The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter

Lau Kar-leung's ferocious late masterpiece, in which the sons of a betrayed general are slaughtered and the survivors take refuge in a monastery, learning the pole-fighting style to take revenge. It is darker and bloodier than most of Lau's work, its production overshadowed by the death of star Alexander Fu Sheng during filming.

The final monastery battle, with its teeth-knocking pole techniques, is one of the great kung fu set pieces. It is a fitting near-end to the classical Shaw Brothers era, and among the most emotionally charged martial-arts films.