REVIEW: Invincible, The (1972)

Martial arts movie superstar Jimmy Wang Yu is Li Mu-bai, a patriotic knight errant fighting for the Song Empire against Jin and Mongol invaders in the action-packed historical wuxia epic THE INVINCIBLE. After mistakenly helping Chang-qing (Helen Ma), the sister of ruthless Mongol chieftain Liang (Paul Chang) escape capture by Song forces, Mu-bai sets out to make amends by assassinating the Mongol warlord single-handedly. He is captured during the attempt but Chang-qing helps him escape and the two develop a romantic relationship. When Mu-bai’s mother is kidnapped in an effort to draw him into a trap, Chang-qing rushes to warn the man she loves even when it means facing Mu-bai’s unforgiving associates who will stop at nothing to see her dead.

THE INVINCIBLE is an ambitious yet relatively minor martial arts movie directed by frequent drama filmmaker Luo Zhen. He was a one-time screenwriter who subsequently helmed movies in a variety of genres, mostly for Shaw Brothers. His other notable “genre” title, THE SNAKE PRINCE (1976), is a modest fantasy film starring Ti Lung.

Luo’s only swordplay movie (as far as I know) was produced in Taiwan at the end of what might be considered the territory’s Golden Age of cinema. As such, the production boasts productions values, while not quite on par with Shaw Brothers, that are at least respectable for an action-oriented costumer from Taiwan. Camera work is above average with upscale panning, zooms, action compositing, scenic location captures, and well-lit and decorated indoor stage sets. Noticeably missing are exterior shots of period buildings. Most of the outdoor action takes place among lonely stretches of mountainous wilderness, decorated only with dozens of extras portraying Mongol soldiers, either at attention in stretched out lines or fighting in the background.

The plot is routine by conventions of the day with Wang Yu essentially being recast in the mold he was fashioned in by director Chang Cheh before the iconic martial arts actor left Shaw Brothers in 1971 following blockbuster wuxia hits like ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN and GOLDEN SWALLOW. His character name, “Li Mu-bai,” is the same used by Chow Yun-fat for his character in CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (2000). which in turn was based on a novel by Wang Du-lu. There does not appear to be any other connection between Wang Yu’s “Li Mu-bai” and this work, although the novel had been published prior to the release of this film.

Wang Yu is the stern-faced sword hero with a rough-edged fighting style that incorporates a varied compliment of moves comprised of basic front and side kicks, hammerlocks and fairly unsophisticated upper body blocking and striking techniques with ill-defined forms. By today’s martial arts movie standards, his physical performance is stiff and lacking in finesse. That doesn’t stop it from being entertaining thanks to Wang Yu’s charismatic delivery and overall physicality, as well as action director Hsieh Hsing’s creative choreography and movement-enhancing editing.

Minor screen beauty Helen Ma has one of her more prominent action roles as Wang Yu’s fighting love interest. Her screen fighting skills, as well as those of her other leading co-stars are not up to Wang Yu’s standards. Long wide shots with stunt doubles are frequently used, along with close-up inserts, to enhance her performance. She’s an attractive woman of considerable presence who makes a good romantic match with Wang Yu but is no Cheng Pei-pei. This might be why she does more singing in the movie than fighting.

There are several musical numbers in the film that add dimension to the narrative. Helen Ma sings two songs while plucking a traditional Chinese stringed instrument. I did not have English translation for either performance but it’s clear that the second one acts as an expression of love between Li Mu-bai and Chang-qing, tragic lovers who are somewhat like Romeo and Juliet. There is another short sequence earlier that feels like a musical number as Song warriors gather in white to see Li Mu-bai off on his assassination mission while a rousing male choir sings a nationalistic-sounding chorus.

A surprising element in the movie is the barbarity of Wan Yan-liang, the Mongol warlord played by veteran actor Paul Chang, better known as the Chinese James Bond for his starring roles in Shaw Brothers’ spy thrillers THE GOLDEN BUDDHA (1966) and BLACK FALCON (1967). Here he is a real bastard who rivals Roman Emperor Caligula in the depravity department. He is depicted as a merciless warlord who hunts peasants for sport and orders the massacre of whole villages while torturing and killing topless women for pleasure. He goes so far as to rape the wife of one of his men and he even attempts to seduce one of his own sisters before killing her. he tops all of this off by kidnapping Mu-bai’s helpless old mother and hanging her from a tree while ordering archers to menace her with their arrows. All of this certainly makes Li Mu-bai’s confrontation with him far more dramatic. There have been plenty of evil men in wuxia films but few have been more deserving of being run through with a sword.

THE INVINCIBLE ends on an oddly contrived sequence of melodrama that appears to have been cobbled together at the last minute to tie off loose ends in the plot. It’s one of many reminders that this movie is B-grade action and adventure entertainment and should not be taken too seriously. As an early ’70s swordplay movie, it contains a generous amount of action with fight choreography and general staging that is inconsistent in quality. Wang Yu’s fighting and acting performance is some of the best work of his career while Paul Chang and Helen Ma are strong supporting actors but there is a sharp drop off in quality with all of Wang Yu’s co-stars who rely on anachronistic fighting skill that would have been acceptable a decade earlier but not at this point. Frequent kung fu movie villain Lung Fei, aka “Betty” of KUNG POW: ENTER THE FIST fame, has a small inconsequential role in this film. He went on to have a prominent role in one of Wang Yu’s best movies, BEACH OF THE WAR GODS (1973).