Chat gim (2005)

Director:

Hark Tsui

Writers:

Chi-Sing Cheung (writer)
Tin Nam Chun (writer)

Release Date:

29 July 2005 (China)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Plot:

Seven warriors come together to protect a village from a diabolical General.

Plot Keywords:

Sword | Martial Art | China | Chinese | Female Killer

Awards:

3 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Donnie Yen	...	Chu Zhao Nan
Leon Lai	...	Yang Yun Chong
Charlie Yeung	...	Wu Yuan Yin
Liwu Dai	...	Xin Long Zi
Chia-Liang Liu	...	Fu Qing Ju
Duncan Lai	...	Mulang (as Duncan Chow)
Yi Lu	...	Han Zhi Ban
Jingwu Ma	...	Master Shadow-Glow
Jason Pai Piao	...	Liu Jingyi
Honglei Sun	...	Fire-wind
Michael Wong	...	Prince Dokado (as Michael F. Wong)
Jingchu Zhang	...	Liu Yufang
So-yeon Kim	...	Luzhu
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jiajia Chen	...	Kualo
Michelle Mee	...	Luzhu (voice)
Wenjie Wang	...	Duogeduo Swordsman
Lixiao Yang	...	Girl in blood

Also Known As:

Qi jian (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
Seven Swords (International: English title)
Seven Swords of Mt. Tien - Part I (Hong Kong: English title) (working title)
Seven Swordsmen Leave Mt. Heaven (Hong Kong: English title) (working title)
The Seven Swords (International: English title)

Runtime:

153 min | Singapore:141 min (cut)

Country:

South Korea | Hong Kong | China

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Norway:15 | Ireland:15A | Germany:16 | Malaysia:18SG | Argentina:16 | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:M | Singapore:PG (edited version) | Singapore:NC-16 | Hong Kong:IIB

Filming Locations:

Xinjiang, China

Company:

Film Workshop

Trivia:

The opening film of the 2005 Venice Film Festival.

A true Masterpiece !!!

All the negative critics read on this site just gave me a big laugh... This truly masterful film of Tsui Hark contains more powerful scenes than the majority of the films I've seen in these last five years. When I read somewhere someone even daring to say that this film has not any soul and depth, I wanted to cry... How can anyone neglecting the unrelenting power coming from the magnificent visual compositions and framing and clever editing as much as the intensity of the acting performances by Donnie Yen, Sun Hong Lei, Charlie Young or Zhang Jingchu; the constant impacts on our all senses by the exhaustive scenes filled with an incredible amount of love and sensuality equally paralleled by the peace, honesty and responsibility, that are conversely also contradicted by the violence, hate and greediness. In its entire complexity of the indispensable sub-plots (that i figure are supposed to be the driving force behind the whole series) and colorful characters all the heroic themes are given more intensity and such a greatness that one would hardly find even in "The Magnificent Seven" or "Seven Samurai". The whole narrative structure and the cinematic presentation speaks volumes of the genius of Tsui Hark's that never yields to the artificial and commercial tone and appeal of Zhang Yimou's sell-out efforts. A very unusual narration is not so extraordinary as the depth of the approached themes and the emotional power of the film (due to the multiplications of the characters and sub-plots, therefore make their own space in the film, just for the inner feelings of the characters and their interactions) making "Seven Swords" one of the most intelligent and unforgettable films of Tsui Hark's career. Add to it a very reassured touches of the majestic beauty probably last seen in the films sometime in the 70's, and you have one of the essential films of the year 2005 and one of if not Tsui Hark's biggest achievement ever. If you want to see the true Wuxia film, and i mean the Wuxia as is supposed to look like in its truest form, watch this masterpiece. Don't listen to anyone who badmouths this film, they have absolutely no idea what they're talking about, and what's even more hilarious that all of their comments start with a ridiculous line how they watched many Chinese movies as if it would all of a sudden gave them any more credibility or what, they could have seen thousands and thousands of movies but it'd be absolutely pointless because many people can guarantee you that no one has seen before anything resembling the breath-taking majestic quality of "Seven Swords", this is a spiritualistic heroic movie that has more soul and depth than any movie made in the last decade or even more...

Finally to put it in a nutshell. Let me tell you that Seven Swords is a revelation for eyes of a moviegoer, a magnificent film of beauty and violence with breathtaking moments that might be stuck in your mind forever. I'm happy as you that we're possibly talking about a milestone of Chinese cinema and Tsui Hark's long career. He made what he wanted to and to tell you the truth i'm not interested in any other longer version of this movie now. It'd only spoil this otherwise absolutely perfect enough film.

"That's what the "MOVIES" are about" is the first i uttered at the end credits that had me otherwise sitting silent and speechless.