How Sammo Hung came to direct his first film – then complete Bruce Lee’s Game of Death

Sammo Hung Kam-bo began his career as a child star before moving into stunt work and martial arts choreography, often taking supporting roles in the films he worked on.

But his ambition since the age of 14 was always to direct. He learned the craft by closely observing the filmmaking process on set.

“Whether it was martial arts or operating a camera dolly, I was always up for the challenge,” Hung told the Hong Kong Film Archive.

“Whenever the foreman asked me to do something, I showed myself to be multitalented … Slowly, I became the assistant martial arts choreographer, the martial arts choreographer and finally the director.”

Hung’s first film as director was 1977’s The Iron-Fisted Monk, a Qing dynasty revenge drama blending kung fu with cheeky comedy.

However, unlike the comedic fights in Jackie Chan’s 1978 hit Drunken Master, the action here is brutal and creates a sometimes jarring tonal contrast with the humour.

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