Trilogy of Swordsmanship

TRILOGY OF SWORDSMANSHIP

Qún yīng huì

A movie composed of three stories directed by Chang Cheh.

Tiě gōng yuán

An official's son tries to browbeat a teahouse owner's daughter into marriage.

Kao Pao-Shu is superb as the mother,
and Tin Ching is perfect at playing the asinine suitor son of a magistrate.
Take note that the story is set in a cháguǎn, not a kèzhàn.

Yueh Hua as the stranger who accomplishes the Arthurian feat of being able to shoot true the maiden's father's iron bow and arrow.

Shih Szu

Yeung Sze as a thug. Nice wig, dude.

A prostitute teaches a minister and his men the meaning of love.

Those who are not necessarily fans of Chang Cheh's bloodbaths,
will appreciate this charming comedy
and its unexpected ending.

Lily Ho as Shih Chung Yu, Chin Han as Minister Li.

Chen Yan-Yan plays the minister's mother, from whom the prostitute wins sympathy.

Bái shuǐ tān

Strangers clash but then discover they have patriotism in common.

This third segment dramatizes the sacrifice-oneself-for-Sòng theme
with more intensity than most full-length movies,
but ends with an over-choreographed and sub-par fight finale.
It's best to imagine the story ending on the bái shuǐ tān instead.

Chang Cheh has a buff Ti Lung shirtless for most of the segment.

Ku Feng takes a new weapon out for a spin.

One of Chang Cheh's more subtle blood spurts.