''The Swordsman'', also known as ''Swordsman'', is a 1990 Hong Kong ''

wuxia ( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted ...

'' film.

King Hu Hu Jinquan (29 April 1932 – 14 January 1997), better known as King Hu, was a Chinese film director and actor based in Hong Kong and Taiwan. He is best known for directing various ''wuxia'' films in the 1960s and 1970s, which brought Cinema of ...

was credited as the director but allegedly left the project midway, and the film was completed by a team led by producer

Tsui Hark Tsui Hark (, vi, Từ Khắc, born 15 February 1950), born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong film director, producer and screenwriter. Tsui has directed several influential Hong Kong films such as '' Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain'' (1983), the ...

. The film is loosely adapted from

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 ...

's novel ''

The Smiling, Proud Wanderer ''The Smiling, Proud Wanderer'' is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It was first serialised in Hong Kong in the newspaper ''Ming Pao'' from 20 April 1967 to 12 October 1969. The Chinese title of the novel, ''Xiao Ao Jiang Hu'', literally m ...

''. The film was followed by two sequels: ''

Swordsman II ''Swordsman II'', also known as ''The Legend of the Swordsman'', is a 1992 Hong Kong ''wuxia'' film very loosely adapted from Louis Cha's novel ''The Smiling, Proud Wanderer''. It was the second part of a trilogy: preceded by '' The Swordsman'' ...

'' (1992) and '' The East Is Red'' (1993).

Plot

The story is set in 16th-century China during the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

. Gu Jinfu, a

eunuch A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millenni ...

from the spy agency

Eastern Depot Eastern Depot or Eastern Bureau () was a Ming dynasty spy and secret police agency run by eunuchs. It was created by the Yongle Emperor. History After the Yongle Emperor usurped the throne in 1402 from his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor, he attem ...

, leads a team to retrieve the Sunflower Manual, a martial arts manual stolen from the imperial palace. They track down and attack the thief, Lin Zhennan. Around this time, Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan, members of the Mount Hua Sect, encounter Lin Zhennan and save him. Before succumbing to his wounds, Lin Zhennan tells them to tell his son, Lin Pingzhi, where he had hidden the manual. While making their way to rendezvous with their Mount Hua Sect fellows, Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan chance upon Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang, who are planning to retire from the ''

jianghu ''Jianghu'' () is a term that generally refers to the milieu, environment, or sub-community in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set. The term is used flexibly, and can be used to describe a fictionalized version of Historical China (usually ...

'' (martial artists' community). Just then, Zuo Lengshan, who works for Eastern Depot, shows up with his men and tries to arrest Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang. Linghu Chong and the others manage to escape, but Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang are seriously wounded in the process. Before committing suicide, the duo perform "Xiaoao Jianghu", a musical piece they composed together, and pass their instruments and the score to Linghu Chong. Linghu Chong encounters the reclusive swordsman Feng Qingyang and learns the skill Nine Swords of Dugu from him. He also finds out that his gentlemanly

master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

, Yue Buqun, is actually a power-hungry hypocrite. In the meantime, Gu Jinfu's henchman, Ouyang Quan, impersonates the dead Lin Pingzhi and infiltrates the Mount Hua Sect. He tricks Linghu Chong into revealing the whereabouts of the Sunflower Manual and then poisons him. Linghu Chong is saved by Ren Yingying and Lan Fenghuang of the Sun Moon Holy Cult. They combine forces to defeat and kill Zuo Lengshan and his men. Around the same time, Yue Buqun, Ouyang Quan, Gu Jinfu and the others have arrived at the location where the Sunflower Manual is hidden and are fighting over the manual. Linghu Chong shows up, kills Gu Jinfu, exposes Yue Buqun's treachery and defeats him. He decides to spend the rest of his life roaming the ''jianghu'' with his friends.

Cast

Sam Hui Samuel Hui Koon-kit (born 6 September 1948), usually known as Sam Hui, is a Hong Kong musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He is credited with popularising Cantopop both via the infusion of Western-style music and his usage of vernacular Cantone ...

as Linghu Chong *

Cecilia Yip Cecilia Yip Tung (; born 8 March 1963) is a Hong Kong actress whose work is known throughout Asia, especially in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Career She began her acting career in 1982 with ''Nomad'' for which she was nominated for t ...

as Yue Lingshan *

Jacky Cheung Jacky Cheung Hok-yau (born 10 July 1961) is a Hong Kong singer and actor. Dubbed the " God of Songs", he is regarded as one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Hong Kong pop music. Cheung is known for his technically skilled vocals, lengthy tours, and ...

as Ouyang Quan *

Sharla Cheung Sharla Cheung Man (born 7 February 1968) is a Hong Kong actress and film producer. Career Cheung's acting career began in 1986 in The Magic Crystal. Cheung was discovered by Wong Jing, with whom she worked on many of his productions in the earl ...

as Ren Yingying * Fennie Yuen as Lan Fenghuang * Lau Siu-ming as Yue Buqun *

Wu Ma Fung Wang-yuen (22 September 1942 – 4 February 2014), better known by his stage name Wu Ma, was a Hong Kong actor, director, producer and writer. Wu Ma made his screen debut in 1963, and with over 240 appearances to his name (plus 49 directoria ...

as Liu Zhengfeng (guest appearance) * Lam Ching-ying as Qu Yang (guest appearance) *

Yuen Wah Yuen Wah (born Yung Kai-chi; 2 September 1952) is a Hong Kong action film actor, action choreographer, stuntman and martial artist who has appeared in over 160 films and over 20 television series. Early life Born Yung Kai-chi on 2 September 195 ...

as Zuo Lengshan (guest appearance) * Lau Shun as Gu Jinfu (guest appearance) *

Cheung Ming-man Cheung Ming-man (; born 2 September 1956) is a Hong Kong singer and occasional actor, best known for many patriotic songs he sang in the 1980s, all in Mandarin. He became the first Hong Kong singer to sing at the CCTV New Year's Gala The ' ...

as Lu Dayou (guest appearance) * Kam Shan as Lin Zhennan * Han Ying-chieh as Feng Qingyang (guest appearance and final performance)

Music

The theme song of the film, "Chong Hoi Yat Sing Siu" (滄海一聲笑; "A Sound of Laughter in the Vast Sea"), was composed by James Wong, who also wrote its lyrics, and performed in Cantonese by

Box office

The film grossed HK$16,052,552 at the Hong Kong box office.

Reception

''The Swordsman'' currently holds a 73% rating on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

. Andrew Saroch of Far East Films writes that

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Swordsman 1990 films 1990 action films 1990 martial arts films 1990s Cantonese-language films Films based on Chinese novels Films based on works by Jin Yong Films directed by Ann Hui Films directed by Ching Siu-tung Films directed by King Hu Hong Kong action films Hong Kong martial arts films Mandarin-language films Works based on The Smiling, Proud Wanderer Wuxia films 1990s Hong Kong films