Hand of Death

Hand of Death is a Hong Kong martial arts action drama set in Qing-era China, when Manchu forces are tightening their hold on the country and Shaolin Temple stands as a centre of resistance. A former Shaolin student, Commander Shih, has turned against the temple, and a leading pupil, Yung Fei, is sent to stop him and bring him to account. His pursuit brings him into contact with other fighters and travellers, among them a wanderer, a swordsman seeking his brother's killer and a scholar, and leads towards a confrontation with Shih's formidable Iron Claw technique.

The film was directed and written by John Woo, and is the first of the twenty-two features he has directed in chronological order, followed by Heroes Shed No Tears. It was produced by Raymond Chow Man-Wai and Hwang Yeong-Shil for Orange Sky Golden Harvest and Paragon Films Ltd., and runs 97 minutes. Dorian Tan Tao-Liang plays Yung Fei, with James Tien Chuen as Commander Shih, Jackie Chan as Little Tan, Kim Yeong-suk as Autumn Moon, Sammo Hung as Du Qing and Yeung Wai as the Wanderer among a credited cast of thirty-two.

Audience response has been moderate and durable: on IMDb the film holds 6 out of 10 from around 2,200 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.6 out of 10 from a much smaller base of 98 votes. The two figures point to a similar level of regard, with the larger IMDb sample giving the steadier picture of how the film is received.