Yu jian piao xiang (1977)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Chia Li

Writers:

Lung Ku (story)
Kuang Ni (writer)

Release Date:

1977 (Taiwan)

Genre:

Action | Romance

Plot Keywords:

Kung Fu | Martial Arts

Cast

Peng Tien	...	Lu Nan-Jen
Baoyun Tang	...	Hsueh Jo-pi (as Tong Bo Wan)
Ying Bai	...	Ling Pei-hsiu
Ping Wang	...	Lady Hsiao
Chin Hu	...	Lady Wan Miao
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hui Lou Chen	...	Pei Dao, the northern robber
You Min Ho	...	Abbot victim
Pao-Shu Kao	...	Nan Tao, the South thief
Chi Ma	...	Shin Sun Chun
Chung Shan Man	...	Yuan Ta-Cheng
Chung Tien Shih	...	Altar chief Yu Da-Diao
Ho Tien	...	Altar chief Scholar Ku
Wei Wang	...	Ai Wei
Yang Wang
Chiang-lung Wen	...	Lover victim
Wen Yeh	...	Sun Man

Also Known As:

Lost Samurai Sword (International: English title) (video title)
The Lost Swordship (Hong Kong: English title) (original subtitled version)

Country:

Taiwan

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:12

Company:

Lu Fwu Film Company

An average outing for Tien Peng and company

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

In spite of it's international title, LOST SAMURAI SWORD, the Tien Peng vehicle LOST SWORDSHIP has nothing to do with samurai swords or Japan. It's actually a somewhat typical wuxia movie from the seventies, and like the films of Chor Yuen, it's based off of a novel by the prolific author Gu Long. It's also a Taiwanese production, which is pretty obvious considering the cast that includes regulars of that scene, like Tien Peng and Pai Ying. Put the cast together with a story that's known to be at least slightly compelling, a director who's capable of getting the movie made, and an action director with a serviceable stunt team, and you have a completely average movie, no better nor worse.

The story is about a swordsman name Lu Nan-jen, who is the heir to a powerful sword skill known as the fragrant sword style. Unfortunately for him, the Sky clan really desires to rule the martial arts world, they are therefore pursuing him at all costs in order to get a hold of his sword style. On top of that, the masked and mysterious leader of the clan has been killing the top fighters in the martial arts world (less competition that way). After being betrayed by a close friend, Lu finds himself caught in a deep cave, where he befriends two martial arts masters who have not been killed by the Sky clan yet. These two teach him to use a new sword style. After much deliberation and exposition, Lu finally discovers the identity of the Sky clan's leader, and goes to confront the sky clan in their own headquarters.

The story is actually somewhat interesting, but it has a serious problem with containing too many characters without enough to really keep them interesting. There are really only three major players in the story, and the other characters show up for the purpose of giving the others something to do. Tien Feng, for example, plays a swordsman/scholar who is a part of the Sky clan, and his entire job in the movie is basically to fight with the heroic characters. This is somewhat typical of the genre, yes, but in this case it's actually annoying and all of the endless characters that show up and promptly leave without having anything to add to the story or the other characters, and sometimes don't even bother to move the plot forward. It leaves the impression that they were included as filler. The plot itself centers around the Fragrant sword, an obvious MacGuffin if there ever was one. The obvious devices and vast expanse of forgettable characters are actually typical pitfalls for the wuxia genre, and while they are noticeable here, they are still moderately entertaining. If nothing else, the intrigue and rather random plot twists should keep people who like that sort of thing entertained.

Director Lee Ga is actually right at home in this genre, having also directed Tien Peng in PAI YU CHING, and other martial arts/swordplay movies. He gives his movie a fresh look, often pulling the camera back to let the audience view large Taiwanese fields, often the settings for the various fights. Even during non-combat sequences, he allows the picturesque locations ample room to just look good. He also opens his movie with a brilliant intro with the opening credits, my favorite part of this being when one of the villainous ladies of the film is introduced with a man in bed. The scenes of their intertwined legs is inter cut with praying mantises mating. When the male insect is killed, the film immediately cuts back to the human couple in bed, as the evil lady stabs her would-be lover. To me, that's brilliance. It also gives a good feel for how the movie is going to be. It's a bit kitchsy (actually it's very kitchsy), but it's completely unpretentious about it. This is also notable with the action. Tien Peng, Pai Ying, Hu Chin and in general much of the cast were not experienced martial artists, and even Blacky Ko, a good choreographer, couldn't make these guys look like Jet Li, that's simply expecting too much. Part of the reason for the distance in the shots during the fight scenes is to hide the fact that much of the cast were being doubled. The choreography does rely to some degree on gimmicks like flying boomerang swords, but this movie is less about fighting, and more about sets, costumes, props, and adventure. In this way the movie succeeds well, mostly thanks to the visuals, which are always adequate at least, and impressive at best.

It's hard to love or hate a movie like this. It's not really a visual knockout, but it still looks handsome, and it's pretty obvious how everything is going to work and the plot twists, when not expected, are abrupt and almost out of place. However, it works like an adventure movie, like an ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD kind of thing, but with Chinese swordplay in place of swashbuckling, and intrigue and mystery instead of high adventure. Basically, this isn't going to wow anybody and the cast has done better work (the lead had parts in King Hu's movies like A TOUCH OF ZEN, DRAGON INN, etc.), but it's worth watching if this is the type of genre you like. I like the genre, and I liked this movie.