Save yourselves... they have kung-fu pirates now.
The Pirate is a 1973 Shaw Brothers movie directed by Chang Cheh, starring Chang's favorite pupils, Ti Lung as the titular pirate, and David Chiang in a supporting role.
Very Loosely Based on a True Story, the movie is a heavily-fictionalized account of the real-life 19th Century pirate, Cheung Po-tsai
, as portrayed by Ti Lung, in a manner closer to a martial arts swashbuckler instead. Cheung is a pirate lord with a bounty on his head, who came across a coastal town far from the Imperial Court's jurisdiction. Initially planning to rob the town, Cheung decides to help the locals instead after finding out they're being exploited by the corrupt government; but Cheung had to contend with General Wu (David), an official sent by the court to arrest Cheung, as well as a possible traitor in his ranks.
Do not confuse this with The Pirate.
The Pirate Contain Examples of:
- Fat Bastard: Hua Er-dao, initially appearing to be Cheung's Number Two, turns out to be an escaped convict who had intentions to turn the crew against their own captain and hog himself a leadership position.
- Friendly Enemy: General Wu Yee, the official appointed by the court to arrest Cheung, who ends up admiring the pirate lord's righteous ways and ends up becoming an ally to Cheung.
- Friendly Pirate: Cheung Po-tsai, the titular character. He is a diplomatic gentleman and a Robin Hood-esque hero who only plunders the ships of corrupted governors and often passes himself off as a trader or merchant before deciding whom he should rob, preferring to leave innocent villagers and unarmed sailors alone. Upon finding out a coastal town he intends to attack was actually exploited, Cheung instead decides to stay and help the locals fight against the tyranny of ruling officials. He even became friends with Admiral Wu, sent by the Imperial Court to arrest Cheung, and they end up fighting against a common enemy by the end of the film.
- Good Old Fisticuffs: The final battle between Cheung and General Wu, where despite both of them having access to weapons, they simply decide to fight with their fists instead.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Hua Er-dao, who intends to ambush and kill his own captain just as Cheung is busy dueling General Wu, ends up having Wu force him into stabbing himself with his own dagger.
- In Name Only: Cheng Po-tsai the pirate lord doesn't resemble a pirate a bit. Even before he made it to the city to go undercover as a scholar, he's already dressed casually instead of being clad in the stereotypical pirate outfits, unlike his crew.
- Inspector Javert: Downplayed with General Wu, who went through great lengths to have Cheung arrested, but ultimately decide to allow Cheung to leave due to his rule of honour.
- Light Is Good: Cheung spends most of the film wearing white robes compared to his crew, and he's the sole member of the pirates who is entirely pure and good, with a strict sense of honour.
- The Mutiny: Hua Er-dao attempts this on Cheung, but Cheung's men have too much respect for their captain to turn against him. The entire issue quickly goes away after without a hitch after Hua Er-dao gets stabbed by General Wu.
- The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Cheung Po-tsai, despite being described as "the pirate lord of South China" and having a massive bounty on his head, isn't shown looting, raiding or killing, preferring to seek more diplomatic methods in conquering his targets. Averted for his subordinate, Hua Er-dao, who does indulge in terrorizing coastal towns.
- Protagonist Title
- Saved by Canon: No surprise that Cheung Po-tsai will survive the movie and continue his adventures sailing in the high seas, since the movie is based on the exploits of the real-life Pirate Lord with the same name.
- We Will Meet Again: The outcome of the duel between General Wu and Cheung Po-Tsai; their penultimate fight on the beach ends in a stalemate after several hours, until General Wu decide to simply let Cheung escape and fulfill their duel at some unspecified point in the future. Then the movie ends.
- Young and in Charge:
- Cheung Po-tsai, a fearsome pirate lord with a huge bounty on his head, is played by the then 27-year-old Ti Lung. Truth in Television, as the real-life Cheung Po-tsai did sail the seas for decades before his death... at age 39.
- Even more so for General Wu, who is played by the 24-year-old David Chiang.
