THE 14 AMAZONS (1972) – This often-overlooked Hong Kong martial arts film was directed and written by Cheng Kang and produced by the iconic Shaw Brothers studios. The 14 Amazons is a female-centric take on China’s historical Yang Family, many of whom were accomplished generals over the centuries.
Obviously, embellishments and outright myths have mixed in with whatever the real stories of the Yang generals may have been. During the past thousand years or so countless novels, plays and operas have been produced about this family, their deeds and their intrigues.
Believe it or not, The 14 Amazons was one of the first modern-day big-screen productions about the storied Yangs and takes a unique approach. Many of the previous adaptations of the saga led up to the valiant and/or tragic death of one of the Yang generals in battle or otherwise.
This 1972 film starts out with the death of one of the Yang men and proceeds from there. By this point there are so few male Yangs still alive that the wives, sisters, and other female relatives of the late hero band together and set out for revenge.
Political corruption prevents the Yang women from getting the Emperor’s okay to use the Imperial Army, so they decide to handle things themselves. The ladies pointedly ignore insults like “This fight wouldn’t be a job for women. It’s a task for generals!” and go into action. Continue reading
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