Die Bruderschaft der gelben Höllenhunde (1977) Online

CLANS OF INTRIGUE (1977) is another in the series of Shaw Bros. swordplay adventures directed by Chor Yuen (aka Chu Yuan) and adapted by studio scribe I Kuang from novels by prolific author Ku Lung, which present an elaborate alternate universe "martial arts world" recreated with great care on lavish Shaw Bros. sets. Other collaborations of the three include KILLER CLANS (1976) and THE MAGIC BLADE (1976), both also reviewed on this site. CLANS OF INTRIGUE is less action-packed than the earlier films and plays more as a detective drama, with the emphasis on a large-scale investigation as a swordsman framed for murder tries to find out who has killed three clan chiefs and why.

Ti Lung stars as "Thief Master" Chu Liu-hsiang, a high-living swordsman who travels around on his own private boat attended by three beautiful female "students" referred to somewhat indelicately in the new English subtitles as "the babes." When Chu is accused of murder by a female fighter (Nora Miao) from the Palace of Magic Water, he has to find out who has killed three clan leaders and sent out letters accusing him of the deeds. The investigation takes him to a number of different towns and puts him in conflict with several other factions. A mysterious killer in red stalks him, killing off those who give him information. An enigmatic woman in purple known by three painted portraits of her also figures in the investigation, as does a flashback telling us the fate of a Japanese ninja who'd come to China and his two children. A desert clan leader's daughter, clad all in black, first opposes Chu and then assists him.

The plot gets very complicated, but moves quickly and efficiently, keeping close track of its large cast of fascinating characters, all played by worthy Shaw Bros. players including Yueh Hua (COME DRINK WITH ME), Ku Feng (THE HEROIC ONES), Ling Yun (SWIFT SWORD), Tien Ching (BOXER FROM SHANTUNG), and several attractive actresses including Nora Miao (FIST OF FURY), Nancy Yen (7 GRANDMASTERS), Li Ching (KING EAGLE) and the stunning Betty Pei Ti (INTIMATE CONFESSIONS OF A Chinese COURTESAN) as the manipulative, icily beautiful Princess Yin-Chi, who recalls similar femme fatale characters played by Chan Ping in KILLER CLANS and Tien Ni in THE MAGIC BLADE.

The energetic Ti Lung plays a hero more charming and good-humored than the deadly lone swordsman he played in the more serious MAGIC BLADE. His character here is somewhat reminiscent of Hollywood secret agent Derek Flint, played by James Coburn in OUR MAN FLINT (1966), who was equally a master of weapons, a shrewd undercover investigator and served by three beautiful "babes" who also got captured by the villains at one point.

There are fewer swordfights and more talk than usual for this kind of film, which is fine with me, given the intricate nature of the plot, a sprawling puzzle in which important pieces are added with every scene. The fights are briefer than the spectacular setpieces in THE MAGIC BLADE, although Ti Lung and Yueh Hua have a notable climactic kung fu bout. It's a magnificent-looking production, staged on massive, well-lit Shaw Bros. interior sets, with a great cast dressed in beautiful costumes and expertly photographed, all in the service of a clever, entertaining storyline.

CLANS OF INTRIGUE should not be confused with SON OF WU TANG (aka CLUTCH OF POWER, 1977), whose alternate title is sometimes erroneously listed as CLANS OF INTRIGUE.

ADDENDUM (10/1/14): When I submitted this review back in 2003, the title on the page was indeed CLANS OF INTRIGUE. LEGEND OF THE BAT is a different Shaw Bros. film by the same crew from the same year. Why they changed the title on this page to "Legend of the Bat" is a mystery.

Clans of Intrigue is an excellent suspense-mystery with all the high stakes action you would still expect from a Ti Lung-starring Shaw Brothers film. Here he plays a well known rich thief, blamed for the murder of the leaders of the region's three largest kung fu clans. He is given one month to track down the real killer to save his life. Yueh Hua is excellent as a monk you meet early on who turns into the most interesting character in the film. Wish I could say more about him. And one of my absolute favorites, Ku Feng, shows up for a few sequences as well. The sets they use are just gorgeous, especially near the end. Some GREAT surprises along the way. I've seen a few of the collaborations between director Chu Yuan and star Ti Lung and hope there are more out there. At the very least I have a few more from the director on my shelf awaiting a viewing.

I'm glad to see that the reviews on here are of "Clans of Intrigue". If you made it all the way through Brian Camp's review you will see at the end that he added that Clans of Intrigue was the title when he wrote the review but now IMDb has changed it to Legend of the Bat. I don't know why either Brian...

"Clans of Intrigue" was released in Hong Kong on 03/05/1977 and "Legend of the Bat" (aka Clans of Intrigue 2) was released on 07/08/1978.

That's right, "also known as "Clans of Intrigue 2", Legend of the Bat is a sequel to "Clans of Intrigue"... Lung Ti resumes his same role in this but Hua Yueh comes back as a different character.

Anyway... This page is for reviews of Clans of Intrigue. So, there's not much I can add that hasn't already been said.

I hope that IMDb fixes this error and makes a "Legend of the Bat (aka Clans of Intrigue 2) 1978" page so I can write a review on it (Its as good as Clans).

Ooops... I just found it... IMDb has it listed under its other alias name aka "Bat Island Adventures" (1978). Well, they still need to remove this Legend of the Bat cover from this page and return it to Clans of Intrigue like it originally was and should be....

When three gang leaders turn up dead (having ingested Magic Water, which causes their bodies to bloat immediately upon death), Master Thief Chu (Ti Lung) becomes a logical suspect. Madam Yin, who heads up a gang of Amazonian murderesses (who live in lavish subterranean caves), gives Chu one month to prove his innocence. En route, he encounters everything from a ronin to a masked killer to the aforementioned Amazons- and some gender-unspecific folks (male and female) who may or may not be what they seem... CLANS OF INTRIGUE is one of those fascinating martial arts movies that surprises the viewer at every turn. It'd be great if some publisher would make available in English the novels upon which many of these movies are based.