
Comic book chopsocky flick from Hong Kong This was the movie that broke the Asian martial arts craze in America in 1973, following the success of the “Kung Fu” pilot and ensuing television series the previous year. Roy Thomas was inspired to create Marvel Comics’ Iron Fist after watching both. The story takes place in the early 20th century in rural Hong Kong (or bordering China). As such, there are no vehicles, but rather horse-drawn carriages, which gives the film a Western flair or something akin to “Planet of the Apes” & “Beneath the Planet of the Apes.” I like the simple Far East décor and backdrops. The fighting sequences are artistic, but not believable, resembling choreographed stage dances more than combat, sorta reminiscent of Michael Jackson's later "Thriller" video. The film should be respected for its historical impact, and it is entertaining to a point if you can enter its fantasy world with people jumping seven feet into the air at the drop of a hat (Why Sure). Unfortunately, Lo Lieh as the protagonist lacks the charisma of Bruce Lee and was too old for the part of “the young man” at almost 33 during shooting. Then there’s the jarring theme from Ironside used as a leitmotif coupled with the equally jarring sound effects used for physical impact in the fight scenes. It doesn’t help that it’s overlong by about 15-20 minutes and so the proceedings come across redundant. After the first 30-40 minutes, it’s just more of the same. The original 1972 “Kung Fu” movie with David Carradine (retitled “The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon” after the success of the resultant series) is a masterpiece by comparison because it kept everything in the realm of plausibility and had the confidence to take its time with a moving, reverent tone. Despite my criticisms, the highlights make it worth checking out for those interested. It runs 1 hour, 44 minutes, and was shot in Hong Kong. GRADE: C+

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