SWORDSMAN (1990)

Starring: Sam Hui, Jacky Cheung, Cheung Man, Fanny Yuen, Yuen Wah, Cecilia Yip, Lam Ching Ying, Ng Ma.

Based on the novel by Jin Yong, Swordsman is Tsui Hark's retelling of this famous story about wandering wuxia knights in their hope for salvation. Jin Yong's novel "The Proud Smiling Wanderer" of which Swordsman is based, is a very long complicated story about how the lust of power could alter even the heart of a righteous master. Inevitably, condensing such a large volume into one film is impossible, so Swordsman recreates the first half of the book.

Set in the Ming Dynasty, a scroll called the "Sacred Volume" has been stolen from the deep vaults of the Imperial Library. The scroll is believed to give the user unlimited power (don't they all), and a power struggle begins between the imperial officers and people of the Jiang Hu world. Who wouldn't want a scroll that would grant him/her unlimited power? Unless your name is Ling Wu Chung (Sam Hui), that is. Ling is the senior student of Wah Mountain, and is sent by his master to protect Lam Jan Nam, who stole the scroll. Unbeknownst to Ling, his master, Ngok, actually wants the scroll for himself, as does the Chief Imperial Eunuch, and his subordinate Au Yeung (Jacky Cheung).

When Lam dies, Ling is the only person who knows where the scroll has been hidden, and he promised that he would only tell Lam's only son. Told you Ling is a goody-two-shoes. When fleeing the imperial soldiers, Ling and his female buddy, Kiddo (Yip) meets two retired masters (Lam Ching Ying, Ng Ma), who teaches them a song they had composed years ago. The song, called "The Proud Smiling Wanderer" is a satire of their Jiang Hu world, and is the basis of the film. Quite a catchy song, and the music is a constant theme throughout the film. Try humming it yourself.

Ling and Kiddo later meets the chief of the Sun Moon Sect (Cheung Man), and her subordinate, Blue Phoenix (Fanny Yuen). To cut a long story short, all of them converge into the house where Lam had hidden the scroll, and all pretend at something they're not. Eventually, a fight breaks out between the imperial officers and the Wah Mountain students, headed by Ngok, who later betrays Ling and his fellow students for the scroll. As well as fighting the Chief Eunuch, Ling must also fight his own master.

As with all Jin Yong stories, Swordsman is great in its story telling. Occasionally fouled by shoddy plotting, it nevertheless conveys most of the first half of the novel quite well. Sam Hui puts up a good convincing performance as Ling, and he spends most of the time looking happy and enjoying himself. As well as being a good martial artist, he is a very nice person too - no wonder all the girls are after him.
The only disappointment of the film was that most of the action was shot in dark places, and at night, which is not good for viewing, as sometimes you just can't make out what's going on. The action, although well choreographed, looks dated by today's standards, or even the standards set in Swordsman 2.

If you haven't seen the film, then don't read the spoiler below. At the end of the film, we see Au Yeung nicking off with the scroll. Does that mean that Au Yeung would eventually become Invincible Asia in Swordsman 2? If so, then why would Asia fall in love with Ling in the second film, when in the first film, Au Yeung and Ling are enemies.

RATING

7 / 10