The Swift Knight (1971)

Not everyone is as they seem...

The Swift Knight was an engaging wuxia starring Lo Lieh, Chin Han, and Margaret Hsing Hui. Most of the main characters were shrouded in secrecy and none were who they appeared to be. Two lost royal heirs drew everyone to them like a magnet, those who wanted to save them and those who wanted kill them. They only had to gamble with their lives to figure out who was on their side.

Lo Lieh played the titular character, the Swift Knight. He robbed from the rich and sometimes the suave vagabond gave to the poor. While at a brothel one night the virginal Xian Qin caught his eye, inducing him to offer a down payment, promising to come back with the rest of the money that night. Chin Han, dressed as a beggar, also sought to take Xian Qin away from the brothel, though without paying. Perennial bad guy Wang Hsieh, who had more costume changes than a beauty pageant contestant was after the young woman, too. He wanted to take her away from the brothel—to execute her. The rest of the story involved a number of sword fights and horse chases all in lieu of seeing who would end up with the lass and her younger brother.

The story of political intrigue and secret identities was a familiar formula but entertaining nonetheless. Lo Lieh had the perfect charisma to play the shady Robin Hood. If I have one complaint about the movie it's that Lo wasn't used enough and he's such a dynamic actor that he makes even small scenes seem bigger. Chin Han gave a rather one note performance as the beggar hiding an honorable identity. Fan Mei Sheng as the constable who knew too much and was on the run with the little group provided levity without sliding into slapstick territory. Margaret Hsing Hui didn't give the greatest performance but was able to convey her character's reticence about living a royal life, especially after she had fallen in love with the Swift Knight. Wang Hsieh never met scenery he didn't want to chew and made for the perfect villainous foil for the good guys.

This was one of those rare Shaw Brothers movies which showed the care and forethought that was put into the script and settings. For a low budget martial arts movie, it had a scenic depth to it and didn't look like it was shot on a small sound lot. Flashbacks were bathed in vibrant blue or red. Well-developed characters made for a compelling story. In a martial arts film, complex characters you can care about give the fights higher stakes. Lau Kar Wing and Chan Chuen choreographed several fluid fights with plenty of dismembered arms and blood, though not the artery spewing type that would become popular in a few years. Most of the action was sword fighting although the baddies as always used some sinister weapons in addition to swords. Because it was a wuxia there was classic light body leaping. Instead of the old school filming in reverse, the wire work used was smooth and graceful, no flailing of arms, and happily I couldn't see the wires.

Director Cheng Chang Ho pushed the envelope for a SB film and gave it a hint of artistic flare, something often missing from this low budget genre. He even gifted the audience with a proper ending instead of the oft used freeze frame in mid-scene during the final fight! The Swift Knight had interesting characters, an intriguing story, and entertaining fights. For a fan of 1970's martial arts movies, what else could you ask for?

6/26/23

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