THE WANDERING SWORDSMAN (1970)

THE WANDERING SWORDSMAN (1970)

Sir Run Run Shaw produces another masterpiece by the director / writer team of Chang Cheh and I Kuang. THE WANDERING SWORDSMAN (1970) was released on February 4th and is a look at the day in the life of a swordsman walking the Jiang Hu who is highly skilled but is still very inexperienced.  At the root of the film is an unusual  heist that our hero stumbles into. Yuen Cheung-Yan and Chan Siu-Pang share the action directing duties and Yang Sze (who becomes known as Bolo Yeung) has his acting debut. Let's get busy!

You Xia-er is a young wandering swordsman. Although he is very highly skilled he is also inexperienced and very happy-go-lucky. Strictly by chance he follows a pair of horsemen and overhears them plotting the robbery of a rich family. While he makes no attempt to stop the robbery, he does take the booty from one of the robbers after the event and gives it to a large number of refugees from a river flooding. Then, because of a misunderstanding, he haplessly gives the refugees all of the money he has on him.

This causes him to have no money to pay for his meal which forces him to attempt to pawn his weapons to the restaurant owner. However during the owner's refusal, a nearby ruffian, seeing an opportunity to gain an advantage of some sort, buys You Xia-er's weapons and then quickly leaves the premises. Anxious not to permanently lose his weapons You Xia-er follows the ruffian to attempt to get his weapons back.  

During the chase You Xia-er realizes if he had a horse he could catch up to the ruffian and reacquire his weapons. While figuring out how to do just that, he happens across yet another ruffian about to victimize a young girl after killing her companion. He saves her by chasing off her attacker.  He then escorts her to safety and borrowing a horse once again goes after his weapons.   While searching for the guy with his weapons he decides to go to a gambling house to get into some trouble and sure enough he gets on the wrong side of the casino manger by cheating the house at dice.

While getting away from the casino with his cheated money, he spots the ruffian he sold his weapons to. He follows him back to where the ruffian is staying and then decides to steal his weapons back and to rob the ruffian of his personal belongings including the guy's silver. While fighting the ruffian he just robbed, little by little all of the people that he has had "issues" with turn up and they want his ass. However, the leader of these ruffians also shows up, is briefed on what is going on, and appreciating the You Xia-er's kung fu skills has a much better idea on what to do with him. A day in the life of a wanderer, indeed!

CAST REPORT

the "good": David Chiang as You Xia-er : the star of the show and perfectly cast for his smile and charm and brilliantly showcased by director Chang Cheh who informs us with the first close-up of this character not to think of him as the same character from Have Sword, Will Travel (1969) because no matter what the similarities may be they are very, very, different. Lily Li as Jiang Ning who adds just a dash of female to the mix, and Cheng Lui as Security Chief Jiang Wei, the little guy with the big muscles. 

the bad: Chang Pei-Shan as "Fail Safe" Kung Wu, the mastermind of the heist. Wan Kuang-Yu as Single Swordsman Jin Li Loi. Wu Ma as Foxy Hou Jiou, and Chen Sing as Iron King Jung Sze Hu.

HONORABLE MENTION: Yang Sze (Bolo Yeung) in his first movie, Wang Cheung, the Yuen Clan: Yuen Cheung-Yan, Yuen Shun Yi and Yuen Woo-Ping and the late Hsu Hsia.

FIGHT TIME: THE WANDERNG SWORDSMAN (1970) has plenty of action, I counted eight (8) fight scenes including the heart stopping finale in its one hour and forty-eight minutes. The two fight choreographers do an excellent job of telling the story of the action, although one of them: Chan Siu-Pang, I am not familiar with, but the other one: Yuen Cheung-Yan is very well known today but even in 1970 his work is quite good. No disappointments here.

THE WANDERING SWORDSMAN (1970) is by no means David Chiang's first appearance on film but it is the first time his smiling persona and his charm is used as a character trait that will become his trademark in the years to come. That fact and the fact that this is a very good movie makes it a no-brainer to recommend for all viewers and collectors alike. See you next time!

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NEXT UP: THE WINGED TIGER (1970)

THE FLYING DAGGER (1969)

THE FLYING DAGGER (1969)

Ladies and gentlemen, the man himself is back, the great Sir Run Run Shaw produces from the "throw back" vault (hence the black and white opening) his trusted director Chang Cheh who writes the script with pal Lee Chi-Sin as they all watch action director team Tang Chia and Liu Chia-Liang slash together the classic film THE FLYING DAGGER (1969). And if you had as much fun reading the preceding bit as I had writing it we might be blood related, let's get busy!

Did you ever have a thought to do something that, while you were thinking it, seemed like a great idea at the time. So you did it. And then, all of this crap comes down after it and you realize you really didn't think it through? You too, huh? Cool, so Yu Ying of the Qiankun Sword Clan (who just happens to be the  daughter of the clan's chief) decides to kill the son of the Green Dragon Clan's Chief who just happens to be Jiao Lei the Flying Dagger...oops! Never mind that his son was a killing, raping and then killing again type of a son-of-a-gun. Parents just don't see their children in that kind of light. 

Chief of the Green Dragon Clan, Jiao Lei the Flying Dagger gets all mad and revengey and starts killing everybody just to get to Yu Ying and for good measure clearly intends to kill her father, Yu Yuan, Chief of the Qiankun Sword Clan as well. So, after killing the legendary Luo Tong and Song Jingang and his four sons, while killing the Song's servants and children a real badass guy shows up with a similar skill set as The Flying Dagger. His name? Yang Qing, badass, mystery man extraodinaire. Ready, set --begin story!

THE FLYING DAGGER (1969) stars Cheng Pei Pei as Yu Ying the well intentioned pursued damsel of our story. Yeung Chi-Hing is the revengey pursuer and father Jiao Lei the Flying Dagger, the mad cap murderer. Lo Lieh is Mr. Badass extraordinaire man of mystery who sometimes seems to help and other times not so much.

HONORABLE MENTION: There are a lot of recognizable faces here: Cheng Miu as Yu Yuan the father of the pursued, Ku Feng as Song Jingang, and even Liu Chia-Liang, Cliff Lok, David Chiang Dai-Wei and Liu Chia-Yung have small cameos. 

FIGHT TIME: The incredible action direction team of Tang Chia and Liu Chia-Liang are responsible for what action we see here as I counted six (6) fight scenes including the rather tame finale. Everybody's fight scenes are well done but I would have liked a bit more in the way of technique in the scenes. However, I found in my research that THE FLYING DAGGER (1969) was actually filmed years earlier and its released delayed but no reason for the delay was given. This helps me to be a bit more forgiving of the relatively sedate nature of the fights as the truth of the matter is we could always use "more".

HONORABLE MENTION: none

THE FLYING DAGGER (1969) at its core is a straight forward pursuit film. It is due to the talents of its co-writers Chang Cheh and Lee Chi-Sin through characterization that we hold our interest throughout the film. In addition, if the film had been released years earlier then I certainly would be making a bigger deal of the use of the Jiang Hu Chivalry and male dominate subplot which at this point (1969) we have already seen at least a couple of times already. That said, I certainly enjoyed THE FLYING DAGGER (1969) and wholly recommend it to viewers and complete collectors alike. See you next time!

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NEXT UP: THE INVINCIBLE FIST (1969)

GOLDEN SWALLOW (1968)

GOLDEN SWALLOW (1968)

GOLDEN SWALLOW (1968) is the sequel to King Hu's  masterpiece COME DRINK WITH ME (1966) by virtue of the lead character of COME DRINK WITH ME being the love interest and being played by the same actress, the lovely Cheng Pei-pei. However the character Golden Swallow is not the main character of the movie bearing her name. That honor goes to Silver Roc played by the very talented Jimmy Wang Yu. The co-writer and director of the sequel this time is Chang Cheh  (spelled here Chang Cheuh). The action scenes are arranged by a new team as well: Tang Chia and Liu Chia-liang.



Since the events in COME DRINK WITH ME, Golden Swallow has become somewhat of a savior to the downtrodden people of an unnamed village and is quite charitable. Her enemies lay in wait for her expecting her to help a lady with children in dire need. She does indeed show up and leaves money for the needy family. Her enemies use this time to attack her with poison darts and, after striking her with one, move in for the kill. However just in time a friend of hers, Golden Whip steps in and cripples all of her attackers and threatens to kill them if they do not give him the antidote to the poison. He brings her back to his home at a remote valley to recover and during that time they develop a strong bond.

 Next we see Silver Roc traveling on horseback on a seemly remote road along some mountains. Above him some warriors are setting up an ambush for him to do nothing but kill him. After wiping them out in grand style he comes atop a mountain and looks down and sees Golden Swallow, Golden Whip and his friend Flying Fox sitting around rather friendly like. He ponders the situation a second and then pulls out one of her golden swallow darts with an idea clearly on his face. Silver Roc decides to mass murder despicable villains and leave her dart behind implicating her as the murderer! Cue up Tina Turner's  "What's Love Got To Do With It?"

Jimmy Wang Yu as Silver Roc Xiao Pang is as twisted a hero as you will ever find, but you know what? When they come for him we root for him from the bottom of our hearts!

Cheng Pei-pei's portrayal of Golden Swallow Xie Ru Yan is very good once again but this time she plays her character very much as a girl and not the rugged military trained fighter tomboy from her previous movie. This time she is not the governor's special envoy but another female fighter wandering the jiang hu and fighting for justice. Lo Lieh as Golden Whip Han Tao also opts for a softer interpretation of the characters that he usually plays and he has a quirk against killing but maiming for life is okay (?). Wu Ma plays Golden Whip's old classmate Flying Fox Hu Zhen and Yeung Chi-Hing is the big bad villain that shows up after the movie is half over once again. Future Star Gazing: seen in this movie are: Ku Feng, Liu Chia-Liang, Liu Chia-Yung, and a scruffy David Chaing.

Fight time, yeah!! So, I count six fight scenes in GOLDEN SWALLOW which, from my judgment, is a good amount leaving very little chance for boredom here. This is the first movie I am reviewing with the team of Tang Chia and Liu Chia-liang (although it may not be their earliest work together) and the first difference I noticed, from the other four films I have reviewed, is the change of focus from "one on one fights" to "one versus many opponents battles". This makes the overall look of the fights are not as tight as the other fights I have seen. Basically the difference is in the techniques which have gone "from point and line" to "point and circle". The techniques the fighters are using (with the interesting exception of Golden Swallow's techniques) swing about in an arc whether they hit or miss their intended targets. This method allows for as many as four opponents to be felled with one strike. In addition to the arcing techniques, the camera is often so close to the action as to obscure the details of the fight, which, to be brutally honest, I do not like. What is worth the price of the admission is the sheer number of people Silver Roc manages to kill, it is absolutely incredible! As for Golden Swallow's techniques they are still mostly one to one techniques but are more girlish and now instead of keeping her twin daggers stealthy in her boots she wears both of them on her belt.

In conclusion, GOLDEN SWALLOW (1968) could have easily been named: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PATHOLOGICAL SERIAL KILLER HAS A CRUSH ON YOU. Kudos to co-writers Chang Cheh and tu Yun Chih on the screenplay. What a sad, twisted hero Silver Roc is but a master-swordsman of the highest caliber.The movie is definitely a must see mostly because of the plot but please, bring a strong stomach.

If you liked this review please comment on the blog, become a follower of the blog, join me on my Facebook account by sending me a message first and then a friend request so I know who I am friending (  https://www.facebook.com/Michael529P   ) and like my Facebook page: SHAW Brothers Kung Fu Movies 1965-1986. I thank you and would appreciate it very much!

NEXT UP : THE KNIGHT OF KNIGHTS (1966)

THE THUNDERING SWORD (1967)

THE THUNDERING SWORD (1967)

This wuxia story actually takes place in the "Jiang Hu" which literally is translated to "rivers and lakes" but is what the subculture of the martial world calls itself. Those of the Jiang Hu considers themselves separate and outside of regular society but not so much above it as beyond it. In spite of the goings on and the masters being well known through out the world, it is regarded as totally fictitious by those of mainstream society.

In THE THUNDERING SWORD (1967) the Jiang Hu is concerned about the existence of a sword that "can shatter the world's two precious swords" and is called The Thundering Sword. Many of the martial clans members have begun vicious slaughter in order to get their hands on this powerful weapon in order to have their own way in the martial world. Chief Instructor and High Priest of the Yuan Mountain Clan for his part, has devoted three months of seclusion to divine a way of destroying the sword to bring peace back to the martial world. Failing to find a solution he sends two of his highly skilled students (Yu Chen Wan andChiang Kwun Yuan) down the mountain to find the sword and bring it back so he may examine and replicate the sword and thereby find a way of destroying it, believing that as long as such a sword exist there will be no peace. After leavingBaiyun Temple and descending down Yuan Mountain the two classmates go separate ways and agree to meet up later on. 

Yu Chen Wan's journey down the mountain has him being passed by a lovely swords-woman (So Jiau Jiau) on horseback. Up ahead, and out of his sight she is ambushed by ruffians who demand her sword. She quite viciously and literally whips the hell out of them and uses poison darts to kill them. He catches up to her only to witness the end result. He erroneously accuses her of killing innocents but she clarifies her position as justifiable. Their brief exchange being enough for her to be swept off her feet with his chivalrous demeanor, she still, never the less, gallops off telling him -- her killing or not, is none of his concern. 

We catch up with Chiang Kwun Yuan some miles and time later as it is now nightfall and he is at a grave site stumbling upon some grave robbers entering a tomb. Curiosity gets the best of him as he creeps up behind them inside the tomb to see them robbing the tomb but falling victim to some booby traps inside. He suddenly sees lying on the tomb floor The Thundering Sword which he quickly grabs and negotiates his way back outside past more booby traps to outside the tomb. He plants the sword in the dirt and reaches for the tombstone to replace it and suddenly a whip snares the sword from the dirt and snatches it to the whip's owner who is none other than the very same swords-woman (So Jiau Jiau) met by his classmate earlier. He barely gets out "who are you?" when she flings her poison darts at him and he falls down dropping his clan's defensive coins besides him. Recognizing the coins as belonging to the clan of her newly admired acquaintance she immediately deeply regrets her rash actions and plots to make amends but it is just not her day...  

As far as I know, this is the first attempt by SHAW BROTHERS STUDIOS to adapt a wuxia novel for the big screen for their new wuxia movie genre. the novel they chose was Jin Yong's epic wuxia novel HEAVEN SWORD and DRAGON SABER. To be more precise it is an adaptation of just Zhang Wuji's (the main protagonist) parents' first meeting and love story and goes no further than that. I am going to have to give this first time effort a pass on so many levels for a handful of reasons including being the first attempt. In short, this tiny seed in 1967 is what becomes the mighty oak that is the industry of martial arts movies today in 2015. It has grown so successfully that the industry is still making television and movie and even game adaptations of these writings and characters that to harshly criticize this first attempt is a bit more hypocritical than I can stand. I won't do it. 

THE THUNDERING SWORD (1967) was adapted for the big screen by ProducerRunme Shaw, screen writer Sheng Chiang and directed by Hsu Cheng-Hung. It stars Cheng Pei Pei as So Jiau Jiau, Chang Yi as Yu Chien Wan, and Lo Lieh as Ching Kwun Yuan. Other than Jimmy Wang Yu everybody else that was somebody was in this movie!

(My guess is that Runme Shaw wanted a blank canvas for the starring role so no Jimmy Wang Yu nor his mentor Chang Cheh.)

Future Star Gazing: Shu Pei Pei, Tien Feng, Ku Wen-Chung, Fang Mian, Liu Chia Liang, Liu Chia Yung, Tong Gai, Cliff Lok, Wu Ma, Ku Feng, Chiu Hung, Wong Ching Ho and so many more!

Fight Time!: Liu Chia Liang and Tong Gaai are the action directors for this adaptation for which there are only three (3) fights. The quality of the fights are very good, especially Cheng Pei Pei's fights which are very realistic and look nothing like her fighting from COME DRINK WITH ME (1966). Now again I say, I am going to forego criticism on this first attempt at an adaptation of an epic novel. Needless to say they get it right eventually so there is no need for me to grandstand like I would have done any better my first time at anything.    

THE THUNDERING SWORD (1967) is historically significant and has some dramatic suspense to boot. For these reasons I will strongly recommend the purchase and viewing of this film for collectors, fans and students of this genre. See you next time! 

If you liked this review please comment on the blog, become a follower of the blog, join me on my Facebook account by sending me a message first and then a friend request so I know who I am friending (  https://www.facebook.com/Michael529P   ) and like my Facebook page: SHAW Brothers Kung Fu Movies 1965-1986. I thank you and would appreciate it very much!

NEXT UP: ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN (1967)