The Supreme Swordsman

[venoms5]

THE SUPREME SWORDSMAN 1984 Act. **1/2 Blood **/ Movie **1/2

Pai Piao, Erh Tung Sheng, Wang Jung, Ku Feng, Wang Li, Lung Tien Sheng

An ambitious but greedily sinister swordsman relieves famous fighters of their blades to showcase in his 'House of 100 Swords'. The most coveted, The Cold Eagle Blade is next on his list but a young man who unknowingly belongs to the Black Magic Clan is trained to do battle against the ruthless sword master who also happens to be a member of the same sect.

So-so latter day Shaw Brothers production. Nothing especially memorable about it at all. The fight scenes during the first 30 or 40 minutes are either somewhat slow or terribly undercranked with what appears to be frame clipping in these scenes. After the halfway mark everything seems to return to normal as far as the speed in which action scenes were shot at the time.

Pai Piao is an interesting character here as you're left wondering whether or not he is in fact a villain or simply a misguided hero. As the film progresses, the answer is revealed and there is one very nice scene in which Pai's character fights Wang Jung's wisened swordsman in the forest. After their duel he delivers a prophetic speech to the arrogant and gluttonous swordsman and even surrenders his sword to him before exiting. There are a few other good scenes and some that are nicely lit and shot but nothing to lift this movie from just plain average.

Venoms Wang Li and Lung Tien Sheng are on hand as two old masters from the underworld. Wang Li as "Living Dead" is especially funny with his bone sword and a coffin lid strapped to his back.

The fight with the guys wearing the demon masks and brandishing the sickles is good as well as the final duel between Derek Erh and Pai Piao.

The story is interesting but the low budget is painfully obvious in this one with some seriously lacking set design. Some of these later 80s Shaw movies remind me of the last gasps of Hammer Films from the last few years they were in operation.

Overall the film has potential and a few good scenes and fights. It was interesting to see both Pai Piao and Derek Erh fighting again but this time as enemies and not on the same side. There is also a sequence here that recalls SHAOLIN PRINCE (1983) in which three nutty teachers train Derek Erh one of them played by Lee Hai Sheng.

A somewhat bland film, the direct-to-video look about the movie as well as recycled ideas from past sword pictures leaves me recommending this for completists only.

[peringaten]

You're a jaded one. This was the swordiest sword film of the year. Waited all year for one like this to come along, didn't know which it would be, but this was it. Fighty, swordy, in that wicked late-Shaw creative cranking-it vein, with a fighty swordy all-business, all about swords plot. Thoughtful touches, and clanging thoughtful underpinnings; end fight was pure wicked (scene made me think a bit Shaolin Intruders meets Last Hurrah for Chivalry, although I can see how most might not see this film overall quite their tastes as them 2 so much, sure). Characters, cast, all-business or all good-fun.
Fights were cranking it, loads of them, trying things out, not all working, but working it, had flavour, from crazed to crazier, either filmmaking wise or martial wise, either connotation of the 'crazed' word, negative or positive ('fuck yeah!', to 'what were they thinking?', amused). Fun and plentiful. All-martial world plottings in a Lu Chin-Ku vein (bit of late Chor Yuan-look superficially; LCK, Lung Yu Sheng (Long Road/Gallantry, etc.), even Hua Shan, flavour - but different; with some light fun mid-way. Late-era swordy fun. Not average, unique amongst kin, like many, wish there were more like this. My bread and butter, and I'm hungry. Shaw cranked the mill for a nice loaf with this one. Got hopes for Usurpers being in this vein; hope it ain't like some dirty old overly-wheaty croissant.

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

The fights in the first 25mins. are the best thing about the film. In the middle to end the director tries an cutting edge approach to the fight choreographs and speeds them up like a fool, and the acting is excellent. Pai Piao and Ku Feng are great here. Even Erh Tung Sheng did well here. Just too bad about the sped up fights.

[peringaten]

They were cranking it hard - I love that shit. Nice touches. Check that ending again; that's what I want from my swordplay.

[venoms5]

I didn't like the fights at all during the first portion of the film. they looked sloppy to me with the jerky movements reminding me of those clipped frames seen a lot of indy flicks.

[jmungus]

i thought it was hella fresh and afaiac, it comes recommended.
is it that good a wuxia caper ? no it aint, but hear me out.

on the one hand, theres not really any outstanding segments (venom5 says 'nothing memorable about it'); im talking plot/various plot devices in particular.
on the other hand it is kinda 'unique'. how is that ?
to some it may sound anal, but i guess many die hard SB-wuxia fans will know what im getting at.
the devil lies in the detail- trademark approach of the respective director, the ways they`d work with the cam, lensing, lighting, editing, angles, use of sets, staging of the action, motives/accessories they`d choose to work with et al..... theres only so many parameters they could use to create wuxia cinema and usually everyone would use all of them all the time, only giving certain parameters more emphasis, maybe 'switching off' one or another completely in order to shift the focus on other [styles/plot devices/general and/or specific motives].
to the uninitiated, all old school swordplay looks more or less the same; but the more of them u watch and the deeper u dig into the subject matter, the more likely u`ll be able to see and appreciate what i call a movie`s unique touch.
so long story short, SUPREME SWORDSMAN aint that unique, but at a closer look, it represents a group of shaw kf/wuxia titles that is rather small in numbers.
to let the cat out the bag- considering factors as mentioned above, SS is very much like (tony liu`s) bastard swordsman & lady assassin..... and theres only few more i`d put in the same group (hence the 'uniqueness').
(i happen to love BS & LA and really dig their specific approach that differentiates em from other late 70s-mid 80s wuxia actioners).

imo, keith li basically made a tony liu movie with some motives of tong gaai`s (ie 3 mad monks-> shaolin prince, fu-gone-crazy as in shaolin intruders) , dang tak`s (long road to gallantry, ambitious kf girl action direction) and of course (his mentor?) chu yuan`s thrown in for good measure.

SS starts out quite generic; with an emphasis on pai piao`s character. the heavy undercranking hits you right in the face & it doesnt quite work to the choreo`s advantage (i dont mind undercranking if done properly. SS`s sped up scenes are a mixed bag tho.)
2nd half would shift focus on derek yee and his fantastical voyage to achieve a status that would enable him to take his revenge on pai piao. more far out, very colourful and a little chaotic.
all in all, a wild blend of dead serious jiang hu mannerisms and goofy/cartoonish elements, its an effort walking on thin ice but packing mad heat (im talking next to non-stop action; like peri said- "the swordiest movie of the year"!!)

is it too big of a SPOILER when i say that pai piao`s characters untimely end be the most consequential way for that character to die under the given circumstances (perfectly completing the story`s circle) and therefore applaudable.
not so hot in terms of sophisticated cinematic craftsmanship, kick ass if we re talking action-laden escapism. 7.5/10

[venoms5]

IMO, this movie is in no way the same category as BASTARD SWORDSMAN or LADY ASSASSIN. SUPREME SWORDSMAN comes at the end of the Shaw cycle and it shows throughout. I didn't dislike it, but it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. It looks like a tv movie next to earlier Shaw wuxia and pales terribly to any Shaw wuxia from the 60s and 70s.

[jmungus]

IMO, this movie is in no way the same category as BASTARD SWORDSMAN or LADY ASSASSIN. SUPREME SWORDSMAN comes at the end of the Shaw cycle and it shows throughout. I didn't dislike it, but it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. It looks like a tv movie next to earlier Shaw wuxia and pales terribly to any Shaw wuxia from the 60s and 70s.

quality wise, i agree. BA & LA are s/t like 8.5-9/10 movies in my book.
SS is not on par with em; but entertaining in its own right (after all, it IS without a doubt the 'swordiest film of the year'. doesnt get 'swordier' than that- swordplay first, ask questions later :D ).
i was merely talking looks, vibes, plot devices- its the same outfit, talks the same slang & by my perception of SB flicks, they re of the same kind.

yes it TOTALLY looks like a tv movie compared to older and seemingly 'more reputable/important' projects. so do many 80s shaws, some good ones too.
still looking better than ie 'weird man' or several late chu yuan entries. still looking like a nicely photographed cinematic treat compared to ie 'journey of the doomed' lol.
many of the venoms flicks look like total shit compared to CC`s swashbuckler/iron triangle/shaolin cycle outputs, yet i dont mind that and love em all (some more, some less) for what they are.

no doubt they were getting sloppy with sets and costumes during their last days.
maybe a little tired too. less imaginative, not willing to go the extra mile in order to create an illusion as best as they possibly could.
maybe budget cuts made an impact, new production processes, as well as the audiences demand for a different, more fashionable look (whatever thats supposed to be) and approach to the production.
im just saying i wont judge "slither" by the standards set by "aliens". :)

if their audience back then couldnt appreciate the creators attention to detail and epic proportions no more (ie intimate/courtesan, boxer from shantung, jade raksha etc) but couldnt get enough of guys spinning and rotating thru the air, with panning and zooming that would emphasize the ferocity and speed of a move, whereas "in the old days", they would fix a frame, create an interesting angle, give it a thoughtful layout and leave it alone for a few secs for the viewer to enjoy it no haste, then we re talking more time on the set preparing 'high tech' camera guide rails, wire-work racks/contructions, the works, and less time and care going thru their pool of backdrop pieces in order to design and decorate the soundstage as beautifully as they could (in the older days).