A Sword and Nine Rings, Part Two

Dir/Scr: Wong Fung
Prod Co: Tai Seng
Co-starring: Ng Kwan-lai, Tso Tat-wah, Yu So-chow, Lam Kau, Lau Hark-suen
1961 | B&W | DCP | Cantonese | 99min

Not exactly a sequel but featuring almost the same set of characters played by the previous star-studded cast in a period setting, A Sword and Nine Rings, Part Two again centres on the same swordswoman (Ng Kwan-lai) as in Part One but fighting against different villains led by the head of the Imperial Guards (Lau Hak-suen). The phantastic dimension of Cantonese cinema is activated here: from the low-budget special effects, to the fanciful plot of the orphaned protagonist being raised by a surrogate mother who happens to be a chimpanzee, to the mysterious and splendid maze in the opening scene created by noted scenographer Bao Tian-ming who started his career in the pre-war Shanghai film industry.

Connie Chan Po-chu plays a young swordsman who ably supports the good cause, delivering a commanding performance as a chivalrous, tender-aged male hero. Trained by Fen Ju Hua, the Peking Opera virtuoso renowned for her mastery of acrobats, Chan puts on marvellous display her martial-arts skills in the film’s spectacular fight scenes. At the tender age of 14, she had already acted on stage for years, and that experience helped bring to life the baby-faced swordsman who projects a sense of innocence while operating in the adult world and fighting against scheming villains.

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