Opium and Kung Fu Master [DVD]

Love this movie. Back cover says it's in English. It is not. Only English subtitles. Really disappointed about that. Want to exchange for the Chinatown Kid.

In the description it says the language is English but it is not. Be aware if the dub is what you are looking for. This is NOT it.

What do you get when you combine a social commentary on the danger of drug addiction + a brave student fighting that danger + a revered teacher hooked on that danger + a competent villain perpetuating that danger + top-tier martial arts? You get an arresting film that's relevant to this day.

Finally, a Chinese kung-fu movie that is a fable, lessons to be learned about drug addictions (opium in this case) based on a period in China when opium addiction was wide spread that brought about the Opium War in the 1800s. However, China lost that war against westerners, which resulted in foreign occupations of Chinese cities after the war that included Hong Kong, so it's nice to see that this movie is in Cantonese with English subtitles.In this particular town, there is a kung-fu master who is new and has helped driven out bandits and other bad guys. Opium became a new pass time, and rich folks smoke them at home, while poor folks smoked them in opium dens, which are historical facts. Westerners brought opium to China in large quantities while taking spices and financial gains after doping the Chinese. At first the Chinese had no idea that opium was an addictive substance until many families were destroyed from financial ruins after the Chinese were hooked and were willing to pay any amount of money to continue their addiction. Rich folks became poor, poor folks committed suicides, etc. It was so out of control that the Chinese government deemed this to be a manipulation by western foreign interference of the Chinese culture and family structure that they declared war on imports of opium by western countries. At the thought of huge revenue lost if the imports stopped, the British and other western nations sent ships to Chinese ports. The emperor's army and weak navy were no match against the guns and cannons of the British navy. Opium continued to flow into China and the Chinese always hated those who made loads of money off of a destructive import. This is no different than the Colombian drug cartels importing cocaine into the U.S., but imagine if they had the backing of the Colombian government, which then sends their Navy into the U.S. and wins. That's what it was like during this time in China.So, this movie is based on that period of China when the Chinese were ruined by opium. Most people could not stop their addiction and there were no drug addiction clinics. The only way they knew how to stop opium addiction was by locking individuals in rooms or tied them up in beds. They had to be isolated for a few days or weeks until they overcame the addiction cold turkey. The opium addiction caused people to lose jobs, their mental health and families, and in this movie, their kung-fu skills/strength. The master himself was being taught by his own student that he needed to admit to his addiction and stop ruining his life and the lives of others who count on him. Though the kung-fu weapon fights were well choreographed, you have to like the plot to like the movie as it's not the old good vs. bad kung-fu movies. This story has a bit of humor, a bit of romance/flirtation, a bit of Chinese family and community culture, and a bit of just the good vs. bad, a bit of right and wrong, and most of all a bit of what life was like when opium was brought to China. Great fable based on a real period in China.

its not in English if you know the languages it is absolutely wonderful I wish I could share it with others but I can not find an English version of thisand thers no subtitles so its my own little secret language skills