
A lone martial artist nicknamed “Mongrel” is continually drawn into an intense struggle between several warring martial arts clans after he stumbles across the Black Iron Token, which entitles the owner to have any wish granted by Xie Yanke, a brutal kung fu master.
Directed by Chang Cheh, Ode to Gallantry leans on a strong ensemble — Phillip Kwok Chui, Candy Man, Sun Chien — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about action titles of 1982.
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The workers of a dye factory have their pay cut by 20% when the factory owner brings in some Manchu thugs to try and increase production. Desperate to reclaim their full wages, the workers hire an actor to impersonate a priest and kung-fu expert from the temple of Shaolin. The factory owner proves the actor a fraud, and punishes all those involved. The young actor feels he has let the workers down, and promises to atone. He sets out for Shaolin, determined to be accepted as a kung-fu pupil at the elite temple.
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