Xiao shi yi lang

Wow! What did I just watch? Chor Yuen and Shaw Brothers produced one of their strangest wushu sword butt-kicking films. Actually make that the strangest out of bizarre. But since it is a unique film, I figure a review might add to the fun. I would not recommend to watch this film as a prime feature but perhaps on a rainy day. Xiao (Ti Lung) plays a lone fighter who plays by his own rules but happens to fall in love with Chen (Ching Li) who is the wife of Lien (played by Tony Liu). The movie is plenty of fight scenes, many mysterious out of the blue especially led by the impish Shiao (Wen Hsueh-Erh) who says she is a boy but of course, obviously not. It seems the fight is for the Deer Cutting Blade. But maybe that is just a mousetrap? We don't really know what is happening in a twisting maze of fighting including with zombie fighters and finally in a world of little people. Or maybe? Lily Li is sexy in her minor role as Lady Feng. The film has a nice light-spirited score, is full of colorful sets and costumes but sometimes I wonder who are the cameramen? One wonders what is the purpose of out-of-focus shots on the female stars. It's a fascinating, but not quite absorbing venture into weirdness. But the fights and lightness of the film make one realize it is a bit out of the ordinary. This movie is really for wushu swordplay movie fans. Rating 5.5

SWORDSMAN AND ENCHANTRESS (1978) is another in the long line of Chor Yuen-directed adaptations of swashbuckling novels by Ku Lung done for the Shaw Bros. studio. Like the others, this one has its requisite amounts of swordplay, clan rivalry, super-powered martial arts, characters who are never quite what they seem, and a host of beautiful women. The difference here is that a love story predominates--at least for the first two-thirds of the story--and leads to some quiet, tender interludes between its male and female protagonists, Xiao and Chen, played by Ti Lung and Ching Li, who are thrown together by crisis and find themselves rather quickly drawn to each other. However, in its final third, the film takes a left turn into a bizarre plot twist that upends all our previous assumptions, leading to a surprise twist at the end that dissipates some of the good will built up earlier. As a result, this film doesn't quite rank with the best of the other films in this group, which includes THE MAGIC BLADE, KILLER CLANS, and CLANS OF INTRIGUE, all also reviewed on this site.

The plot initially focuses on the famed "Deer Cutting Sword" which is earmarked for swordsman Lian Chengbi (Liu Yung), one of two champions of the "boxers' world," but is first hijacked by a fast-moving, highly skilled teenaged girl (Candy Wen Hsueh-erh) who claims to be acting on behalf of the other champ, the elusive Xiao (Ti Lung). When Lian's wife, Chen (Ching Li) is kidnapped first by one group and then by another, Xiao intervenes and saves her, taking her to his remote hillside house to apply a medication to her poisonous wound. In that time, the two grow close and she sets out to tidy up the sprawling house with its system of corridors and porches overlooking a picturesque waterfall and stream (all built in the studio, of course) and fix up some home-cooked meals for the reclusive spear-fighter. A misunderstanding over this chaste interlude results in enmity between the two champions, Lian and Xiao, and a series of duels. When Xiao has to rescue Chen once again, they wind up escaping from their pursuers into a mysterious, hidden house which contains the strange Puppet Villa. To say more would be unfair, given the sheer unpredictability of the subsequent chain of events. Let's just say that a giant pair of chopsticks is involved. It all leads to a sprawling battle involving at least twelve principals and a tragic ending. While the final fight offers a rousing finale, the film's shift from romantic drama to the bizarre goings-on at Puppet Villa is too much a changing of gears in the middle of the journey to succeed on its own terms as the other films cited do.

Ti Lung is his usual dashing self as the lone fighter, a bearded drifter who has sought to distance himself from "the boxers' world," but finds himself drawn in by the false accusations lobbed at him repeatedly. His weapon of choice is a long spear (with a sword hidden inside) which he wields with great force and skill in at least half a dozen major fights in the course of the film. Ching Li is not the proactive heroine she was in WEB OF DEATH (1976), but is instead the supportive, nurturing wife to one hero and companion and soulmate to the other. The love triangle here gently recalls the more turbulent one in Chang Cheh's BLOOD BROTHERS (1973), which also starred Ti Lung and Ching Li (with Chen Kuan Tai being the third point in the triangle), but in which Ti was much more corrupt and power-mad. Here, both of the men are noble heroes who should be allies rather than opponents.

Also in the cast of SWORDSMAN AND ENCHANTRESS is Lily Li in a sexy turn as Lady Feng, who laments her reputation as the "notorious slut of the boxers' world," wondering why married men can have as many concubines as they like while she's branded a "man junkie" for having had many husbands and lovers. (She unrobes a couple of times but has none of the nude scenes that pepper some of Chor Yuen's other works, most notably KILLER CLANS.) The real surprise in the cast is spunky teenaged villainess Candy Wen Hsueh-erh, who plays the problematic mysterious killer who shows up to wreak havoc wherever possible, for reasons not explained until the end (and none too well at that). She's quite ruthless at times, using fresh leaves in one quick motion to inflict lethal blows on a squad of men working for her after they've outlived their usefulness. She's cute as a button, ever-smiling, but totally amoral and utterly deadly.

The production values are as sumptuous as we've come to expect from Chor Yuen, with large, lavish sets, beautiful design and color and a stunning array of costumes. There's also a jaunty romantic melody that accompanies Ti Lung on his travels.

If you haven't seen this thoroughly entertaining film before don't read the reviews here- just watch the film. Unless there is something wrong with you , you will probably love it, it's pure edge of the seat entertainment.

This (in many ways typical of his style at the time) Chor yuen film is an incredibly creative, action packed, funny & bizarre masterpiece of 'Chinese Mythological fantasy'.

The set designs are beautiful as always with his films- elaborate & otherworldly. The direction is involved,involving and often sublime. Its incredible to consider that this was nearly Chor Yuens 100th film in the first 20 years of his career !

The story is a rocker, a non stop adventure or betrayals, confrontations & conniving; with desire, love, jealousy & megalomania all part of the ingredients. The less you know about it before hand the better, it's easy to follow without being at simplistic. Some of these tales can be a bit too convoluted & confounding, and this manages to evade those pitfalls.

The acting her is a pure joy to watch, everyone is on top form, the interactions between TiLung & 'Lady Feng' (Lilly Li) being particularly memorable & amusing. The cheeky ,yet evil Candy Wen Xue-Er also excels.

This is easily one of Chor Yuens (& the genres) best films, with plentiful and excellent action by his usual collaborator (& LuiChiaLiangs old sidekick) Tang Chia -who Choreographed about 200 films between 1962 to 1984).

It's more lighter hearted than some of these tales, yet still quite brutal,and while less entangled in the typical WuXia convolutions it is also incredibly inventive.

I would however recommend watching other Chor Yuen films before this one if you are not familiar with the WuXia genre or his other films- its worth leading up to it and more fully appreciating how it uses & plays with genre conventions & expectations.

He made many gems before this film, many also starring Ti Lung including 'The Magic Blade' & its excellent sequel 'Pursuit' of Vengeance, 'The Sentimental Swordsman', the unmissable 'Clans of Intrigue'. & superb 'Jade Tiger' & 'Death Duel' (tho Ti Lung isn't the star of the later) .

After Swordsman & Enchantress they also made the underrated 'The Emperor and His Brother' & 'Roving Swordsman', The brilliant sequel to Sentimental Swordsman- 'Return Of..' and a handful of other less successful ventures.