The Lady is the Boss – 88 Films

Director: Lau Kar-leung
Screenplay: Lau Kar-leung, Lee Tai-Hang, Huang Pa-Ching
Starring: Kara Wai Ying-Hung, Lau Kar-leung, Ku Feng, Gordon Liu Chia-Hui, Cheung Chin-Pang, Hsiao Ho, Wong Yu, Robert Mak Tak-Law
Country: Hong Kong
Running Time: 97 min
Year: 1983
BBFC Certificate: 15

After working in the Hong Kong film industry as an actor and stunt co-ordinator from the 50s, Lau Kar-leung began to direct in the mid-70s. Using his great passion and knowledge of traditional martial arts, he helmed a wealth of much-beloved classics of the genre, such as The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Heroes of the East, Dirty Ho, Legendary Weapons of China, The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter and Drunken Master II.

The vast majority of films Lau directed were period pieces, particularly in the first decade of his career behind the camera. However, in 1983, he tried something a bit different, directing his first modern-day kung-fu film, The Lady is the Boss (a.k.a. Zhang men ren).

I’m rarely, if ever, disappointed by a Lau Kar-leung film, so I jumped at the chance of checking out The Lady is the Boss when I was offered a screener of 88 Films’ new Blu-ray release of the film.

The Lady is the Boss opens with martial arts master Wang Hsia Yuan (Lau Kar-leung himself) attempting to stop contractors from knocking down his martial arts school to build a new road. He fails but his superiors promise him a new school.

This promise is kept and Hsia Yuan’s small group of students eagerly await the grand opening of the new building, which is to be headed by the group’s boss. However, the ageing manager of the school can’t make it, so sends his young daughter, Chan Mei Ling (Kara Wai Ying-Hung, credited as Kara Hui), to open it and manage things in his absence.

Mei Ling (Kara Wai Ying-Hung, credited as Kara Hui) has lived in America for much of her life and her modern, Westernized management style immediately clashes with the traditional kung-fu teachings of Hsia Yuan. Mei Ling attempts to revitalise the school by introducing contemporary methods, attracting a diverse student body and injecting elements of modern culture into the traditional martial arts environment.

It’s all fun and games initially, as student numbers grow, despite Hsia Yuan’s misgivings. However, Mei Ling’s actions inadvertently draw the attention of local gangs, escalating into conflicts that threaten the school’s reputation and safety.

Like a number of Lau Kar-leung’s films, The Lady is the Boss is about old vs new and it seems like a fair balance in the first half. Mei Ling’s modern approach does improve business and she’s a good teacher in terms of showing the practical uses of techniques taught in the school. However, it’s ultimately Hsia Yuan’s old guard who comes to the rescue when things turn sour and the conflict between the two sides never reaches a satisfying conclusion.

The fights in the final act are more than satisfying though. There’s a wonderful blend of fast, convincing traditional moves and inventive quirks. One scene sees our heroes take on the bad guys using BMX bikes (it’s as ridiculous as it sounds but remains thrilling from an action set-piece perspective) and another amusing sequence blends disco dancing with fighting!

The first two-thirds of the film are light on ‘proper’ fights though, with the emphasis being on comedy over action. The humour, as is to be expected from a Hong Kong film of the era, is rather broad and often bawdy. Some of the comedy sequences had me giggling though, such as the core pupils’ arrival at the discotheque (Gordon Liu is great in that scene) and the way the hostess students used their newfound skills against lecherous clients.

There’s also a bizarrely bad taste sequence where Mei Ling and her pupils attempt to promote their school at the scene of a brutal car crash. I won’t lie, I found it hilarious (possibly due to its wildly inappropriate nature), but some may not appreciate it.

There are also some offensively stereotyped depictions of homosexuals and trans characters that will sit poorly for modern audiences. These can perhaps be forgiven though, given the time and place the film was made.

Mei Ling is a fairly progressive character though. She is sexualised but isn’t given a love interest, she’s incredibly strong-willed and can handle herself in a fight, for the most part. Sadly though, she ultimately becomes the victim and needs help from the traditionally-trained fighters in the end.

Overall then, The Lady is the Boss is a bit of a mixed bag and it takes a while before there are any decent fights, but the build-up is fairly enjoyable and when the action does kick off it’s spectacular.

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