The 7 Grandmasters (1978) - Joseph Kuo

​Exquisitely constructed fight sequences featuring sublime fight choreography and a film grammar imbued with continuous dynamism, The 7 Grandmasters is a stellar piece of kung fu cinema. While the story itself is a bit trite, the narrative is extremely well-paced, delivering a heavy dose of kinetically composed martial arts bliss. There is an abruptness to the film's compositions of violence with The 7 Grandmasters finding great utility out of its deployment of quick-cut editing techniques and whip-zooms that enunciate the chaotic display while never losing sight of the physicality. The film's fight sequences never lose their sense of physicality, with the cinematic techniques grounding them in the earthly realm of possibility despite the otherworldly actions of these men. Martial Arts films in a sense are about mythmaking, and the 7 Grandmasters beautifully enshrouds its action with these sensibilities.