Below are listed some of the all-time favourite Chinese movies from the 70s.
1. A Touch Of Zen (1971)
Ku Shen Chai (Chun Shih), an unmotivated artist in his early 30s, still lives with his mother, but the advent of Yang Hui-ching (Feng Hsu), a princess on the run from Gen. Ou-Yang Nin (Tien Peng), who massacred her entire family, shakes him out of his rut. Yang includes Ku in her protective circle, including Nin's rival, Gen. Shih Wen-Chiao (Pai Ying), and the nameless monk (Roy Chiao), whose spiritual teaching transforms Ku into a fearless warrior.
2. Warriors Two (1978)
Sammo Hung wrote and directed Warriors Two, a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts film he also stars. Bryan Leung, Casanova Wong, and Fung Hak-on feature in the movie. Leung portrays the historical figure of Leung Jan (or Leung Tsan), a well-known early practitioner of the Wing Chun kung fu form. The link of Leung with Wing Chun is comparable to Wong Fei-association hung with the Hung Gar style. Warriors Two, along with The Prodigal Son, is regarded as one of the best martial arts films depicting the actual Wing Chun technique. Warriors Two is not a sequel, despite the title. Rather, it alludes to the film's two leading warriors, and the Hong Kong title's literal translation is "Mr. Tsang and Cashier Hua."
3. Duel Of Fists (1971)
Long ago, Lei Li lost his right arm in a sword duel with a martial arts school's instructor. He can now defend himself effectively using only his left arm and kung fu methods, and he demonstrates this with the help of his friend Chung-Chieng when he crosses paths with Pao Chiao, a lovely girl in need. He will prove to be a superb warrior even in the face of impossible odds.
4. Heroes Of The East (1978)
The martial arts film Heroes of the East (Chinese), also known as Challenge of the Ninja, Shaolin versus Ninja, and Shaolin Challenges Ninja, was released in 1978. Lau Kar-Leung directed the film, which starred Gordon Liu. So Chan, a master of Zui Quan, is played by Lau Kar-Leung in a cameo appearance. It's notable for including Japanese martial arts and the more traditional kung fu seen in most Hong Kong martial arts films.
5. The Chinese Boxer (1970)
The Chinese Boxer (also known as The Hammer of God in the United States) is a 1970 Hong Kong action kung fu film directed by Jimmy Wang Yu and starring Jimmy Wang Yu. The action was led by Tong Gaai. The Chinese Boxer was a box office triumph when it was released, and it is now regarded as the first masterpiece in the non-wuxia, Kung Fu genre, or precisely the unarmed combat martial art films that focus more on training and prowess than fantasy or adventure. It would have an impact on later films like Fist of Fury.
6. Intimate Confessions Of A Chinese Courtesan (1972)
Sweet little Ai Nu is kidnapped and sold to the famed Four Seasons brothel run by lustful mistress Chun Yi in this Shaw Brothers classic. AiNu's feisty demeanor finds her imprisoned in a dungeon. After beating a stubborn AiNu, lesbian Madam Chun licks the open sores on the girl's back in one scene. Chun Yi falls for Ai Nu's nubile charge and confides in her a variety of martial arts secrets, including "Ghost Hands," which allows a fighter to delve into an opponent's chest. Soon, murder breaks out in the brothel, and a cop must race against the clock to prevent a horrific vengeance plot from coming to fruition.
7. Drunken Boxing (1978)
Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu-tien, and Hwang Jang-lee star in Yuen Woo-1978 ping's Hong Kong action comedic martial arts film Drunken Master. The film was a box office hit in Hong Kong, grossing two and a half times as much as Yuen and Chan's last picture, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, which was also a blockbuster.
8. The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin (1978)
The Master Killer, also known as Shaolin Master Killer and Shao Lin San Shi Liu Fang, is a 1978 Hong Kong kung fu film directed by Lau Kar-leung and produced by Shaw Brothers, which stars Gordon Liu. San Te, a famed Shaolin martial arts pupil who trained under the commander Chi Shan, is the protagonist of the film.
9. Breaking With Old Ideas (1975)
Breaking with Old Ideas is a Chinese film directed by Li Wenhua and released in 1975. One of the few films made during the Cultural Revolution is this one. Breaking with Old Idea storyline was extensively regulated under highly codified standards on story and characterization as a result of the political upheaval. So that it would have a mass character, rather than an individual-focused character, essentially proletarian politics as opposed to bourgeois politics. This film is based on concerns about schooling in China at that time, such as the fact that there was too much study and not enough social practice.
10. Enter The Dragon (1973)
Robert Clouse directed the martial arts action film Enter the Dragon (Chinese) since its premiere in 1973. Enter The Dragon has held the distinction for the most successful martial arts film ever made. Bruce Lee, John Saxon, and Jim Kelly star in the picture. Lee's final finished film appearance was on July 20, 1973, when he died at the age of 32. It premiered in Los Angeles on August 19, 1973, one month after Lee's death, as a joint American-Hong Kong production.
