Though a lot of people may identify the martial arts films of the 1970’s
and 80’s with the Shaw Brothers, there was in fact another whole world of
martial arts films being made that were not as slick, not as well publicized
and with much smaller budgets. Some by small independent companies in Hong
Kong, but a huge number were being made in Taiwan. Taiwan had its own film
industry that produced films from all the genres – weepies (often starring
Brigitte Lin), comedies, crime films and lots of martial arts. Some of the
best-known female martial arts films starring Angela Mao, Polly Shang-kuan,
Nora Miao and Chia Ling primarily came out of Taiwan. Often the films are
poorly made from a story and acting perspective with tiny budgets (thus why
so many of the fights take place out in the middle of nowhere) but what they
did have was a lot of skillful martial artists and their films are often filled
with action.
That would certainly go for this film. It actually has too much plot – enough
for three films – but I could better describe nuclear reactors than I could
this film. It is bizarrely complicated – more Days of Our Lives than anything
else with mothers, fathers, and brothers all getting mixed up and mixed in
– now whose father is that or what, they are brothers? And having four characters
with one arm didn’t help matters. By the end I sort of understood all the
relationships but I am not sure the characters did. Everybody was confused.
Can we have sex or are you my sister?
This has some known names in it though – two big female stars – one is Shih
Szu who had been one of the Shaw Brother’s female action stars since the early
70’s but had just left Shaw after getting smaller and smaller roles. The
other is Nora Miao, in the Bruce Lee films of course but a star in her own
right primarily in Taiwan. And directing is another Shaw Brothers escapee
– Pao Hsueh-li who was the man behind such films as Boxer from Shantung, Heroes
of the Underground and The Iron Bodyguard. He was back in Taiwan directing
a series of action films with Shih Szu appearing in a few of them.
Though the two females get first billing in the opening credits, it is actually
Kao Chiang’s story that the film follows as he searches for his father who
disappeared 10 years ago. Our female swordswomen pop in constantly to help
him out and then disappear. I don’t know anything about Kao Chiang other than
I would rather be watching Nora or Shih. As mentioned above, there is enough
action to satisfy most of us – it is rare for more than five minutes to go
by without a fight breaking out. Often you don’t know why they are fighting
or who is fighting who but they are fighting. Primarily with swords though
darts, staffs and an iron claw as well. Not particularly graphic though –
sometimes the sword fights of one against many look like genteel dances as
everyone politely misses the one they are aiming for. The main bad guy and
all his many minions all wear masks of different colors – which admittedly
gives the film a cooler look than it deserves.
