The Blade - Tsui Hark, the cause célèbre of film studies students around the world, has dipped into many genres during his career. With The Blade (1995), he returns to the original 'macho cinema' of the late sixties, pioneered by director Chang Cheh and lead Jimmy Wang Yu. This work came in the most successful period of Hark's career during the early to mid nineties. After his role in the development of wire-fu with the Once Upon a Time in China series and his work on Swordsman (all starring Jet Li), Tsui Hark embarked on this ambitious remake with a flurry of high-octane action and his distinctive cinematic style.
The original Chang Cheh film had decimated the Hong Kong box office, being the first film ever to break HK $1m, spawning two sequels and catapulting Jimmy Wang Yu into kung fu legend status. Tsui cast Chiu Man-Cheuk as the lead, reprising the role of the One Armed Swordsman. Chiu Man-Cheuk was a sensible choice for the lead. He had recently excelled as Jet Li's opponent in Fong Sai Yuk and as Jet Li's replacement in Once Upon a Time in China 4 & 5. The remainder of the cast included Song Lei, Moses Chan Ho, Valerie Chow and Xiong Xin-Xin (Jet Li's stunt double / Club Foot in OUATIC series). The choreography of Stephen Tung, Meng Hoi and Yuen Bun was nominated at the 1995 Hong Kong film awards, but lost out to the excellent Rumble in the Bronx (Jackie Chan, Stanley Tong).
The Blade
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