Teacher's second student and friends with the Centipede, Qi Dong, the Snake, was originally my favorite Venom. When I first discovered this movie on Black Belt theater in the early eighties, I was drawn to the Snakes good looks, shiny silver style, speed, and agility. The invented snake style looks really cool onscreen. The scene where he is fighting Toad in court and drops down without hitting the floor was AMAZING!
As I have matured and rewatched this film several times, I appreciate his conflicted soul towards the end of the movie. Born into wealth, he didn't need the treasure the Poison Clan hid from years of illegal activity. He was just a bored young man when he became Sifu's second student and friends with the Centipede. He wanted to learn a unique skill that would help him stand out. However, his greed would ultimately get the best of him as it does so many others.
After helping to kill several people he begins to wonder would it all be worth it in the end? The murdering wasn't creating a bloodlust in him rather a regret and a longing to return to what used to be. Even though the 6th student was told to eliminate the students who had gone bad, I often wonder what might have been for the Snake if he had survived. I believe he would have joined Lizard and the hybrid Venom to use the money to right the clan's wrongs. I believe his soul was tortured enough to make an everlasting change.
~Lady Cao
Five Venoms is available in a variety of formats: Digital (iTunes * Amazon Prime) and DVD/Blu-ray.
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