MovieChat Forums > The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) Discussion > Chairman Peng

Chairman Peng

posted 17 years ago by Wise-N-Himer
4 replies | jump to latest

I love this movie, but there are some things about it that are downright silly. One scene that always bugs me is the exchange between the Chinese and Russian leaders and the new pope.

Chairman Peng insists that the pope take some sort of personal risk before he accepts his offer of help to feed the Chinese people. I can't imagine any sane world leader -- and say what you want about the Chinese Communists, but their leaders do tend to be smart and rational -- dictating such terms with his nation in the midst of a starvation crisis and on the brink of war.

Incidentally, Bert Kwouk (who played Chairman Peng as well as Kato in the Pink Panther movies and many other fine roles) is a largely underrated actor. He held his own in that scene very nicely next to the larger-than-life Olivier and Quinn.

"Good relations with the Wookies I have." (Yoda, Star Wars: Episope III)

[–] alxnrth 17 years ago

I believe he also played Ingrid Bergman's loyal Chinese colleague in Inn of the Sixth Happiness who scouts for her and the children, marking trees with large Xs indicating no hostile Japanese forces.

Dale

[–] willjohn 13 years ago

I remember him best as "Electrical Entwistle" who was always trying to sell people washing machines and poking gentle fun at the delusional Hobbo in the long running English comedy series "Last of the Summer Wine."

[–] jaystarstar 12 years ago

At the time this movie was made (1968) the Chinese Communists were not considered smart and rational but dangerous and radical.

This was during the "Cultural Revolution" in China which was supposedly purging the "decadent and bourgeois" trends from Chinese politics and culture and returning them to more "pure communism." The Chinese at the time felt the Soviets had betrayed the principles of true communism and were too Westernized and capitalistic.

The Chinese Communists in the late 1960s had pretty much the image (certainly in Western films) that extremist radical Muslims have now -- irrational, unpredictable zealots prone to dangerous and destructive behavior.

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4) You ever seen Superman $#$# his pants? Case closed.

[–] jayrussell1993 8 years ago

Yes I always hoped that a Directors Cut existed somewhere with an alternate scene of Chairman Peng attacking the Soviet 1st Secretary and the Pope with Judo moves or Karate chops once I realized who the actor was. They would eventually be saved from death by martial arts when Peter Sellers pushed his way in and demanded Kato stop.