Martial arts movieshave fights that take place in a wide variety of settings, but snowy landscapes might just be one of the most compelling setpiecesleaned on by the genre. Thebest martial arts movie fightsmake heavy use of their environment, which can be as much of a combatant as the opponents within, as the fighters use every advantage of their surroundings possible. In this respect, a wintry environment can do wonders for the memorability of a battle.
Snowy environments can sometimes be an apt metaphor formartial arts movies with a deeper meaningto lean on, with a calm icy realm perhaps standing in as a visual representation of the quiet calm within a character’s mind. Otherwise, an arctic tundra can be the perfect place for some creative choreography, as opponents slip, slide, and crunch through turbulent ice and snow. Whether just as pretty set dressing or a creative gimmick,snowy landscapes are perfect for any martial arts movie battle.
10Jin Vs Leo
House Of Flying Daggers (2004)
The epic romanceHouse of Flying Daggersremains one of thegreatest wuxia films of all time, taking place in a long-forgotten ancient China. The final battle of the film converges in a dangerous blizzard, as romantic and political rivals Jin and Leo duke it out for the last time.
The fight features some impressive and graceful wirework typical of the genre, as the two fated opponents dart back and forth over one another while trading blows. What makes the snowy scenery so exciting inHouse of Flying Daggersis the fact thatit was a sheer coincidental act of real nature that allowed it to happen.
House of Flying Daggers
Cast
House of Flying Daggers is a 2004 martial arts romance film directed by Zhang Yimou. Set during the Tang Dynasty, the film stars Zhang Ziyi, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Andy Lau. The story follows a skilled dancer who becomes embroiled in a rebellion against the government, and the two officers sent to capture her. Known for its vivid cinematography and elaborate fight choreography, the film explores themes of love, loyalty, and deception.
While filming in Ukraine, the film’s crew and cast were subject to sudden changes in weather that couldn’t always be accommodated for, including the veryreal snowfall that punctuated the climactic battle. This would go down as one of the happiest accidents in martial arts movie history, making for a breathtaking backdrop for the poignant conflict between the two leads.
9Zatoichi Vs Akazuka
Zatoichi Challenged (1967)
The 17th entry in a massive 26-part film franchise,Zatoichi Challengedhelp popularize the famous concept of the Zatoichi, a blind samurai who nevertheless is able to outduel almost any seeing opponent. The particular film sees Zatoichi promise a dying woman that he’ll escort her son to his estranged father.
Leading a trail of blood in the snow behind him, this emotionally devastating mortal battle makes full use out of its wintry aesthetic.
His dangerous journey forces him to cross swords with all sorts of opponents, including a dramatic final fight with his old friend, Akazuka, amid a particularly heavy snowfall.This visually striking battle is laden with emotional weightas heavy as the snow that accumulates on both fighters, trading blows with hesitancy and zeal as they weight their duties against their old friendship.
Zatoichi Challenged
Zatoichi Challenged, released in December 1967, follows the blind swordsman Ichi as he embarks on a mission to reunite a boy with his father, an artist ensnared in creating illicit materials due to gambling debts. This journey leads Ichi into a conflict with a samurai he encountered earlier.
Though the competition is fierce, Akazuka ultimately admits defeat after Zatoichi lands a killing blow, causing him to give up entirely and walk away from the conflict. Leading a trail of blood in the snow behind him, this emotionally devastating mortal battle makes full use out of its wintry aesthetic.
8The Train Fight
The Grandmaster (2013)
WhiletheIp Manseriesmight be the better-known adaptation of the real eponymous wing chun master,The Grandmastertook a slightly more biographical approach to recounting Ip Man’s storied life. That isn’t to say that the film didn’t know how to stylistically approach certain story elements, however, as is demonstrated in one thrilling battle taking place amid gentle snowfall.
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The film’s romantic lead,Gong Er, ends up having to confront a bad guy at a lonely train station in the dead of winter. Wong Kar-wai’s genius sense of scale and scope is put to the test with this scene’s jaw-dropping cinematography, with close-ups nearly intense enough to make out the unique pattern of each individual snowflake.
The Grandmaster
The Grandmaster is a 2013 historical martial arts film directed by Wong Kar-wai. It follows the life of Ip Man, as he encounters Gong Yutian’s heir Gong Er amid personal and historical upheaval. Set against the backdrop of 1930s China, the film highlights Ip Man’s journey and Gong Er’s struggle for vengeance.
The snow itself is used asa brilliant way to trace the fluid movements of the two fighters, and the busy train platform the two duke it out on certainly comes into effect as a weapon in and of itself. The scene also brings Gong Er’s arc full circle by having her use one of her father’s moves to defeat her challenger.
7Chi Keung Vs Snow Ninjas
Ninja Over The Great Wall (1987)
As a shameless clone of the late great Bruce Lee attempting to cash in on his name recognition, Bruce Le had been known to star in some bizarre and flashy martial arts movies that pale in comparison to those of his namesake. That being said,Ninja Over the Great Wallis a particularly odd feature in his already strange filmography that breaks the mold with a daring snow-filled fight scene.
A classic kung fu movie staple,the film stars Le as Chi Keung, a Chinese martial artistthat has to fight off Japanese opponents in the midst of the Japanese occupation of China. Strangely for Bruce Le’s filmography,Ninja Over the Great Wallis a shockingly heady and dialogue-heavy film, but the moment in which Chi Keung does battle with a coterie of snow-based ninjas lets the fists do the talking.
Fire on the Great Wall
Set in the early 1930s during the Japanese occupation of China, Fire on the Great Wall follows Wa Chi Keung, a peasant who survives the massacre of his village. He reunites with his master in Beijing, only to confront danger again after his master is assassinated by ninjas.
It’s great to see some white-clad ninjas that appopriately dress to blend in with a winter season, andLe’s moves are admittedly quite impressive. Hats off to Bruce Le for not only starring in, but also writing and directing the chilling action sequence.
6The Bride Vs O-Ren Ishii
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
Even among the bloodyfilmography of Quentin Tarantino, the action ofKill BIll Vol. 1is appropriately intense, making the idea of a final fight impressive enough to close things out seem like an impossible task to live up to. Yet the film manages to do exactly that with the help of a strikingly beautiful arena for Beatrix Kiddo, a.k.a. The Bride, to cross a name off of her revenge list.After chopping down hordes of her minions, The Bride makes it to O-Ren Ishii,one of her former assassin sister-in-arms, for a tense katana duel.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 follows an assassin as she seeks revenge after being betrayed by her former employer, Bill, and fellow assassins. Released in 2003, the film initiates a violent journey of vengeance directed by Quentin Tarantino and stars Uma Thurman as the central character known as The Bride.
The swordfight takes place in ahauntingly beautiful personal garden owned by O-Ren, bright white with snowfall to match her white kimono. Compared to the fervent chaos and fast-paced movements of her last crowded battles, this backdrop is a breath of fresh air. Even if it is oddly serene, the film’s final fight is no less gory, using the beautiful snow as a perfect canvas to be painted with the signature high-pressure blood jets of The Bride’s enemies.
5Yuki Vs Shibayama And His Men
Lady Snowblood (1973)
Of course, the imagery used at the end ofKill Bill Vol. 1would never exist if it weren’t forLady Snowblood,perhaps the most famous martial arts movie to be known for its snowy sensibilities. Centered on a woman literally named after the falling snow, the film presents a similarly bloody tale of revenge perpetrated by Yuki Kashima, an assassin seeking vengeance on her family’s killers.
The most iconic samurai movie to dash the snow with blood,Lady Snowbloodmay as well have invented martial arts battles in wintry locales.
One of the most visually striking of the film’s swordfights occurs early one when Yuki claims her first victims. Running into a gang of nasty men led by the shrewd Shibayama, the image of Yuki silently approaching in the falling snow, umbrella sword in hand, is pure cinematic iconography.
Lady Snowblood
Lady Snowblood is a Japanese film released in 1973, directed by Toshiya Fujita. The narrative follows Yuki, a woman born in prison whose life is dedicated to avenging the brutal crimes committed against her family. Raised solely to execute a vendetta, Yuki embodies a relentless pursuit of revenge.
Her moves as she utilizes her unique sword’s hidden sheath and somersaults over her hapless opponents' heads are complemented well by the silence of the snowfall that matches Yuki’s own quiet beauty.The most iconic samurai movie to dash the snow with blood,Lady Snowbloodmay as well have invented martial arts battles in wintry locales.
4The Carriage Sled Fight
Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (1974)
TheLone Wolf and Cubseriesrepresents some of the best in katana-wielding martial arts action, featuring the wandering disgraced executioner, Ogami Ittō, and his young son Daigoro. The final film in the franchise,Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Helllives up to its title by featuring a massive, extravagant final battle in the snow.
One of the few films in the franchise to adopt a supernatural element, the fight pits Ogami Ittō up against a literal army of undead zombie ninjas that hide in the snow, ambushing him and Daigoro in a pure white field.Daigoro’s baby carriage has always been the source of creative combat setpieces in the series, and the final fight ofLone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hellis no exception.
Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell
Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell, released in 1974, is the sixth and final film in the Lone Wolf and Cub series. It depicts the ultimate confrontation between Ogami Itto and the Yagyu clan, culminating the saga of the wandering samurai and his quest for justice.
As Daigoro’s carriage morphs into a sled, Ogami Ittō tears a bloody path down the mountain side cutting ninjas apart with hidden blades, his own sword, and even a full-on Gatling gun somehow hidden within the carriage. Featuring an unprecedented army of enemies to chew through, few battles wash the snow with blood as effectively as the father-son duo does.
3Shimada Toranosuke Vs Assassins
The Sword Of Doom (1966)
An eerily bleak andtypically bloody samurai film from the mid 60s,The Sword of Doomincludes a haunting use of a snowy battle scene to help set the stage of its violent world. Based on the novel of the same name, the pulpy action film was originally meant to be the first of a trilogy, though the sequels sadly never panned out.
The film centers on an emotionless and cruel master swordsman whose confidence in his own skill is shattered after witnessing the talents of another samurai, Shimada Toranosuke. Played bythe iconic Toshirō Mifune, it’s no wonder that protagonist Ryunosuke Tsukue’s faith in himself is shaken after witnessing Shimada in action amid the beautiful snowfall.
The Sword of Doom
The Sword of Doom is a 1966 Japanese samurai film directed by Kihachi Okamoto. Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, the movie follows the morally ambiguous swordsman Ryunosuke Tsukue, whose life spirals into violence and madness. The film delves into themes of vengeance, existentialism, and the pursuit of power, set against the backdrop of feudal Japan.
Despite being ganged up on by a legion of assassins,Shimada is unwavering in his confidence as he cuts them down, the wind whipping snow and sleet all around him. It’s a haunting scene that shows of an ice-cold Mifune performance characterized by nature’s cruelty, leaning into the film’s themes.
2Lei Ming’s Snow Duel
The Chinese Boxer (1970)
For the most part, martial arts movies with a heavy emphasis on snowy battles heavily favor samurai movies, emphasizing swordsmanship over unarmed combat.The Chinese Boxerwas among the first martial arts films to focus on hand-to-hand combat instead, telling the story ofa Chinese martial arts student who takes revenge on a gang of Japanese karate-userswho destroy his local dojo.
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Though it may have moved away from blades, the film certainly took inspiration from samurai movies as clearly homaged in moments like the snow fight. Coming into contact with two of the Japanese villains in a snowy field, lead Wang Yu’s Lei Ming draws on all of his skill, technique, and equipment to defeat them in a 2-on-1 battle.
The Chinese Boxer
The Chinese Boxer follows Lei Ming, a determined martial arts student, as he encounters a formidable Japanese karate expert. Released in 1970, the film features intense battles and notable training sequences, set against the backdrop of Lei Ming’s struggle to overcome his adversary.
The entire sequence is framed like a Mexican standoff in an old Western, with Lei Ming slowly holstering twin daggers as his foe gets ready to unleash a holster of throwing stars. Describing a rare martial arts fight that happens at a range,The Chinese Boxershows off the versatility and creativity of its choreography with this tense standoff.
1The Ice Cave Fight
Kung Fu Yoga (2017)
2017’sKung Fu Yogalikely doesn’t rank as one ofJackie Chan’s best modern filmsin the eyes of many fans, but it admittedly featuresone of the best snow-based fights in recent memory. Another one of the many franchise attempts to turn Jackie Chan into an Indiana Jones-type action-adventurer,Kung Fu Yogareprises Chan’s character, Jack, from the filmThe Myth.The plot sees Jack journey to India to find some valuable artifacts from ages past.
Kung Fu Yoga
A world-renowned archaeology professor sets off with his team in search of the location of a coveted Indian treasure. However, a group of mercenaries intercepts them and they must call on their knowledge to survive.
Of the film’s many memorable set pieces, the hectic hand-to-hand brawl in a sprawling icy cavern is easily the best. In typical Jackie Chan fashion,Jack uses the environment to his advantage, forcing attackers to make a fool of themselves on slippery snow and even scaring one mook into knocking himself out by running headfirst into the ice. The ice cave fight sequence inKung Fu Yogaillustrates the creativity possible in a snowy setting explored by few othermartial arts movies.
