Heads, you lose
"Look out!" "What?" "Duck!" "Huh?" Whoosh! "Mmmph!" Snick. Thud.
Flying Guillotine (1976): For 25 years now, the most interestingly bizarre weapon in film has been the flying guillotine. Making appearances in everything from One-Armed Boxer II (1976) to The Heroic Trio (1993), this lethal knick-knack never fails to impress an audience. As far as I know, this device only exists in films – no "working" model has ever been constructed, although the films make the design seem chillingly plausible.
The weapon’s design is so clever, you can imagine it having its own infomercial. Resembling an ornate hat on a long chain, the device is hurled like a Frisbee onto the head of the victim. The brim of the "hat" drops down around their neck, at which point the thrower gives a tug to the chain. Curved blades scissor through the victim’s neck, and the device (now containing the victim’s head) returns to the thrower with a quick yank of the chain.
I suspect that the flying guillotine was first introduced in the 1976 film that shares its name. Although clearly intended to be a showcase for the peculiar weapon, Flying Guillotine is most interesting for its complex plot. (Action fans expecting lots of kung fu battles are likely to be disappointed.)
The film takes place in an ancient China ruled by a tyrannical emperor. A loyal soldier invents the flying guillotine, getting his inspiration after watching jugglers and plate-spinners perform in the street. He shows his invention to the emperor, who is impressed with the weapon, but is fearful that it could be used against him. The emperor orders a crack squad of loyal soldiers to be assembled, and to begin training to master the new weapon. (Scenes of the trainees tossing their guillotines at wooden dummies – and missing – ironically make it easier to believe later scenes in which they display incredible skill with the weapon.) Once they’ve mastered the device, the squad is put to work assassinating suspected dissidents for the emperor, who has begun a Stalin-like program of exterminating anybody he’s even mildly suspicious of. The decapitation squad reacts to their new assignment realistically, with half the squad rejoicing in their new abilities and prestige, while the other half hang their heads in shame over killing unarmed civilians who seem to be totally innocent.
The guillotine masters themselves are subject to especially close scrutiny by the emperor, and any hint of disloyalty is dealt with swiftly and savagely. One of the masters uses the emperor’s paranoia to his own advantage, informing on people he dislikes, knowing that they’ll be executed in short order. Another master, outraged at being ordered to use his skills against his own teammates, rebels. "It could be you or me next!" he shouts, fully realizing that he’s putting his head in the noose just by saying what the rest of them are thinking. He flees the city that night, immediately becoming the subject of the largest manhunt the emperor has ever assembled. The fugitive takes a wife and becomes a farmer, trying to leave his violent past behind him. He and his new family manage to elude capture for a year or so, but "Wanted" posters bearing his likeness are everywhere. Finally, his cover is blown, and the emperor sends the remaining members of the decapitation squad after him.
A no-frills DVD of this picture has been released by the now-defunct Beverly Wilshire Filmworks. The box says "special widescreen edition" – although it appears to be about as clumsy a pan-and-scan transfer as you’ll ever see. Still, this is a rare and bargain-priced disc of an interesting movie. If you see a copy, snap it up – you won’t find it at this price again. |
