''Sword Stained with Royal Blood'' is a 1981 Hong Kong film produced by the

Shaw Brothers Studio Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, and operated from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...

, directed by

Chang Cheh Chang Cheh (; 10 February 1923 – 22 June 2002) was a Chinese filmmaker, screenwriter, lyricist and producer active in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Chang Cheh directed more than 90 films in Greater China, the majority of them with the Shaw Br ...

and starring the

Venom Mob The Venom Mob is the colloquial title of a group of actors from the Shaw Brothers Studio, popular creators of martial arts films in the 1970s and 1980s. Most were friends since childhood and attended the Fu Sheng Drama School in Taiwan before m ...

. The film was based on the novel of the same name by

Louis Cha Louis Cha Leung-yung (; 10 March 1924 – 30 October 2018), better known by his pen name Jin Yong (), pronounced "Gum Yoong" in Cantonese, was a Chinese wuxia ("martial arts and chivalry") novelist and essayist who co-founded the Hong Kong dail ...

. The film was one of the rarest Venom martial arts film available, and has been digitally remastered and released by

Celestial Pictures Celestial Pictures is a diversified entertainment company focusing on Asian-language film and television content including production, aggregation, distribution and the operation of TV channels. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the company owns th ...

Plot

The story begins with the exile of a young boy who grows up to meet his destiny as a great warrior. After his father, a Han loyalist and hero, is betrayed by the Emperor and sentenced to death, Yuan Chengzhi is spirited away to the reclusive master of the Lung Yau school of martial arts. Having grown into a righteous young man of considerable martial skill, Yuan sets out on his own. He discovers the hideout of a long-dead martial arts master known as Golden Snake Xia Xueyi and lays claim to his buried martial arts manual, sword, and collection of darts. He also discovers the whereabouts of a lost treasure and instructions to deliver a portion of it to a certain woman. Cheng-chih sets out to find her in order to honor the dead man's wishes and ends up meeting a spoiled and not-so-cleverly disguised young woman posing as a man named Wen Qingqing. It's enough to fool the naive Yuan Chengzhi, who befriends Wen after she takes a liking to him. She brings him into her household, which is home to a wealthy clan of martial artists known for their mastery of the Five Element Array. Yuan's stay grows unsettling, first when jealous quarreling sparked by his presence erupts between Wen and her cousin. Things get a lot more complicated when a trio of angry martial artists storm the household and accuse Wen of theft. It turns out that they are members of Yuan's school and just as the situation threatens to turn into a full-scale battle, he intercedes in order to find a peaceful solution. As a result of his intervention, Yuan's skills draw the attention of the master of the house, who recognizes the kung fu techniques of his arch-enemy. As hidden truths about the Wen clan and their dark part are revealed through flashbacks, Yuan finds himself forced to fight their infamous Five Element Array in order to complete his quest and escape in one piece.

Cast

Philip Kwok Philip Kwok (; also known as Kuo Chui, Kwok Chui, Kwok Chun-Fung; born 21 October 1951) is a Hong Kong-based Taiwanese actor, martial artist, and stuntman. He rose to fame as a member of the Venom Mob, an ensemble of highly-talented marti ...

as Yuan Chengzhi *Wen Hsueh-erh as Wen Qingqing *Lung Tien-hsiang as Xia Xueyi *

Ching Li Ching Li () (1945-2017) was a Hong Kong actress popular in the 1970s. She appeared in more than 60 films, mostly by Shaw Brothers Studio. Early life On October 29, 1945, Ching was born in mainland China, grew up in Taiwan, and moved to Hong K ...

as Wen Yi *

Chiang Sheng Chiang Sheng was a martial arts actor, one of the '' Venom Mob'', renowned for their acrobatic and martial arts skills. He joined the ''Chang Cheh's Cohorts'' as an actor, and also worked with Chang Cheh as an assistant director and choreographe ...

as Wen Zheng *Wang Li as Wen Fangshan *Lu Feng as Wen Nanyang *Yu Tai-ping as Wen Beiyang *Chu Ke as Wen Fang *Chao Kuo as Cui Ximin *Siao Yuk as Mei Jianhe *Zhang Chiung-yu as Sun Zhongjun *Chu Tit-wo as Huang Zhen *Kwan Fung as Wen Fangda *Jim Sum as Rong Cai *Wang Hua as Mute *Li Shouqi as Mu Renqing *Wang Ching-ho as Taoist Musang *Ng Hong-sang as Wen Fangshi *Keung Hon as Wen Fangwu *Lui Hong as Wen Yi's mother

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sword Stained with Royal Blood (1981 film) Films based on works by Jin Yong Hong Kong martial arts films Shaw Brothers Studio films Works based on Sword Stained with Royal Blood Wuxia films Films set in 17th-century Ming dynasty Films directed by Chang Cheh 1980s Hong Kong films