Duan chang jian

In 1967, the conventions of the Chinese martial arts film as we know it were still being established. Shaw Brothers had released King Hu's groundbreaking swordplay drama "Come Drink with Me" the year before, and it established a trend toward better, more realistic action choreography. Chang Cheh was contributing to the evolution of the swordplay film, too: "The Magnificent Trio" (1966) was rough around the edges but showed a lot of promise, and Chang's approach had become considerably more sophisticated and streamlined by the time he directed "Trail of the Broken Blade". Critics don't care much for this one, but it really was the prototype for every subsequent Chang Cheh movie...and for just about everything else, since Chang was so widely imitated. All the elements of his formula are here: a stern, chivalrous hero (Wang Yu) who faces seemingly impossible odds; a comic book-type villain (Tien Feng) who resides at the center of an impregnable fortress and whose henchmen wield an array of exotic weapons; and, of course, messy stomach wounds. Watch any Chang Cheh film made after "Trail of the Broken Blade" and you'll see how it built on the foundation laid here. The action (choreographed by Tang Chia and Liu Chia-liang) is too infrequent but holds up surprisingly well, especially during the bloody final battle. (In my opinion, the fights in "Trail" are superior to those in Chang's later--and more successful--"The One-Armed Swordsman".) There's some fine acting, too, particularly from supporting players Chiao Chiao and Wei Ping-ou. Any fan interested in the origins of the genre should see this film.

TRAIL OF THE BROKEN BLADE (1966) is another Shaw Bros. swordplay adventure from the mid-1960s directed by Chang Cheh and starring Jimmy Wang Yu before he became a kung fu star with THE Chinese BOXER (1970, aka HAMMER OF GOD). There is plenty of swordfighting and it's consistently exciting, even though it's not terribly realistic. The hero tends to slash his opponents and kill them dead without much in the way of real sword technique or bloodshed. He also makes those superhuman high leaps and acrobatic flips found in the early swordplay films. More authentic martial arts techniques would take hold the next year with ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN and its sequel, RETURN OF THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN (1968), both also starring Wang Yu and directed by Chang Cheh, with action scenes by Tang Chia and Liu Chia Liang.

The intricate storyline here has Wang Yu play Li, a fugitive wanted for killing the official who framed his father. His girl, Liu, still pines for him although she is loved by Fang, a swordsman hired by her father to teach her self-defense. Fang, seeking to make Liu happy, sets out to find Li. When he does, the two form an immediate, instinctive bond of friendship. Eventually, Li's enemies locate him and issue a challenge to fight them on Flying Fish Island. Li swims there alone, followed soon after by Fang and Liu who join him for the final battle, although they first have to negotiate a cave filled with traps. There is a tragic ending and a beautiful, heavenly finale.

The swimming scene reminds us that Wang Yu started out as a swimming champ, not a martial artist. He's very good in this film although his melodramatic acting may seem a bit overwrought to fans of his later films. Nonetheless this compares well with his other 1960s Shaw Bros. swordplay films, TWIN SWORDS, THE ASSASSIN, THE MAGNIFICENT TRIO and THE GIRL WITH THE THUNDERBOLT KICK, although his masterpieces of the era remain the two One-Armed Swordsman films.

The film boasts excellent cinematography with scenes shot on lavish studio sets and picturesque outdoor locations. There is a very nice original Chinese score, with some pleasant choral songs on the soundtrack. The Tai Seng VHS edition is in Mandarin with English subtitles, although the full-frame transfer cuts off the subtitles on the sides, making some dialogue difficult to decipher. When are these early subtitled Shaw Bros. films going to be letter-boxed?

ADDENDUM: (9/26/07) This film was indeed released in a restored/letterboxed Region 3 DVD edition from Celestial Pictures on August 1, 2003.