The first work of Shaw Brothers' "Colour Wuxia Century" under Chang Cheh's auspices features new director Hsu Tseng-hung and newcomer Jimmy Wang Yu. Discarding the fantasy elements of the original novel Legend of the Strange Swordsmen, this film strengthens the realism of action and sets. A young swordsman mistakes the family of his wife for bandits. The couple decides to run away, but has to get past the kungfu masters at the house preventing them from leaving. The evil family of the original novel is transformed into guardians of the traditional order against the young rebels. An early action film of Shaw Brothers, this film still has plenty of melodrama, portraying the love between the couple and downplaying the heroism. However, it also features bloody scenes enhanced by dubbing and sound effects. The editing is brisk and the action choreography is less stage-like. Hsu Tseng-hung, who started as a cinematographer, used unusual angles to add excitement to the images.

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