"Any last words besides We Used to Be Friends?"
The Fugitive is a 1972 Shaw Brothers kung-fu Spaghetti Western (yes) film starring Lo Lieh, Li Ching and Ku Feng, made in the western-boom of the early 70s.
Liao Fei-Lung and Ma Tien-piao are two bank robbers, murderers and expert killing machines who grew up together in a 1930s desert town in the Chinese border. After a robbery attempt goes askew, Liao volunteers to let himself be arrested on the condition that Ma bails him out of prison later, but Ma, consumed by greed, instead decides to abandon his former best friend with the gold. When Liao eventually escapes prison, he finds out that Ma is now the leader of a ruthless bandit army who rules the entire town with an iron fist, and Liao's path to revenge is harder than he can imagine.
NOT to be confused with the TV series or the film with the same name.
Tropes in the film:
- Accidental Murder: While trying to gun down Liao Fei-lung, Ma Tien-piao, in a moment of impulse and the fact that he's shooting in total darkness, ends up unintentionally shooting Miao-miao, his adopted daughter, who dies afterwards.
- Anti-Hero: Liao Fei-lung may be the protagonist we're supposed to root for after being betrayed by his lifelong best friend and taking down his former friend's entire organization of baddies, but at the end of the film he's still a bank robber and murderer whose body count includes dozens and dozens of government soldiers only doing their jobs.
- Back-to-Back Badasses: Liao Fei-Lung and Ma Tien-piao fleeing after the robbery scene, where they take on numerous soldiers while back-to-back. This is way before the latter's Face–Heel Turn in the movie.
- Beard of Evil: On Ma Tien-piao. Note that he actually have this beard before he became a villain, though.
- Evil Former Friend: Ma Tien-piao to Liao Fei-Lung.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: Miao-miao, in Liao Fei-Lung's arms, after being shot by a stray bullet.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Ma Tien-piao, despite being the Big Bad willing to sacrifice his best friend for wealth and power, and a mass murderer who kills government soldiers without batting an eye, by the end of the day he does genuinely care for his adopted daughter, Miao-miao. To the point of suffering a Villainous Breakdown when he finds out about her death.
- Face–Heel Turn: Ma Tien-piao, who is willing to betray his former best friend and sworn brother Fei-Lung for money and power.
- High-Pressure Blood: The squibwork in this movie is simply glorious.
- Moe Greene Special: In their final confrontation, Liao Fei-Lung eventually kills Ma Tien-piao by shooting his eyes out.
- Mutual Kill: Liao Fei-Lung and Ma Tien-piao wounds each other at the same time at the conclusion of their duel. While the latter dies quickly, the former managed to look upon his sworn enemy's corpse for a few seconds and the carnage all around him before he expires.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Ma Tien-piao after unintentionally shooting his adopted daughter Miao-miao, and learning about her death.
- Offing the Offspring: An unintentional example. With the parent feeling genuine remorse over their actions.
- One-Man Army: Towards the end of the film, Liao Fei-Lung after losing literally everything (including his beloved Miao-miao), marches straight into the town and battles his way through Ma Tien-piao and his mooks. One of him, against thirty of them.
- Rugged Scar: Liao Fei-Lung gains a scar under his left eye, after he got out of prison. That scar remains on him for the rest of the movie. Seen here
. - Sleeves Are for Wimps: Seemingly enforced, after the prison escape the protagonist Liao Fei-Lung lose a sleeve from his jacket, and remains in this attire for the rest of his screentime in the entire movie.
- Spaghetti Western: A Shaw Brothers take on the familiar Western formula, but with a bunch of kung-fu and fight scenes peppered in for good measure.
- Throwing the Distraction: During the prison breakout scene, Liao Fei-lung is using the warden as a Human Shield. When trapped in a corner, Liao flings the warden out so that he can be shot by several of his own soldiers while Liao formulates a plan to escape.
- Unexpectedly Abandoned: When Liao Fei-Lung marches into town to confront Ma Tien-piao, he realize in shock that the entire place is completely empty. Until Ma's army of goons suddenly shows up. At the end of the shootout, with everyone including Liao Fei-Lung and Ma Tien-piao dead, only then did the citizens reveal themselves, having gone into hiding when knowing a big shootout is about to happen.
- "Wanted!" Poster: The film opens on two wanted posters depicting the two dreaded outlaws, Liao Fei Lung and Ma Tien Piao. And then the two rides into town, stages a holdup, cue shootout and opening credits.
- We Used to Be Friends: Liao Fei-Lung and Ma Tien-piao. They were sworn brothers until the latter's betrayal for the money from their robbery.
