Chow Yun-Fat on TVB
sou hat yi
young beggar so
The Legend of Master So
opening theme (.mp3 format)
principal cast:
nbsp;nbsp;Chow Yun-Fat
nbsp;nbsp;Andy Lau Tak-Wah
nbsp;nbsp;Miu Kiu-Wai
Chow Yun-Fat plays the son of a famous kung fu master in this
series based on the legend of Beggar So. Barely scraping by in
the martial arts, young So lags behind the other lads who live and train
in the dojo. Happy-go-lucky, a bit of a goof off, he is
well-liked, if not exactly respected, by the other young men but
is a continual thorn in his father's side.
The series starts out with a very comedic touch; Chow Yun-Fat's
martial arts skills aren't as bad as some people make them out to
be but he's certainly no expert; even the baby-faced Andy Lau Tak-Wah
outshines him in every respect. Of course that's part of the plot,
and if So gets beaten up by everybody from his aging
Sifu-father to the local town drunk, that's only to be expected.
After a mysterious death in the dojo, part of a nefarious plan
to undermine the school is uncovered and the comedy fades primarily
into a mystery though the humor never really leaves the show. With
the coming of a young free-thinking nurse, with whom So is smitten,
also comes touches of romance.
As the series winds along tragedy strikes in many forms; the Japanese
invade China, a romance goes horribly astray, a bitter conflict
results in suicide. So, looking to drown his sorrows, takes to drink
and finds that as his level of intoxication rises so does his skill level
in kung fu; when drunken he is almost invincible. Though he has at
last achieved what he had been unable to do before, the rest of his
life has melted away and he becomes the Beggar So, performing amazing
feats of acrobatics and kung fu while completely smashed, living the
life of an unwashed, drunken wise man.
This is a wonderful series with some great acting, action sequences
and one of the most beautiful theme songs of any of Chow Yun-Fat's
television career. The photography is very good, especially for
an early '80s television show; the outdoor sequences are beautiful
both for cinematography and scenery.
Part of the interest in this series is we see So grow from a somewhat
silly boy into a man; the tragic events which befall So are etched
upon his face with increasing sadness. The final drunken kung-fu
scene is well-done, even if with some heavy editing here and there,
and belies the myth that CYF is hopeless at the martial arts.
Chow Yun-Fat would of course go on to fame in films both in Hong Kong
and Hollywood; Andy Lau Tak-Wah would succeed in both movies and as a
pop star and enjoy fame throughout Asia and beyond; Miu Kiu-Wai (who
also starred with CYF in the series The Fate) would
star in a number of very popular films and then go on to Taiwan
television. Three very good actors, solid scripts, interesting locales
and a wonderful blend of comedy, tragedy and mystery make this an
engrossing series. Be sure to listen to the lovely theme song.
Legend of Master So image gallery
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