The Swordsman (1990 film)

The Swordsman
Film poster
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	笑傲江湖
Simplified Chinese	笑傲江湖
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xiào Ào Jiāng Hú Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Siu3 Ngou6 Gong1 Wu4
Directed by	King Hu Ching Siu-tung (Executive director) Tsui Hark (Executive director) Raymond Lee (Executive director) Ann Hui (uncredited) Andrew Kam (uncredited)
Screenplay by	Wong Ying Edward leung Tai Foo-ho Lam Kee-to Lau Tai-muk Kwan Man-leung
Based on	The Smiling, Proud Wanderer by Louis Cha
Produced by	Tsui Hark
Starring	Sam Hui Cecilia Yip Jacky Cheung Sharla Cheung Fennie Yuen Lau Siu-ming
Cinematography	Andy Lam Peter Pau
Edited by	Marco Mak David Wu
Music by	Romeo Díaz James Wong
Production companies	Golden Princess Film Production Long Shong Pictures Film Workshop
Distributed by	Newport Entertainment
Release date	5 April 1990 (1990-04-05)
Running time	120 minutes
Country	Hong Kong
Languages	Cantonese
Box office	HK$16,052,552

The Swordsman, also known as Swordsman, is a 1990 Hong Kong wuxia film. King Hu was credited as the director but allegedly left the project midway, and the film was completed by a team led by producer Tsui Hark. The film is loosely adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. The film was followed by two sequels: Swordsman II (1992) and The East Is Red (1993).

The story is set in 16th-century China during the Ming dynasty. Gu Jinfu, a eunuch from the spy agency Eastern Depot, 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 School, 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 School fellows, Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan chance upon Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang, who are planning to retire from the jianghu (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, 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 School. 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.

• Sam Hui as Linghu Chong
• Cecilia Yip as Yue Lingshan
• Jacky Cheung as Ouyang Quan
• Sharla Cheung as Ren Yingying
• Fennie Yuen as Lan Fenghuang
• Lau Siu-ming as Yue Buqun
• Wu Ma as Liu Zhengfeng (guest appearance)
• Lam Ching-ying as Qu Yang (guest appearance)
• Yuen Wah as Zuo Lengshan (guest appearance)
• Lau Shun as Gu Jinfu (guest appearance)
• Cheung Ming-man as Lu Dayou (guest appearance)
• Kam Shan as Lin Zhennan
• Han Ying-chieh as Feng Qingyang (guest appearance and final performance)

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, performed in Cantonese by Samuel Hui and also in Mandarin by Lo Ta-Yu, James Wong and Hark Tsui.

The film grossed HK$16,052,552 at the Hong Kong box office.^[1]

The Swordsman currently holds a 73% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.^[2]

Andrew Saroch of Far East Films writes that

"Swordsman is undoubtedly a film that improves with successive viewings. Initial impressions are that this is a convoluted and confusing swordplay film that attracts the eye with its visual flair, but is ultimately easier to admire than to warm to. However, on second and especially third viewing, Swordsman reveals more of its hidden depths and draws the now prepared viewer into its character-laden storyline".^[3]

• The Swordsman at IMDb
• The Swordsman at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Swordsman at AllMovie