The New One-Armed Swordsman

The New One-Armed Swordsman is a 1971 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Chang Cheh and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, starring David Chiang. Chiang replaced Jimmy Wang, the star of the two preceding films in the series, The One-Armed Swordsman and Return of the One-Armed Swordsman.

The New One-Armed Swordsman
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese新獨臂刀
Simplified Chinese新独臂刀
Directed byChang Cheh
Written byNi Kuang[1][2]
Produced byRun Run Shaw[2][1]
Starring
CinematographyKung Mu-to[1]
Edited byGuo Tinghong[1][2]
Music byChen Yung-huang[1]
Production
company
Release date
  • 7 February 1971 (1971-02-07)
Running time
102 minutes[1]
CountryHong Kong[1]
Box officeHK$1.6 million (Hong Kong)
564,061 tickets (France)

Cast
  • David Chiang as Lei Li of Han Dynasty
  • Ti Lung as Feng Junjie / Hero Fung
  • Lee Ching as Ba Jiao
  • Ku Feng as Long Yizhi / Lung Er Zi
  • Chan Sing as Chief Chan Chun Nam
  • Wang Chung as Tiger Mansion Leader Jin Fen
  • Liu Kang as Tiger Mansion Leader Jin Yi
  • Huang Pei-Chih as Tiger Mansion Leader Chen Jie
  • Wang Kuang-Yu as Tiger Mansion Leader Fan Yun He
  • Wong Ching-Ho as Boss Li
  • Shum Lo as Blacksmith Ba
  • Cheng Lei as Chieftain Ho Wai

Release

The New One-Armed Swordsman was distributed in Hong Kong on February 7, 1971.[2]

Guo Tinghong won the award for Best Editing at the 9th 1971 Taiwan Golden Horse Awards.[2]

Reception

Box office

It grossed a total of HK$1,596,530 domestically.[2] Overseas in France, the film sold 564,061 tickets upon release in 1973,[3] making it the year's 64th highest-grossing film in France.[4]

Critical response

From contemporary reviews, Tony Rayns of the Monthly Film Bulletin reviewed an 86-minute version of the film.[1] Rayns noted the introductory scene involving a severed limb decaying in a tree set "an uncharacteristically Gothic tone for this Shaw production; and the tone is maintained by the sombre production design, the under-lit interiors and the setting of several key scenes at night."[1] Rayns found that "despite these distinctive inflections The New One-Armed Swordsman is rather poorly directed and photographed (with a Michael Winner-like reliance on 'dramatic' zooms), but the genre is strong enough to withstand the handicap and heroic fantasy wins out."[1]

References
  1. Rayns, Tony (August 1973). "New One-Armed Swordsman, The". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 40, no. 475. British Film Institute. p. 173.
  2. "Hong Kong Film Archive [Search for "新獨臂刀"]". Hong Kong Film Archive. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  3. "San duk bei do (1973)". JP's Box-Office (in French). Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  4. "Charts - Les Entrees En France" [Charts - Entries In France]. JP's Box-Office (in French). 1973. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
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