The Jade Bow
There are a few films that are generally credited
with being the jump-start to the modern day Wuxia film – The Temple of
the Red Lotus, Come Drink with Me (both produced by the Shaw Brothers)
and the 1966 film, The Jade Bow. The Jade Bow was produced by The Great
Wall – generally considered a left wing film company that was formed
in the 1950’s by refugees from the Mainland and whose films alternated
between ones with a political or social message and others that were more
commercially oriented. The Jade Bow clearly falls into the latter category
– a terrifically entertaining story of martial arts chivalry, romance and
adventure. Though certainly not made on a large budget, it still has a
lush look to it (even with some very fake looking sets), a surprisingly
energetic score that has both classically Western and Chinese sections
and some very appealing characters. These characters (and of course the
actors who play them) make what might seem like a clichéd plot line
quite effective.
Of course, what the film is now most famous for
is the action and the choreographers who created it. Until this film and
the others mentioned above came out in the mid-60’s Wuxia films tended
to have fairly tame action sequences that were as much Chinese Opera as
action choreography. The new style of action that was usually choreographed
by true martial artists was more imaginative, faster in nature and contained
more graphic violence. Though initially many of the actors in these early
films had no real martial arts background, the action was filmed and edited
in such a way to enhance their on screen abilities. This was the second
film to be choreographed by the team of Lau Kar Leung and Tong Gai (South
Dragon, North Phoenix was their first) and they brought a fresh clean style
to their action scenes and nicely utilized wires to give the characters
great martial arts skills. After this film was released, the Shaw Brothers
were so impressed that they persuaded Lau and Tong to join their company
and they were to go on to choreograph or direct many of the great martial
arts classics of the 60’s and 70’s.
Even with this reputation though one has to realize
that the action will look very quaint by today’s standards and even by
the standards that Lau and Tong were to soon set in the Chang Che films
over the next few years. The three main actors clearly are not martial
artists – but were instead popular dramatic actors of the day – and no
manner of editing or camera angles can make them seem particularly accomplished.
There is also still a lingering operatic feel to the action sequences as
the characters often do as much talking as fighting. At least from my perspective
what I really enjoyed was the story itself - the theme of revenge
across generations, the love triangle that had to end sadly for someone
and the poignancy of a father and daughter who are natural enemies but
who yearn for the other’s love.
The film begins in somewhat confusing fashion
as the viewer is introduced to a number of characters over a short period
of time – but here goes a quick summary. Shi-yi (Fu Qi, who also co-directed)
is told by his dying sifu that Shi-yi needs to rectify a terrible mistake
that the sifu made twenty years previously. In a flashback the sifu relates
that he once wanted to steal two books on martial arts that would have
made him the number 1 hero on the hit parade. While he is looking over
the scene, another thief – Meng Sheng-tung (Wong Biu Chan) breaks in and
steals one of the books. During the theft though his wife who is carrying
their baby daughter is killed – and Meng kills the husband and wife who
possessed the book. Meng escapes with the one book – but leaves his daughter
behind and a member of the Min Shan family adopts her and brings her up.
The dead Li’s also had a baby girl and she is brought up by her uncle to
hate and someday revenge the death of her parents.
Shi-yi’s sifu feels terrible guilt at having done
nothing because Meng has now become a feared tyrant and a strong supporter
of the Ching Emperor. The book he stole has given him special palm powers
such as being able to turn liquids into ice – a very neat party trick in
pre-freezer days. So Shi-yi is asked by his sifu to find the Min Shan group
and help them in their fight against the Chings. Dressed as a beggar, he
soon comes across two cuties who can fight as well as they flirt – the
first is Chi-hua (Ping Fan) who is a member of the Min Shan’s and of course
unknown to her the daughter of the hated Meng. Soon she is to learn who
her real father is. The other beauty (Shen-nan – played by Chen Sisi) turns
up as a mysterious femme fatale behind a veil who is doing her best to
get close to Meng so that she can kill him – she is of course the other
daughter. Among her weapons are an array of smoke bombs and a deadly jade
bow that shoots poison tipped arrows. The three of them initially form
a bond of friendship, but once Shen-nan learns whom Chi-hua really is she
is forced by a blood oath and pressure from her now crippled bitter uncle
(and no wonder as he has lived in a tree trunk all these years!) to attempt
to exact revenge on all members of the Meng family – even on her friend.
My rating for this film: 8.0