Le sabreur solitaire

David Chiang and Ti Lung ... that might just be enough. I know it is generally speaking for me. But I might not be "normal" or what others consider to be normal I reckon. So if you are not aware of Shaw Brothers movies and also are blissfully unaware of who those two are that I mentioned (also star in this movie), than I might have to elaborate a bit more.

Now those two have done quite a few movies and especially David Chiang is one of my personal favorites. And it is not just because of his fine looks (that may be something notewhile for those attracted to him I reckon though), but because of his charisma and what he displays on screen. He played so many roles that required him to play with his sword (a real or rather plastic one that is), that he surely learned a lot. Ok so he also used trampolines a lot - all that jumping. But the sword and kung fu fighting is the one that matters.

Especially in a movie like this, were he and Ti Lung seem to have issues with each other. Trying to impress a woman but not just that ... because where do ones loyalties lie? And what are the motivations? Is it just the moral compass that seems to be very nicely tuned? Or is there something else? Questions arise and answers are given ... but overall there is a lot of action to be seen! And quite some blood spilled (very fake blood, but still)

The premise is simple, but I'll admit you'll have to get through a few odd curveballs the writers threw in just to get the story moving along in an interesting way. A plot summary made me assume that a 20 year-old Ti Lung, playing Brother Siang, was not going to play an invincible hero again, and I was a bit off-put when he quickly dispatched the first group of baddies skillfully with his sword.

But then it all made sense when David Chiang's Lo Yi shows up. Not only is his character incredibly strong, but this actor is always so impressive. At first he appears a bit too scrawny, but the more you watch, the more charisma and gravity he adds to the film. And this gravity is played off even better when Piau Piau, Siang's fiancee, takes a liking to Lo Yi.

All the characters are strongly written, and a theme for their development seems to be one about pride, and how strongly they are all willing to protect it. The world and lore seems quite alive too: The bad guys are really notorious, and the good guys are really heroic. We follow Lo Yi for most of the film, making us feel like we are stepping into a bigger world than we first thought, and the story plays out similarly for a Lo Yi, a man with a simple goal; a place to sleep and a job to feed himself and his rather magnificent horse. The characters are definitely living in a immersive world. I myself don't want to be there as it is brutal, but I feel like the world is alive and I'm glad I get to watch it all.

The sounds are great, with recurring musical themes and some of my favorite Shaw Bros. stock sounds, which I also recall from another David Chiang film "The Heroic Ones".

The action in this film is intense, with some of the directing feeling experimental; usually a big focus on fast acrobatics offset by some isolated slow motion scenes as well. Director Chang Cheh seemed unbound for this film, and I have truly never felt more emotional tension in any other Shaw Bros. film so far due to the precise level of emphasis and grandeur displayed in his directing.

HAVE SWORD WILL TRAVEL is worth the watch, and overall a beautiful character driven story.

An interesting set-up leads into a slower, sometimes confusing middle act, but then the final act comes around and delivers most of the film's action (and it's all very good action).

Maybe there's a little more directness to 1970s Shaw Brothers movies, but this earlier one is interesting, given it feels like more than "just" a martial arts movie (and there's really not much fighting for the first hour or so, saving basically all of it until the end).

The fairly intricate plot is one I appreciated more than I truly got sucked into, but it's there, it's definitely not bad, and made for a nice change of pace from the more standard revenge themed stories, or stories about rival martial arts schools fighting each other.

Highly entertaining swordplay picture from Chang Cheh, scripted by I Kuang. David Chiang and Ti Lung are both well-cast. For once, the love story part even adds something -- stay tuned for one of the best oh-so-THAT'S-what-you-two-are-up-to flashes ever committed to film. Great action repays a couple of viewings.