The One-Armed Swordsman (1967, Cheh Chang)

One-Armed Swordman is not the kind of cheesy martial arts movie that is often ridiculed because of its outlandish action scenes or silly plot. It was produced by the Shaw Brothers so we are talking about a film with high production values and interesting characters. Although the film is filled with realistic, arty fight sequences, the emphasis is on moments of human drama not mindless action. That being said, if you are a hardcore fan of action and suspense, you won’t be disappointed. It’s pretty stylish – the film has the texture of a comic book. It makes a good argument in favor of the use of soundstages. The beautiful SB studios give the film the kind of artificial look that is nearly dream-like. I prefer this kind of style over the more mundane look of natural locales. The characters are well defined. The way brooding hero (Yu Wang gives an excellent performance) desires to belong somewhere is one great element among many. One-Armed Swordman is a terrific martial arts movies that even non-fans will enjoy.

~ by gelpi2008 on Friday, July 25, 2008.