The Golden Sword is a classic Shaw Brothers wuxia martial arts film from 1969 directed by Lo Wei and stars Cheng Pei-Pei as Wei Chin-Fung and Kao Yuen as Pai Yu-Lung. The Golden Sword was recently released by Shout Factory as part of their Shaw Brothers Classics Volume 1 Blu-ray box set.
“The Golden Sword” sets the stage with a mysterious opening, where Yuen’s father, Pai Chen-Lung (played by Lo Wei), vanishes without a trace. Years later, Yuen embarks on a quest to find his missing father, leading to an encounter with Cheng Pei-Pei, a skilled martial artist with her own enigmatic past.
The narrative takes a surprising turn as the story shifts to the “Dragon Palace” clan, residing in a hidden lair and are revealed to be the villains of the film. Their sinister activities involve enslaving men and forcing them to work, depicted through an extensive flashback.
As the movie progresses, the third act encounters a few hiccups, with new characters making appearances and various random events that seem rushed and disorganized. The film’s focus shifts more towards drama, with limited action sequences, leaving the protagonists to drift in and out of the story.