4 Assassins

This splendid historical tale of the famed explorer is also a superlative martial arts thriller featuring an all-star kung-fu cast, including future lead “Venom” Kuo Chue, “Master Killer” Gordon Liu Chia-hui, and “Thundering Mantis” Liang Chia-jen.

Synopsis: “The Four Assassins” (aka “Marco Polo”, 1975) is that rare Hong Kong kung fu film which features a westerner in a pivotal, heroic role. Set at the time of Italian explorer Marco Polo s historic expedition to China ,during the reign of Monogol ruler Kublai Khan, it stars American actor Richard Harrison as Polo. Taking considerable liberties with the historic record, the film has Polo turning up as an Imperial Inspector assigned to root out Chinese rebles in the south, but eventually being won over to their cause. As such, it relies on the formula commonly used in kung fu films to depict a much later period of conflict, that of Qingera Manchu conquerors vs. Ming loyalists.