Fang Gang (Jimmy Wang Yu) has retired from the martial world to live a quiet life as a farmer with his wife (Chiao Chiao). But when the sadistic Eight Kings of Swords threaten all the other area clans and his wife is kidnapped as a result, the One-Armed Swordsman takes up his father’s broken sword once again.
Chang Cheh blew the lid off of the wuxia genre with his violent and male-dominated One-Armed Swordsman. Yet this next-generation martial arts film that turned Jimmy Wang Yu into a superstar only hinted at the kind of maniacal bloodshed on an epic scale, deviant villainy and sheer inventiveness that marks the triumphant sequel, Return of the One-Armed Swordsman. In all of Hong Kong film history, only Tsui Hark has approached the wuxia genre with the same level of energy and creativeness that Chang Cheh puts forth in this film. Everything from the first film is cranked up to ten and apart from some clunky wirework, the sequel is a brilliant work of popular cinema that features a big cast of top martial arts movie talent.
Jimmy Wang Yu returns as Fang Gang, the notorious “One-Armed Swordsman” who has spent the last two years retired from the martial world as a simple farmer with his wife (Chiao Chiao). Of course this idyllic life is about to be sliced to ribbons by Chang’s wicked imagination. He concocts a savory setup when he introduces, not one, but eight unique villains known as the Eight Kings of Swords and their sword-wielding entourage for Wang Yu to eventually chop his way through. These villains send their lackeys, the Black and White Swordsmen (Fong Yau and Wu Ma) to all of the area sword clans with not-so-friendly invitations to a martial arts competition. But it’s all just a game as no one can stand up to their deadly skills except Fang Gang, who also receives an invite. He turns it down and the clan leaders who do attend the event end up killed or imprisoned. The Eight Kings issue a demand for surviving clansmen to chop off their right arms to spare the lives of their leaders. With no alternative, the clansmen turn to Fang. He only joins them after his wife is kidnapped and he witnesses the extent of the Eight Kings’ cruelty firsthand. Fang begins to tackle each of the Eight Kings individually while leading the remaining clansmen to the Eight King’s fortress to free the hostages. The confrontation climaxes when a premature victory celebration is cut short by an attack by the Eight Kings leader, Ling Xu the Furtive King (Tin Fung) who possesses a unique sword that has killed all who have ever laid eyes on it.
The chambara influence on Chang Cheh’s films from this period is especially strong this time. In a clear reference to the Zatoichi films, there is a scene where Wang Yu is confronted by attackers in his home. He douses the lights and delivers a few swift sword strokes that leaves the bewildered men with tattered clothing as the lights come back on. It’s likely that the one-armed swordsman character was Chang’s answer to Japan’s blind swordsman Zatoichi to begin with. The heavy bloodletting, high body count and stylized direction of this sequel certainly owes more to the work of Japanese action filmmakers like Kenji Misumi than it does to the fantasy and romantic exploits of stately Chinese screen heroes past. Chang does add some cool Western and wuxia touches though. The opening sequence actively displays some of the film’s more interesting weapons and is shot like an intro to a James Bond movie. The film’s diverse selection of exotic weaponry is representative of the many kinds of bizarre and unique weapons 20th-century wuxia authors have invented for their works, while the characters are just as unique.
The villains in this film and their weapons nearly overshadow the star. Chang seems to have thrown in just about everything he could think of. The Black and White Swordsmen, dressed in contrasting black and white uniforms matched to respective dark and pale skin are the first to show up. They also appear elsewhere, as in Dragon Swamp (1969). In addition to the villains’ leader, prolific character actor Guk Fung plays Hercules, a bald-headed swordsman who chills out on an outdoor throne for kicks. Yuen Cheung-yan (brother of Yuen Wo-ping) is the Flying Fighter, a gravity-defying swordsman who commands a troop of leaping fighters. Action directors Lau Kar-leung and Tong Gaai both get in on the onscreen action. Lau is Apes Arms, a chain and sickle-wielding brute with an army of similarly armed thugs. “Spinning Wheels” Tong Gaai and his men wield twin shields made of metal blades. Looking like progenitors to the infamous flying guillotine, they become quite lethal when thrown. Poisonous Dragon (Tung Li) has sword that emits poison gas and what looks like poisonous buckshot. Why bother stabling or slicing a victim with a sword when you can shoot them with it instead? Lau Kar-wing is Hell’s Buddha, a swordsman specializing in the ninja-like art of concealment. He and his men waylay Wang Yu in a bamboo forest where freshly-cult bamboo stalks become weapons. This is one of the more outrageous fights in the film and sees Wang Yu spinning high above the ground, spread-eagle with short sword dicing through trees to rain down sharpened stalks on the enemy.
The best villain is actually a villainess. Essie Lin Chia is Hua Niangzi, or the Thousand Hands Lady. She’s outright the most devious and sadistic of them all. She seduces the more inexperienced clansmen including a young Ti Lung, only to plunge a knife in their backs while smiling sweetly the whole time. If necessary, she also produces wicked throwing darts held between her fingers, hence her nickname.
For his part, Wang Yu is more assured and gives a fine performance as a young, but seasoned swordsman who becomes a living legend. His acting isn’t miraculous by any means, yet he has great screen presence and really knows how to play to the camera, more so than many of the more accomplished martial arts-trained actors to follow him. I really enjoy most of Wang’s performances and feel that he’s underappreciated, despite his lack of fighting skills and quick descent into C-grade kung fu movies once he left Shaw Brothers. It’s a shame really. Wang Yu probably had the best sense of how to sell himself as a larger-than-life hero, aside from Bruce Lee who simply was a larger-than-life hero onscreen and off.
As wuxia action goes, there have been better films since but Return of the One-Armed Swordsman is still wildly entertaining. The worst aspect is the wirework where the wires can clearly be seen at times and swordsman unnaturally swings about. Use of trampolines is poor in one scene where bouncing fighters comically exchange positions while surrounding Wang Yu. Chang also misses with a couple of dramatic moments where Wang Yu’s character fantasizes in slow motion about traipsing through a field of flowers with his wife and unborn child. Chang used the same technique for a waking-dream sequence in Have Sword, Will Travel, but at least David Chiang is fantasizing about sacrificing himself heroically in a fight. On the topic of Chiang, he makes a minor appearance in Return as a luckless clansman who gets his throat slit. Chiang succeeded Wang Yu as the New One-Armed Swordsman in 1971.
Return of the One-Armed Swordsman isn’t refined, but it is one of the most action-packed and violent of the ’60s. With a great cast of unique characters and more advanced fight choreography, the film beats the original One-Armed Swordsman for pure entertainment value. Regardless of a few outdated elements, I’d give my right arm to see this Chang Cheh masterpiece in a movie theater… as long as I could have it back on my way out the door.
by Mark PollardRelated Topics:
Chang Cheh • Jimmy Wang Yu • Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969) • swordplay • Wuxia
