The Story of Heroine Fan Lei-fa

Dir/Scr: Fung Chi-kong
Librettist: Poon Cheuk
Prod Co: Kin Lee
Cast: Connie Chan Po-chu, Shum Chi-wah, Yu Kai, Tam Lan-hing, Pak Lung-chu
1968 | Colour | DCP | Cantonese | Chinese Lyrics | 103min

Fan Lei-fa (Connie Chan), the daughter of Fan Hung, the guardian of Hanjiang Pass of the Western Liang State, is betrothed to Sit Ting-shan (Yu Kai). On their wedding night, she tries to persuade her father and brother to surrender to the Tang court. Tensions rise, and she accidentally kills them amidst the chaos, resulting in her banishment from the Sit household. Fan later learns that Sit has been captured by So Bo-tung (Tsui Siu-keung), the Great General of the Western Liang State. On her way to his rescue, she defeats the bandit Sit Ying-lung (Shum Chi-wah in a cross-cast role) and makes him her adopted son. After rescuing Ting-shan, she is accused of having an affair with Ying-lung and is banished once more. Ting-shan’s father, Yan-kwai (Pak), and soldiers of the Tang army become trapped in So’s mystical array, calling for an urgent rescue mission led by Fan. On the prince’s orders, Ting-shan begs for Fan’s forgiveness at Hanjiang Pass by kneeling thrice and prostrating nine times.

Chan adopts the Chinese opera acting methodology of daomadan (female warrior role) in her portrayal of Fan, showing off her martial arts skills and exuding elegance. Meanwhile, Shum brims with charm in her cross-cast role as the bandit Sit Ying-lung. In a stroke of ingenuity, the songs in the film are arranged in the style of Huangmei opera as opposed to Cantonese opera.

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