One of the most revered kung fu movies is the Shaw Brothers/Chang Cheh classic The Five Venoms. While there were previous movies involving various members of this particular cast, it was The Five Venoms that really skyrocketed the careers of five individuals that became Chang Cheh’s next round of superstars in his kung fu classics.
The Five Venoms are called this name as they were five masters of a particular clan of kung fu called the Poison Clan. The five were as follows:
- #1 Centipede Zhang Yiaotian/Tan Shanhu (Lu Feng)
- #2 Snake Qi Dong/Hong Wentong (Wai Pak)
- #3 Scorpion Gao Ji/Chief Constable Ma (Sun Chien)
- #4 Lizard Meng Tianxia/Constable He Yu (Philip Kwok)
- #5 Toad Liang Shen/Li Hao (Lo Meng)
In addition to these five, there was the last pupil of Chiang Sheng, Yang De. Officially, he wasn’t given a proper style, having been taught all the styles and later called himself (in what was probably a bad dubbing error) the #4 (which was wrong because that was the Lizard). Normally, the Venoms themselves are associated as Philip Kwok, Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, Lo Meng and Sun Chien. Also, there’s a 7th Venom (Wang Li/Wong Lik), who didn’t make it into this film but often has been in many of the later Venom movies while Wai Pak only appeared in four of the ones that featured more predominantly this cast.
Regardless, The Five Venoms was quite unusual in that it had its own unique vibe where it was setup as a type of period piece without an explicit date but the entire movie was shrouded in mystery. Right from the start, we encounter Yang De with a dying teacher in a strange chamber. The teacher goes on to describe his ailing health and introduces us to where he trained his earlier students. The identity of the students are hidden behind masks with a design that symbolizes their style. Along with that the music is mysterious and foreboding. Thereafter, we are quickly introduced to these mysterious students where their style of kung fu is demonstrated.
Each style is unique and colorful with the theme being poison related. I think part of the charm of this movie was the sheer innovation of these “styles” as I believe they were invented for the purpose of this movie alone. The only two “real” martial artists of these six were Sun Chien and Lo Meng who knew Tae Kwon Do and mantis fist respectively. The rest were Taiwnese acrobats (although I’m not sure about Wai Pak). But I think having these exotic styles really helped give the actors a sense of identity as well as hide the acrobats’ lack of actual martial arts skills. Even Wai Pak’s so-called snake skill isn’t the normal one you’d see in other movies where some sort of Hung Gar with the actual snake style kung fu is shown.
At any rate, Yang De is given a quest to locate these five pupils as well as a hidden treasure that might be used for malicious purposes as the teacher’s final wish. Off Yang De goes to become a vagabond to hide his true purpose in being able to investigate a city where the teacher suspects the other students might be hiding. So the mystery theme effectively evolves into an investigation both for the missing treasure as well as discovering the hidden identities of these other students.
The movie moves quite smoothly and logically from there as we’re introduced to the unmasked versions of these pupils who use their own separate identity to try and locate the treasure. Both Constable He Yu and Chief Constable Ma take up jobs as part of the local police force while Tan Shanhu skulks around the town trying to gather information while his benefactor of Hong Wentong provides cover using his wealth behind the scenes. And Li Hao sits around drinking at an inn all day long while apparently making inquiries.
Tan Shanhu ends up uncovering the location of the treasure, which turns out to be safeguarded by an old scholar (played by Ku Feng). But the scholar was another member of the Poison Clan so Tan Shanhu and Hong Wentong pay his residence a visit. The pair end up wrecking the home and killing everyone but being unable to find any hints of the treasure. However, the old scholar grabbed a broken candle which held a map. A masked Scorpion investigates the residence after the pair leave and uncovers the map.
The deaths of the scholar and his home causes a stir in the town where a corrupt judge (played by Wang Lung Wei in one of his few non-combative roles) requires that his police force learn the truth behind the murder case. That puts He Yu and Ma on the search with He Yu temporarily excusing himself to perform the investigation better. He returns to Li Hao to discuss the murder and find Yang De spying on them. Yet Yang De has his own piece of information as the only witness to the case, Menfa, admitted to seeing Tan Shanhu during the time of the murders.
Having this bit of information, He Yu pays Hong Wentong a visit to distract him while Li Hao and the rest of the police force go to confront Tan Shanhu to arrest him. In the background, Yang De watches and learns the first two identities of the Centipede and Toad. The Toad is successful in apprehending Tan Shanhu but refuses to accompany Ma to court for Menfa’s initial testimony. Naturally, the Centipede denies being involved, despite receiving torture and the judge almost is ready to throw the book at him until he receives a disturbing note from the Snake.
The judge then confers with Hong Wentong in private where Hong bribes the judge and begins plotting how to get the judge the culprit (stand in) while releasing the Centipede. Part of the deal is to send He Yu away on a message to the capital so the rest can focus on apprehending Li Hao. They almost succeed except that He Yu discovers that his friend is going to be arrested. Li Hao tries to resist but He Yu intervenes and manages to convince Li Hao to accompany the police to deal with the court.
The next time Menfa gives testimony he accuses Li Hao, which Li Hao vehemently denies. But it’s officer Ma who manages to calm him down to be taken into custody. Once again Hong Wentong plots with the judge on breaking Li Hao’s kung fu to force him to confess. Some other corrupt lesser officials drug Li Hao and try to place him into an iron maiden, which they believe should be able to pierce Li Hao’s weak spot. It fails with Li Hao breaking free and fighting Hong Wentong in the court where Hong Wentong is unveiled as the Snake.
As Li Hao is about tho defeat the Snake, a pair of Scorpion shaped darts penetrate Li Hao’s ears (?) which are his weak spot apparently and Li Hao feebly looks around the room to try and detect the Scorpion. However, with Li Hao’s toad style broken, the Snake finishes him off with his own snake ear poke and the guards shove the poor Toad into the iron maiden. Still, Li Hao resists admitting any wrongdoing and feints. So the next time, they bring him to give him another form of torture (the iron coat) which again knocks him unconscious. This time, one of the corrupts offers uses Li Hao’s hand to forge an X as his signature to mark the confession which satisfies the judge to call the case a done deal. Menfa also is allowed to leave.
Soon thereafter, Menfa is shown packing up and ready to leave town. But both the Snake and Centipede show up to rip his throat out with a long hook. In doing so, they murder him without a trace. Then Li Hao is the next in line and is suffocated then strung up in his cell with the police telling people he committed suicide. Throughout these moments with the police bribery occurs at all levels and demonstrates just how corrupt their system was. Next in these slings of quiet murders comes the officer responsible for dispatching Li Hao as both the Snake and Centipede clean up their tracks in the investigation.
Eventually, He Yu returns to town and learns about Tan Shanhu’s acquittal along with the string of mysterious murders, including his own friend’s death. In disbelief, He Yu goes to a local restaurant to get drunk but finds out in more detail what happened from the coroner. Out of anger, he hurls a large wine vase but Yang De appears nearby to hint that he knows what’s going on. Finally, it’s time for He Yu to reveal himself to Yang De as the Lizard #4 whereby Yang De provides what probably was a secret code to acknowledge that he too knows about the Poison Clan (the infamous “Poison Clan rocks the world”) where they discuss the plot, the teacher’s orders, the treasure as well as the known identities of the others that came out. Most importantly, they start practicing ways of defeating the last three.
On another side of town, the Snake and Centipede have a philosophical discussion about what happened. They dismiss He Yu as the Lizard but discuss just whom the Scorpion is. The Centipede clearly does not the actual identity but it’s somewhat hinted that the Snake might. The Centipede shows that he’s stupid and shallow which draws out the masked Scorpion to talk with the Snake. During Li Hao’s trial though, we were given small glimpses of potential guilt from the Snake and here the Snake talks about his initial motivation for joining the Poison Clan. Because of his wealthy family, he wasn’t really interested in the treasure itself but the fame it could bring. However, the Scorpion differs in ideas when talking about killings and how it’s endless. Instead, he oddly talks about just sitting around in their town and living like kings.
Now, with the Lizard and Yang De prepared, they go to confront the Snake and Centipede at the Snake’s home. On the way, they encounter officer Ma, who has discarded his uniform in favor of a striking black outfit. Both Lizard and Yang De seem a little suspicious while officer Ma acts quite atypical from the by-the-book character we’ve seen earlier. Nonetheless, he offers to help and they accept. The three then go to confront the Snake in his home and draw out the Centipede. Upon seeing officer Ma, the Snake admits, “I didn’t expect three,” which gives the audience a little hint of what is to come.
A fight breaks out where Snake battles Yang De and Lizard tackles Centipede while officer Ma sticks in the background with a folded up fan. At one point, Lizard jumps onto a wall and assails Centipede with a crushing kick that Snake notes as being from the style of the Lizard. We get a quick reaction shot from officer Ma too as we’re waiting for the Scorpion to eventually make his presence felt. With Centipede injured, both Lizard and Yang De double team Snake as per their original plan and snag him.
Snake looks to officer Ma a few times and wonders what he’s doing. One time Ma simply and snidely states, “Not my affair, is it?” What a cold fucker! However, once Snake is trapped he pleads for Ma to help out and finally Ma charges in with a kick to unveil the final Venom of the Scorpion. The Centipede is shocked as he truly had no idea but Snake tries to make a break for it where Scorpion hurls more of his darts and wounds Snake heavily. Snake would go on to admit that he knew since the court where Li Hao was injured from the darts. Lizard too is a bit shocked at the reveal and realizes that the Scorpion has the treasure.
While the Scorpion is fresh, he still is outnumbered so he makes a case for the Centipede to join him. Once the Lizard and Yang De start wearing him down, the Scorpion promises a cut of the treasure which is the only thing that motivates the Centipede to work with Scorpion. They do a good job in hampering Lizard and Yang De but Snake spent that time removing the darts and decides to gain some small revenge by assaulting the Scorpion. He effectively tears the Scorpion’s guts out but not before his cranium is kicked in. But at least he gained a small measure of redemption.
The Scorpion though is fatally injured and Centipede tries to get Ma to reveal the location of the map/treasure. Instead, he gets a kick and Ma in blind rage goes to assault Yang De and Lizard. However, he’s too injured and they’re too well positioned for him to be effective and he jumps around futilely only to fall and die. That leaves Centipede who gets overcome with a jumping standing head kick thing from Yang De followed up by an assisted double team drop kick move by Lizard to shatter his collar bone and make him spit out blood.
Lizard then searches and successfully find the treasure map on the Scorpion’s corpse and tells Yang De that they should locate the treasure to amend the Poison Clan’s old wicked ways.
Man, what a great re-watchable classic this is. I love how the characters are so distinct in incorporating not just the style but the personalities of the forms they’re embodying. The centipede is a mindless, quick to react, slow to think type that ends up being greedy and impulsive which leads to his demise. The Scorpion is the ultimate backstabber and no one really suspects him until all the main suspects are removed. I mean, I have a feeling that Wang Lung Wei was cast here to add some doubt as to the hidden identity of one of the main villains. Then you had Snake who was a bit of backstabber too in turning on the Scorpion but only because he got attacked first. Then Toad was lovable but hard headed and had more strength than sense. Lizard was a bit of a strange one to interpret because the character is initially a fun loving drunk but has a sense of real honor and justice.
But these roles and types end up becoming a kind of model for the Venoms in future films. Lu Feng mostly was the key venom. Lo Meng would be the heroic muscle man who’d die early on. Philip Kwok would be the main hero. Sun Chien would occasionally be the bad guy who’d turn on the others. And Chiang Sheng would be the lovable, cute child-like persona jumping around, sometimes playing the homeless guy but being one of the centers of morality (unless he was given a rare bad guy role). Only Wai Pak really didn’t end up fitting as only would have three more roles with this cast.
Another thing to note is how outside of Wang Lung Wei, the Venoms at this stage weren’t main event stars. You’d see them in other movies but they were always playing second fiddle to the likes of Fu Sheng, Ti Lung or David Chiang. Here, Chang Cheh effectively was taking a big chance in creating break out stars. I think the emphasis on the mysterious plot and unusual styles helped carve out the five’s careers moving forward.
One other point is that doing the number system with #1-#5 setup some other films down the line for the Venoms like Kid with the Golden Arm. There, you had four chiefs and those were introduced as #1-#4. Or you’d have Crippled Avengers where you had four forms of disability.
The thing I’ve always come to like about this group of Venoms is their on screen chemistry. In later years, Sun Chien and/or Lo Meng wouldn’t be featured as much or not at all in favor of just Lu Feng, Philip Kwok and Chiang Sheng. I think part of that was due to the focus on weapons and acrobatics. With Sun Chien and Lo Meng, you didn’t get as much of the Taiwanese acrobatic opera and later movies like Flags of Iron, Masked Avengers or Legend of the Fox, they started focusing on other acrobats. But with the original Venoms, you had more chemistry between actors and less “fake” kung fu ridiculous fights.
When I look back at this classic, I will say that the kung fu itself isn’t great. It’s really a lot of camera tricks, stylistic elements and movement that make the audience think they’re watching something authentic. But again it’s the atmosphere of the movie along with the characters and good pace that makes this movie fun to watch.
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