Dir: Chu Kea
Scr/Pro: Lee Siu-wan
Librettist: Leung Shan-yan
Prod Co: Lux
Cast: Yam Kim-fai, Yu Lai-zhen, Lan Chi Pak, Lee Hong-kum,
Luk King-hung
1962 B&W DCP Cantonese Chinese Lyrics 105 min

 

Showcasing rarely-seen Yam Kim-fai's martial artistry as a xiaowu (young male in military role), the film centres on the war between two armies and tells the love story between the two protagonists, Yam and the daomadan Yu Lai-zhen, through a series of combating and singing scenes. Director Chu Kea switched between wide, medium and close-up shots to capture the two actors' movements and singing performance and merged them through seamless editing. Audience may not be able to see clearly the actors' postures and facial expressions on stage but on silver screen both of them are clearly convey under the director's lens. Chu's masterful filmmaking skills can also be seen by how he made use of the city wall to divide the frame, emphasising two distinctively different spaces inside and outside the city.