Director Chu Yuan’s interpretation of the literary works of Chinese martial arts novelist Gu Long continues with CLANS OF INTRIGUE, a visually engaging and suspenseful tale of rousing heroics and cross-gender oddities. Be advised that a proper appraisal of this film cannot take place without at least a few spoilers.
Clad in striking red robes and a Chinese Opera-like mask, an unknown villain begins killing notable figures in the fabled realm of the martial world. Some of the victims’ bodies are swollen, indicating the application of the deadly Magic Water from Magic Water Palace. Kung Nan Yen (Nora Miao), a representative of the all-female palace accuses famed swordsman, Chu Liu Hsiang (Ti Lung) of stealing the water. Unperturbed, Liu Hsiang declares that he is innocent and is given one month to find the real thief.
Several characters with uncertain loyalties appear including a beauty from the desert named Black Pearl (Li Ching) and a swordsman hired to kill Liu Hsiang. Meanwhile, a series of clues are presented that leads Liu Hsiang to discover that the thief is likely one of two children belonging to a ninja who was killed by leaders in the martial world. It turns out that the real thief and killer was once a girl named Yi Feng who through an unexplained method could change into a man. She vowed to get revenge and rule the martial world. She is now a “he” known as Wu Hua (Yueh Hua), an enlightened monk and friend of swordsman Liu Hsiang. After Liu Hsiang and his three female pupils sneak into the palace it is discovered that Wu Hua is manipulating the leaders of Magic Water Palace to conspire against one another. Double-crosses and a bloody finale await.
CLANS OF INTRIGUE is similar in execution to Chu Yuan’s other films of the era such as THE MAGIC BLADE (1976) in that the story is based on a Gu Long novel and is approached from a storytelling perspective which means you can expect to see several things. The actual plot is fairly simple, yet features a lot of complex filler such as many characters with uncertain motives, the use of various esoteric abilities and a convoluted history of the villain that Ti Lung must backtrack through in order to find the villain.
The action choreography is by Tang Chia and is therefore excellent, despite the fact that the weapons and kung fu styles are not emphasized this time around. For the most part, Chu’s emphasis on the story and relationship between characters works to the film’s advantage.
Ti Lung performs well, but his character is probably the least interesting simply because he has no real weaknesses or complexities. On the other hand, Yueh Hua’s unusual turn as a character able to change his own sex and the way in which he uses it to manipulate other characters is fascinating. You never see him as a woman in the film as this transformation from female to male takes place at a younger age. But you do see how he uses his masculinity to form a brotherly bond with Ti. There is also an odd love triangle between Yueh Hua and the two palace leaders played by Nora Miao and Betty Pei. The girls have a relationship of their own, but are also individually in love with Yueh Hua. Instead of using this situation as simply an excuse for baseless sexual content, it becomes the central conflict in the story. Other martial arts films have dealt with the topic of sexual identity in a similarly outrageous fashion, but rarely prior to this release. Brigitte Lin’s Yin/Yang roles in ASHES OF TIME (1994) is one example.
As mentioned earlier, Tang Chia’s choreography doesn’t amplify specific styles or weapons, unlike many of his earlier films. The action does reflect the late ’70s though with an emphasis on the use of open-handed kung fu and bloody combat. Although playing a swordsman, Ti Lung doesn’t rely on his sword nearly as much as he did in THE MAGIC BLADE which was all about wild weapons. In that same film, Goo Goon-chung played an androgynous killer who loses an arm. He loses his arm again in CLANS OF INTRIGUE but not before slicing off someone else’s hand with his Iron Palm. An unforgettable scene at the end has leader of Magic Water Palace Yin Chi (Betty Pei) and the story’s most powerful martial artist, rip off her own hand and throw it with such force that it impales Yueh Hua’s back!
CLANS OF INTRIGUE is the sort of film that is hard to market to Western audiences. Most experts would agree that the martial world has no equivalent in modern Western storytelling. This film and many like it feature characters that fight for reasons difficult to relate to. The plethora of unusual characters and sub-plots can be overwhelming, while the unrealistic situations can seem ridiculous. That said, anyone who can appreciate fantastic sets (especially the ornate boats), quality choreography and great performances from charismatic actors like Ti Lung, Yueh Hua and Betty Pei should be quite happy with this film.
by Mark Pollard
