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.
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.
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.
Copyright © 2013 E. A. Villafranca, Jr.
All Rights Reserved