Mantieni l'odio per la tua vendetta (1967) Online

I have been a huge fan of HK action films for many years and have amassed a collection of 500+ kung fu films. Have heard about this film since forever, and assumed it was ground- breaking, influential, yada yada yada... but never really sought it out. I guess 'cause it's older than most and it's a swordplay film rather than all out kung fu action the likes of which Chang Cheh later specialized in (i.e. the Venoms films). However, finally having sat down and watched the remastered rerelease, I was absolutely blown away. One of the most emotionally intense HK films I have seen. Ignore naysayers... they must be heartless robots. Dramatically it is certainly on par with Lau Kar Leung's own films, and bears unmistakable thematic connections to his body of work (especially 8 Diagram Pole Fighter). Not to mention it's wonderfully filmed. If scenes are too dark, you just have a bad copy. The restored Celestial version is beautifully dark and vivid... no problem following the action. And there is plenty of action. Choreography is slightly dated, but it's 1967! The fighting is easily as good as anything from the era. And yes, I've seen the films the other reviewer mentions... also great films, but by no means superior fighting-wise. In fact, I'd venture to say it's an important milestone in the progression of kung fu choreography... with the fighting playing a pivotal role in the storytelling. Okay, most days I too would prefer to watch a Venoms movie, with my jaw dropped open in disbelief at the superhuman abilities on display... but come on... this undoubtedly deserves the credit it receives. Any true fan of HK films needs to see this.

Given the bad reputation of Chinese martial arts films in general, plus the undeniable fact that many of these - including this one - use genre conventions originally developed for the popular stage (what has been called "Chinese Opera" is actually more analogous to American Vaudeville), it is only with considerable effort that an admirer if these films can persuade Americans to watch these movies, let alone appreciate them fully. But the point really is, that the directors of these films use what they have to portray the culture in which they live in a manner as completely cinematic as can be found in any national film tradition.

All this is a warm up to this: The One-Armed Swordsman is as masterful a film as Kurosawa Akira's Yojimbo.

I make this specific comparison because each film was made within a genre to which the film contributes genre-shattering innovation, while at the same time maintaining certain essential conventions that keep it safely within the genre. Thus Kurosawa's renegade ronin is a tough, cynical, manipulator of the various villains of the film, in a way even the most tragic hero of the Japanese samurai film (chambara) of the time could never be; nonetheless, he still manages to kill everyone at the end, much like all the other chambara heroes.

Similarly, Chang Cheh's One-Armed hero follows genre convention by performing super-human feats of skill (like leaving the imprint of his hand on a rock with a single blow), but just as a character, he is completely new.

The typical wu xia film of the time generally had an aristocratic hero; if he had no personal problems to deal with, he always wore white. If he had personal problems, he would drink heavily and dress like a mendicant monk. He was in utter thrall to whatever worthiest female was in his immediate vicinity; his cause was always to uphold the right, protect chastity, and further the well-being of the Chinese people as a whole. His one real defect (as a "type") was that he really liked fighting, which usually got him into trouble with those with similar enjoyments.

Chang Cheh's Feng Kong (as played by Wang Yu in what is his finest role) is not an aristocrat, but an orphaned son of a servant; he doesn't wear white, he wears black; remaining loyal to her father (his former teacher) he grows to hate the young lady who chopped off his arm (I certainly would) and grows attached to the dead warrior's daughter (with whom he sleeps without marriage) only after she has nursed him back to health - but he remains determined to control his own fate nonetheless. The future of the Chinese people doesn't interest him. Eventually, he abjures fighting and goes off to become a farmer.

As can be discovered from various interviews, Chang Cheh, in filming what is still his most completely realized vision, was perfectly aware that he was making such innovations. In fact, in terms of traditional Chinese culture alone, The One-Armed Swordsman comes across as a radical Confucian demand for recognition of merit above social status; and of the need for social stability over and against any desire for personal revenge.

Furthermore, Chang Cheh pulls this off in a manner utterly consistent with the social trends of the 1960s - Feng Kong is portrayed as an "angry young man" - the representative of an entire generation fed up with many of the myths of the old culture to which they have been indoctrinated. He is brazen, energetic, honest, and more than a little suspicious of old prejudices (which have never favored him anyway). And having been told that he was not "born worthy", he sets out to proves that he can learn self-sufficiency without the benefit of institutional education. He doesn't need to start a revolution - he IS a revolution.

Of course, if the general quality of the film as a whole were not utterly top-notch, this message would be meaningless. But the camera-work, supporting performances by the other actors, staging and direction, and most of the editing are all "world-class" - as good as anything coming out of Hollywood that decade, and better than any Hollywood film of the decade's latter half.

Let the genre conventions be what they are, and pay respect to one of the best films of its type - and perhaps one of the finest films ever made, world-wide.

THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN (1967) is often cited as Hong Kong's first real martial arts film, i.e. with emphasis on martial techniques, styles and training rather than on clan politics, corrupt officials, and court intrigue. Star Jimmy Wang Yu is much more intense here than in most of his previous starring roles (e.g. TWIN SWORDS and TRAIL OF THE BROKEN BLADE) and his fighting is much more ferocious. Overall, this is a bleak, somber film, with occasional tearjerking and melodramatic moments. The darkly handsome Wang Yu brings the right tone of brooding and melancholy and makes the climactic moments of violent outburst quite satisfying.

Wang Yu plays Fang Kang, a martial arts student whose right arm is chopped off in a sudden confrontation with his master's impetuous daughter and then must learn how to fight with his left. He runs off and finds a simple farm girl, Hsiao Man (Chiao Chiao), to take him in and care for him. She has a half-burned old swordfighting manual which she gives to Fang to teach himself left-hand sword techniques. Her father had died after a sword fight (over the book) and her mother had started to burn it. Her mother had warned her to never fall for a sword fighter and she urges Fang never to fight. However, after he is humiliated by some martial arts students when they try to flirt with Hsiao Man, Fang resolves to fight again.

Fang is forced into action when his former master, Teacher Chi, and his students are attacked by Long-Armed Devil who has called on evil swordsmen, including Smiling Face and his two loutish students, to raid Teacher Chi's school during Chi's retirement party. Long Arm gets things rolling by sending his two henchmen to kill any students they can waylay. The henchmen have a sword-lock on their swords with which they can trap the opponents' swords and slay the opponent with a right hand dagger to the belly. Ultimately, only Wang Yu's short, broken sword is capable of counteracting the sword-lock.

Wang Yu returned to the role of Fang in THE RETURN OF THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN (1968), which is even more focused on swordfights and bloodshed (and is also reviewed on this site). He later left Shaw Bros. to star in ONE-ARMED BOXER (1971), which, along with his last Shaw Bros. film, THE CHINESE BOXER (1970), was a seminal film in the budding kung fu genre.

An evil gang attacks the Chi school of Golden Sword Kung Fu. One student sacrifices his life to save his teacher and his school, his dying wish is that his son be taken in as a student. Young Fang Kang grows up in the school and treasures his father's broken sword and the memory of his father's sacrifice. The other students (including the teacher's daughter) resent him and try to drive him away. The teacher's daughter challenges him to a fight and when he refuses she becomes enraged and recklessly chops off his arm! Directed by Chang Cheh ("Five Deadly Venoms"), this was the first Hong Kong film to make HK$1 million at the local box office, propelling its star Jimmy Wang to super stardom. I am really beginning to appreciate the kung fu genre, especially when there is a gimmick -- a swordsman with one arm? Sounds good to me. And apparently it sounded good to many other people, because there was a sequel and a few spinoffs, too.

The One Armed Swordsman is one of the most important kung fu movies ever made. For one thing, it made Cheng Cheh and Jimmy Wang famous. It was also a really early example of the genre.

What i noticed about this film is the focus was less on choreography and more on character development and cinematography. Because of this i think that it is more accessible to the average movie fan.

The story is basic. A martial arts student gets his arm cut off, masters a new style,gets a girl and defends his old master. it is standard but truly shows and develops the main character. This is in my top five kung fu films of all time. A MUST see.

Wow, if only all Asian martial arts movies were this good, the genre would sure get a lot more respect in the West. All too often, the movies I've found at video stores are the horribly dubbed and occasionally quite stupid martial arts films--you know, the ones where the action is so fake that they films are better for their laugh value than for their excitement! However, there are several amazing films (this one included) who set high standards for the genre, such as many of the films of Sonny Chiba, the Bruce Lee films (few as they are) and the Zatoichi series. Remember folks, not all martial arts films are created equal!!

While I could harp on a few flaws that are noticeable in the film (such as the scene at midnight that goes from day to night like an Ed Wood film), the perfection of most of the film greatly outweighs the few mistakes--plus for the time it was made, it was about as good as you can find. And while I am very, very hesitant to give scores of 10, this one deserves it because it is the epitome of a great Chinese martial arts film.

There are two main reasons to love this film. First, being the premier episode of the One Armed Swordsman series, there is much more to the movie than a "boss battle". Instead, you learn the devious and complicated reason for Fang Gang losing his arm as well as the steps he took to learn to fight left-handed. Second, and probably more importantly, you see the best sword fighting and martial arts action...period. Gone are the obvious misses as they pull their swings, gone is the grunting and silly dialog (provided you watch it with the optional Chinese language and English subtitles) and there is plenty of realistic looking blood--though not so much to make it a disgusting or gratuitous movie.

If you like this film (and only an idiot wouldn't), then try watching the other films in the series. Also try the films of the others I mentioned above. Not every Kung Fu or Karate movie involves (uggh!) martial arts fighting gorillas, men with arms that grow to 12 feet in length and the other silly touches you see in lesser films. Now I still watch and enjoy these other films (when I need a laugh), but they just can't come close to class products like this one.

I'm not a big expert on Hong Kong cinema, or Martial Arts movies, but I've seen my fair share of Kong Fu flicks, and this remarkable picture is definitely among the best. What it has going for it is first and foremost a great story about a one-handed swordsman who wants to quit the "Martial Arts business" but has one last debt of honor to repay. The film sets up its characters and plot in great detail, so we are involved from the outset. The villains are ferocious and the sword battles (this one has only sword battles, not actual Kong Fu) are great. It's a vicious, violent film, but also very tender. Acting is very good for this kind of picture. The heroes are heroic, the bad guys are sneering. Production design is also top-notch, great scenery and props, and be sure to watch it in "SHAWSCOPE" for its Widescreen glory.

Though the chambara influence on Chang Cheh was already seen in his previous film The Magnificent Trio (1966), a remake of Hideo Gosha's Three Outlaw Samurai (1964) (and quite possibly the earlier Tiger Boy (1966): not available on DVD), it would be The One-Armed Swordsman that would help define Cheh as an auteur with his own blend of Japanese action aesthetics, American rebellious characters and Chinese wuxia heroes. This film would not only be the first film to break the 1 million HK dollars barrier it would also be a watershed moment for the area's cinema. The popularity of this film as well as King Hu's hit the year before Come Drink With Me helped push in a new era of Mandarin language movies as well as push out the indigenous language Cantonese cinema for several years. But it would be the brutal style of Chang that would dominate the regional efforts and not the Peking Opera influenced King Hu. This movie would also be the first in the subgenre of "one-armed" films that stereotyped the career of the star of this movie Jimmy Wang Yu.

Wang Yu had already acted in a couple of Chang Cheh films, but it is his performance here as Fang Gang that would make him a star in Hong Kong. Fang is an orphan whose father had perished saving the life of Qi Ru-feng (Tien Feng). Qi shows his gratefulness by taking on Fang as a student. Fang also obtains the broken sword that was used by his father, but it could not possibly be of any use. He quickly becomes an adept student that because of his success and austereness has earned the ire of not only a couple of rich students, but also with Qi Pei-er (Pan Ying-zi), the daughter of the sifu, when he rebukes her advances. It is usually a bad idea to turn down your teacher's daughter and in this film it is no exception.

Fang's skill level is so advanced that he toys with the other students and Pei-er when they intend on teaching him a lesson. He completely outclasses them with his masculine masterful display of martial arts. However, since he is only toying with them he lets his guard down not expecting that the petulant daughter will exact her revenge by cutting off his right arm. It is not difficult to see this as a castration allegory for not only embarrassing her in the fight, but also not returning her affections.

Blooded and broken, Fang stumbles off leaving a crimson trail (while not bloody by later Shaw Brothers standards, this was gory for its time) until he gets found and saved by orphan Xiao Man (Lisa Chiao Chiao) who hates the world of martial arts because it lead to the death of her father. Yet when Fang wakes from his shock induced slumber, later gets beat up by a couple of ruffians, falls into a deep doleful state she takes pity on him and gives him her father's manual of martial arts. While part of the manual is missing it luckily has the "left-arm" portions. A few days later he is an accomplished one-armed fighter. Obviously it is unrealistic that in a short time he could lose an arm and then become an accomplished fighter (and one scene of him displaying his power of chi should probably have been trimmed as it does not fit in with the rest of the film) this treatment is probably copasetic with the Jin Yong novel The Return of the Condor Heroes (1959) this movie is influenced by.

Meanwhile Qi Ru-feng has decided that he is going to retire from the martial arts world at the age of 55. With all of his success as a swordsman he has created many enemies. Two brothers Smiling Tiger Cheng Tian Shou (Tang Ti) and Long-Armed Devil (called this because of his whip played effectively by the ubiquitous Yeung Chi-hing) have devised a way to destroy him and it involves a weapon that can render Qi's Dao sword that his entire school uses useless. The lesson behind this is to always teach your students to be proficient in more than one weapon and do not always cling to one approach to fighting. With Qi's best student missing (in more ways than one), and his other disciples being removed from this planet, his reign as head of the martial arts world seems to be at an end.

Wang Yu gives a good performance as the stoic brooding loner who is a combination of a wuxia hero and James Dean. He is not the most adept martial artist though. His Narcissist nature angered many actors and gave way to mediocre performances in the 1970s and beyond. Because of this and his later exploits in Taiwanese triads his reputation has suffered quite a bit among Hong Kong cinema fans. For the most part I tend to agree with the critics and fanboys on this except for his most famous One-Armed roles he seemed born to play (even if he does have two arms).

While the influences of such Japanese films as the Zatoichi series are strong on this movie, it still has uniqueness to it that interests me. This would be a highly influential film to the Hong Kong audience not only on technical issues such as one of the first uses (and overuses) of hand-held camera in HK, but in thematic elements as well. It is enjoyable to see the whole martial art world questioned and Fang's subjugation to his principles are reminiscent of a Randolph Scott character in a Budd Boetticher western. This movie would spawn several sequels, remakes and retreads and certainly up the ante for use of blood packets, missing limbs and stomach slashes. While the action scenes might feel dated and might not be plentiful enough for some viewers, it is one of the better and most important Hong Kong films of the 1960s.

"One-Armed Swordsman" is an early work of Chang Cheh, the practical godfather of kung fu cinema. Without wasting any time with describing the plot I'll dive into what I liked and didn't like.

This one is chalk full of great themes: ascension to manhood, honour, revenge, jealousy, hatred, redemption. Fairly unique in this genre is the love story between Fang Gang and Hsiao Man, which is actually quite touching.

I found it interesting, when the rival clan threatens Fang Gang's former teacher and school, how he has to choose between the martial way (protecting his teacher, seeking revenge and entering the cycle of violence again), and settling down in a comfortable life with Hsaio Man. The idea that the only thing that can save the school is Fang Gang's broken sword, that his father left him upon dying, was poetic.

The plot has all the makings of a great martial arts film. Where the film falls down though, is in the badly choreographed sword fights and really cheap sets and bad lighting. The swordfights are often wooden and slow.

I ask anyone who has raved about this film here, to look at the choreography critically... it does not come close to the best in the genre.

Granted, the fact that it is an early work (1967) probably explains this, but still does not change it.

I just watched the Dragon Dynasty DVD release of this movie that I'd last seen over 40 years ago as an impressionable pre-teen in Hong Kong. The restoration is quite stunning. The colors are vibrant and the print is mostly scratch-free. You also get to appreciate how director Chang Cheh in the late 60s/early 70s was a cut-above-the-rest storyteller with his camera placement and some fluid tracking shots, thereby transcending a lot of the hackneyed scripting, stilted acting and the studio-bound sets. However, I also took exception to the fact that the DVD did not contain commentary by Quentin Tarantino as promised by the box notes, and the 2 "film students" who did provide commentary left a lot to be desired. Surely Tarantino would have remarked upon the fact that the most noticeable parts of the musical score (including the entire end title scene) was lifted lock, stock and barrel from the 1966 Ralph Nelson western DUEL AT DIABLO. (Composer Neal Hefti's estate should sue!) And at another dramatic moment, a very familiar John Barry suspense motif from the Connery Bond films makes a 3-second appearance. It's really pathetic that these "film scholars" completely missed these cultural touchstones that make Hong Kong movies from this era such crazy-quilt pleasures.

I see all these glowing reviews with 8, 9, 10 stars, and I'm utterly baffled. This movie was 2 hours of a 5-line story with practically zero martial arts. It's a tedious snoozer. I've seen plenty SB kung-fu movies, so I'm not simply out of my element. Does this want to be a serious drama or a martial arts movie? The script/story says it wants to be a serious drama, the directing/execution says it wants to be a martial arts movie. It fails as both, nothing works.

I did not know then that Chinese martial art fighters were distinguished by the myriad schools where they trained. I also learned that hand-clasping (as if in prayer) greeting with a bow that a swordfighter uses to greet his shifu (teacher). How about that peculiar Chinese idiom: "Please don't stand on ceremony" meant to put guests at ease? Neat.

So a Chi man has 64 ways of using his sword. Actually the Chinese call it a knife because of its shape and it is much broader than an ordinary sword. Chinese swords tend to be somewhat slim and light.

The slightly built Wang Yu seems an unlikely candidate to be a super swordsman but his stance and his moves belie the frail looks. The hero underdog gives not only as good as he gets, but more!

Jimmy is a double edged martial arts movie actor. Obviously he knows his martial onions although he is not truly a master like Bruce Lee. BUT, he sure can act.

The female lead Chiao Chiao played other swordfighter roles quite credibly but I was disappointed that in some movies she was cast as a femme fatale even with nude scenes.

There are tonnes of wuxia stories and films out there, it's quite difficult to be established as one of the classics. One-Armed Swordsman happens to be one of the best remembered and loved stories that defined wuxia, and it is no doubt that actor Wang Yu and director Chang Cheh were made household names.

Common themes in wuxia like brotherhood, romance, piety, revenge are all rolled into One-Armed Swordsman. A son of a servant who died valiantly protecting his master, Qi Rufeng of the Golden Sword Clan, Fang Gang (Want Yu) was brought up by Qi Rufeng as one of his disciples, but his daughter Qi Pei-er accidentally chops off Fang Gang's right arm in a fit of petty anger.

Running away and injured, Fang Gang was saved by a village girl Hsiao Man, who nurses him back to health, and passes to him half a sacred kung fu manual, which has only the left-handed moves left (yes, it's that convenient). Swearing to leave the martial arts world and minding his own business, little does he realize that a rival clan has developed weapons and moves to counter the Golden Sword Clan, and are out for blood.

Realizing that he cannot let down the master who has brought him up, Fang Gang goes to their rescue, against the wishes of Hsiao Man. Caught between two benefactors, Fang Gang has to make the decision, one in which only a true swordsman will definitely make.

The martial arts, compared to today's standards might seem cheesy, but it's the good old days sans wire work. The teahouse fight remains one of the better sequences, and they all get as bloody as they can get, hence Chang Cheh was also known as the "ketchup" director. You'll marvel at how smart editing actually allows for some "slick" martial arts moves to be performed.

Characters are kept simple - the good are good, and the bad are really evil, and look the part too. It's a one dimensional world, but that keeps the storyline simple as you await the action to begin.

So for that introductory look into the world of Wuxia, One-Armed Swordsman might just be the vehicle for you - characters, themes, weapons, the hallmark elements of a good wuxia film are all there.

This Code 3 DVD contains a behind the scenes gallery, the trailers, production notes and biographies, and a segment on 5 animated works done by various educational institutions in Asia. The winning segment comes from Singapore, and it indeed is a beauty to watch.

Plotwise this is relatively standard fare. Student suffers a personal defeat , goes into recovery and training mode, then redeems himself.

My beef with this movie was the Qi/Chi sword style. The evil villain devises a special technique, complete with a custom sword to defeat the Qi sword style. And the Qi family is completely unable to defeat this new technique. They push forth like lemmings, each one dying in the same fashion as his predecessor. When their self preservation instinct raises a notion to perhaps team up and take advantage of their 20 - 3 numbers to defeat their enemies, the main villain chides them to keep fighting one on one. As self preservation once again takes a step back, they continue fighting and dying one at a time, until the timely arrival of our handicapable hero who uses his new style to quickly dispatch the villains.

If our hero kept his arm, he no doubt would have died too, as the Qi sword style is apparently completely incapable of improvisation. This really killed the enjoyment of the movie for me, as by the time the 10th Qi student died IN EXACTLY THE SAME FASHION, I would have figured that someone would have tried something new. At no point did Bruce Lee's critique of the rigidity of Chinese martial arts ring more true.

If this particular problem does not bother you as much as it did me, then this can be a quite enjoyable late 60s Shaw Brothers experience. But if seeing fight after fight resolve itself in exactly the same fashion begins to grate on you, then perhaps look elsewhere.

It should be noted that this is a rather anti-martial arts, martial arts movie. There are at least three speeches amounting to "those who live by the sword, not only die by it, but also bring death, suffering and sorrow to those they love most".

Also, future director Lau Kar-leung has a supporting role as one of Long-Armed Devil's two ruthless henchmen.

I grabbed this one out of the library, wondering if it would live up to my expectations. it didn't quite, but was still an entertaining movie. the plot is the basic my school can kick your school's ass kind of story. however this was ten years before all those sammo hung or jackie chan movies with that plot. this has a preaty good claim to be the original in this field. the plot is just an excuse for some extremely violent swordplay. it didnt have a quarter of the bodycount i expected (definitely under thirty killed) but was as bloody as rumored. jimmy wang yu slices some impressive body parts. the villians' gimmick is very stupid (a sword that catches their opponents sword). the fighting isn't up to par of modern kung fu, but is way bloodier than anything of the day, and much now.

Fang Kang's father sacrificed himself to save his master Qi RuFeng during an underhanded attack. Master Qi is famous for his Golden Sword Kung Fu and takes Fang Kang as his student. Fang Kang's prized possession is his father's broken Golden Sword. Years later, Qi's only child spoiled daughter Peier and other students hate the humble Fang Kang and look down on him as a servant's son. Fang Kang sets out to walk away from an impending confrontation but Peier insists on fighting. She underhandedly chops off Fang Kang's right arm. He walks off and rescued by XiaoMan. She's an orphan turned pacifist farmer after her swordsman father was killed. She kept a burned swordsmanship book and with his father's broken sword, Fang Kang recovers to be an one-armed swordsman. Master Qi is calling in his disciples to take over as the new master. Old rivals Smiling Tiger and his older brother Long-armed Devil are out to kill them. Long-armed Devil has studied Master Qi's standard Golden Sword and has created a Swordlock to beat it.

This is a great early Hong Kong kung fu classic. The story is filled with duty, sacrifice and the underdog. It's pure melodramatic gold and the action is modern. There's no wire work yet but the modern action is well on its way. The acting is solid. It's a blend of natural and the older melodramatic acting styles. This is a mix of great story, iconic characters and fun action.

A lower caste servant gives his life in defense of his master, Qi, master of the Golden Sword school. Qi promises the dying man that he will raise his son; the boy retrieves his father's broken sword (which will prove pivotal later), and grows up to be Wang Yu. Belittled for being the son of a mere servant, the adult Yu decides to leave the school- but Qi's daughter, whose advances Yu has rebuffed, takes it upon herself to amputate his right arm in retribution. This impromptu surgery takes place in a snow-bound forest and is foreshadowed by the chopping off of a tree limb. It's a remarkably bloodless affair, and Yu staggers away to throw himself off a bridge- but he falls, instead, on the (conveniently) passing boat of Miss Xiaoman, who nurses him back to health. Meanwhile, Smiling Tiger (whose smile is deceptive) and Long-armed Devil (whose whip and short spears are "extensions" of his reach, one presumes) have decided to hunt down and kill all of Qi's Golden Sword students. The bad guys have developed a "sword-lock" weapon that, coupled with the use of a dagger, makes them night unbeatable. Yu, meanwhile, gets "better," though he's remarkably proficient with his left hand for a man used to fighting with his right. (He even develops Chi to the point where he can push air (?) hard enough to trim limbs from a tree and leave his palm-print in a tree stump. These two incidents happen back-to-back and both involve tree LIMBS and a tree STUMP. One can only wonder if the symbolism was intentional by director Chang Cheh. My guess would be that it WAS.) All of the foregoing leads to a final confrontation at the Golden Sword school that should not be missed.

While sick with the flu, lying in bed, I had the enormous privilege to experience the Shaw Brothers production, "The One-Armed Swordsman", the legendary Hong Kong success from heralded director Cheh Chang. It concerns a young disciple, Fang Kang(Yu Wang) whose skills as a martial artist are enhanced by his master swordsman, Qi(Chung-Hsin Huang). Qi trained him from childhood after Kang's father is killed defending his master against a foe's host of disciples. Qi's arch nemesis is Long-Armed Devil(Chih-Ching Yang), and the two have been at war for some time. Long-Armed Devil has developed a sword with a lock that can trap the long, heavy golden swords which are used by Qi's disciples. Pie-ri(Yin Tze Pan)is Qi's only daughter and she is responsible for cutting off Kang's right arm, rendering him a cripple. She was jealous of her father's affection for Kang, and bothered by his supposed arrogance. Lucky for Kang he falls into the boat of a country girl, Xioman(Chiao Chiao), and she gets her grandfather and cousin to assist in saving his life. Kang and Xioman attempt to make a life for themselves, but the one-armed swordsman's past life never seems to relinquish him from aiding his master. Qi's daughter is temporarily kidnapped by Long-Armed Devil's brother, Smiling Tiger(Ti Tang), so he has to rescue her. And, when Long-Armed Devil's disciples ambush Qi's men in separate situations, using the sword with the lock, Kang will have to help his master yet again. Thanks to a special martial arts book Xioman had, from her dead father, a warrior himself who died for his master, Kang was able to train himself using just his one hand..kudos to Yu for being able to successfully pull of swordfighting against adversaries using only the left hand, and to the director for lensing the choreography, without revealing his right arm. The director opts to shoot the fight sequences mostly hand-held, which provides for lively battles between opposition. The marvelous studio sets are well utilized and the story is well developed, giving good treatment to the relationship of Kang and Xioman. The film's story also has an indictment of martial arts and how being equipped with fighting skills, not to mention the concern of honorably defending your teacher, can produce a lifetime of suffering and death. Through Xioman and Kang, both orphaned because of their fathers' honor code to fight for their teachers, the film shows how there must be an alternative to this kind of lifestyle. "The One-Armed Swordsman" gave me all I could ask for in regards to swordplay, blood, and hacked limbs..a triumph. Really neat is how Kang is able to use his father's broken sword to outduel his enemies who have superior weaponry. The movie has colorful villains, whose lecherous qualities serve the plot well in regards to building the heroism of Qi's men, including Kang. Despite their futile efforts to proudly fight for their teacher, we see how Qi's disciples march straight into peril for Long-Armed Devil's men were simply better equipped for the final climactic showdown.

This is a pretty original and refreshing genre movie and not just for its time. Of course the concept alone of having a one-armed swordsman as the main character in a Hong Kong martial arts movie is already original and refreshing on its own. But also the whole handling and development of the storyline is great and refreshing. It's not just some mindless chopping in this movie.

I must admit that in this case I liked the 1995 remake "Dao" even a better as movie. It had a better storyline, better emotions, better villains, better fight sequences and a better overall style. Nevertheless this movie is still a better one than "Dao" is. Qualitivly the story is a better told one and of course simply just because this movie was first and therefor automatically is also more original.

It's already an outdated and somewhat silly looking movie. It's a movie with some fake looking sets and beards and some horrible added sound effects. Also the blades and blood are obvious fakes. The movie on its own is pretty violent and graphic but because of its fake look its nothing too shocking or impressive. It also is not like its laughable it just makes the movie look outdated.

The fights also aren't ever really long one's but they are really well choreographed and makes it very enjoyable to view for the fans of the genre. Toward the end the action of course starts to kick in even more. It's also true that the movie gets even better by then.

This just is no Hollywood movie, so the editing and camera-work might seem a bit off to some but this is of course all part of the Asian style of film-making. Not that I'm a particular great fan of it all though. In some things Hollywood movies are just better, mostly when it comes down to the technical things behind film-making.

A great and original movie within its genre!

9/10

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