Swordsman II
Encyclopedia
Swordsman II, also known as The Legend of the Swordsman, is a 1992 Hong Kong wuxia
film. It was directed by Ching Siu-tung
and Stanley Tong
and written by Hanson Chan, Tang Pik-yin and Tsui Hark
. The film was the second part of a trilogy. It starred Jet Li
, Brigitte Lin
, Rosamund Kwan
and Michelle Reis
. The film was adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer
. The theme song of the film, Xiao Hongchen (笑紅塵), was performed by Sarah Chen
. The theme song from The Swordsman
, Chong Hoi Yat Sing Siu (滄海一聲笑), was played in a few scenes in the film.
, Yue Lingshan and members of the Mount Hua Sect
are planning to retire from the jianghu
(martial artists' community). They learn that Dongfang Bubai
has seized control of the Sun Moon Holy Cult and is secretly plotting with some wokou
(Japanese pirates) to rebel against the imperial court and dominate China. Dongfang Bubai had castrated himself in order to master the skills in the Sunflower Manual, and his appearance has become more feminine, even though he is now a formidable pugilist. Linghu Chong meets Dongfang Bubai by chance (without knowing Dongfang's true identity), mistakes him for a beautiful young woman, and falls in love with "her". Linghu Chong is distracted by Dongfang Bubai's lover, Shishi, and Dongfang uses the opportunity to kill Linghu's fellows. Linghu Chong is knocked out and imprisoned in an underground dungeon later, where he meets Ren Woxing by coincidence and both of them escape from the prison together. Linghu Chong brings Yue Lingshan, Ren Yingying, Ren Woxing and Xiang Wentian with him to confront Dongfang Bubai later and Dongfang dies after falling off a cliff. Ren Woxing regains control of his sect and starts killing the traitors who defected to Dongfang Bubai. Before the film ends, Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan leave secretly with Ren Yingying's help as they know Ren Woxing cannot tolerate them.
and Fennie Yuen speak with a Sichuan accent. This was meant to enhance the fact that their characters are of the Miao ethnic group
.
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
film. It was directed by Ching Siu-tung
Ching Siu-tung
Ching Siu-tung , also known as Tony Ching, is a Hong Kong action choreographer, actor, film director and producer, who has directed over 20 films, including the critically acclaimed supernatural fantasy A Chinese Ghost Story .-Career:...
and Stanley Tong
Stanley Tong
Stanley Tong is a film director from Hong Kong.According to IMDb , he customarily attempts stunts himself before asking actors to risk themselves...
and written by Hanson Chan, Tang Pik-yin and Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark , born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong New Wave film director and producer. He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema .-Early life:...
. The film was the second part of a trilogy. It starred Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
, Brigitte Lin
Brigitte Lin
Brigitte Lin or Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia is a Taiwanese actress. She was a popular actress, regarded as an icon of Chinese cinema, who acted in both Taiwanese and Hong Kong movies...
, Rosamund Kwan
Rosamund Kwan
Rosamund Kwan Chi-lam is a Chinese actress born in Hong Kong with ancestry in Shenyang, Liaoning in China on her father's side and from Shanghai on her mother's side. She is the daughter of Shaw Brothers star Kwan Shan and actress Cheung Bing Sai...
and Michelle Reis
Michelle Reis
-Biography:Reis was born in Macau which was then a Portuguese colony. Reis is of mixed ancestry as her father is Portuguese and her mother is Chinese. So, she can be considered as a macanese. Reis attended Maryknoll Convent School, and matriculated from St. Paul's Secondary School.Reis started...
. The film was adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer
The Smiling, Proud Wanderer
The Smiling, Proud Wanderer is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong, first published as a serial in Ming Pao from April 20, 1967 to October 12, 1969. The term "Xiaoao Jianghu" means to live a carefree life in a mundane world of strife...
. The theme song of the film, Xiao Hongchen (笑紅塵), was performed by Sarah Chen
Sarah Chen
Sarah Chen is a Taiwanese singer who became famous during the late-1980s and early-1990s. Her most famous hit songs, many resulting from her collaborations with songwriter Jonathan Lee, include Dream to Awakening 夢醒時分 and Is it Right to Love You? 這樣愛你對不對...
. The theme song from The Swordsman
The Swordsman
The Swordsman or Swordsman is a 1990 Hong Kong wuxia film. King Hu was credited as the director but he allegedly left the project midway, and the film was completed by a team led by producer Tsui Hark. The film is adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer...
, Chong Hoi Yat Sing Siu (滄海一聲笑), was played in a few scenes in the film.
Plot
Linghu ChongLinghu Chong
Linghu Chong is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer by Jin Yong.-Biography:Linghu is an orphan and was taken into Yue Buqun's care as a child. Yue accepted him as a disciple and Linghu became a member of the Mount Hua Sect as Yue's most senior disciple. He...
, Yue Lingshan and members of the Mount Hua Sect
Mount Hua Sect
The Mount Hua Sect, also known as the Huashan Sect, is featured in three of Jin Yong's wuxia novels as one of the leading orthodox Chinese martial arts sects in the jianghu. As its name implies, the sect is based on Mount Hua. In reality, a Mount Hua Sect exists but it has nothing to do with...
are planning to retire from the jianghu
Jianghu
The jianghu is the milieu, environment, or sub-community, often fictional, in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set.In modern Chinese culture, jianghu is commonly accepted as an alternative universe coexisting with the actual historical one in which the context of the wuxia genre was set...
(martial artists' community). They learn that Dongfang Bubai
Dongfang Bubai
Dongfang Bubai is a fictional character in the wuxia novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer by Jin Yong.Dongfang is the leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult . He castrated himself to learn the skills in the Sunflower Manual and becomes a formidable pugilist...
has seized control of the Sun Moon Holy Cult and is secretly plotting with some wokou
Wokou
Wokou , which literally translates as "Japanese pirates" in English, were pirates of varying origins who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century onwards...
(Japanese pirates) to rebel against the imperial court and dominate China. Dongfang Bubai had castrated himself in order to master the skills in the Sunflower Manual, and his appearance has become more feminine, even though he is now a formidable pugilist. Linghu Chong meets Dongfang Bubai by chance (without knowing Dongfang's true identity), mistakes him for a beautiful young woman, and falls in love with "her". Linghu Chong is distracted by Dongfang Bubai's lover, Shishi, and Dongfang uses the opportunity to kill Linghu's fellows. Linghu Chong is knocked out and imprisoned in an underground dungeon later, where he meets Ren Woxing by coincidence and both of them escape from the prison together. Linghu Chong brings Yue Lingshan, Ren Yingying, Ren Woxing and Xiang Wentian with him to confront Dongfang Bubai later and Dongfang dies after falling off a cliff. Ren Woxing regains control of his sect and starts killing the traitors who defected to Dongfang Bubai. Before the film ends, Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan leave secretly with Ren Yingying's help as they know Ren Woxing cannot tolerate them.
Cast
- Jet LiJet LiThe fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
as Linghu ChongLinghu ChongLinghu Chong is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer by Jin Yong.-Biography:Linghu is an orphan and was taken into Yue Buqun's care as a child. Yue accepted him as a disciple and Linghu became a member of the Mount Hua Sect as Yue's most senior disciple. He...
(Ling Wu Chung), oldest student of the Mount Hua SectMount Hua SectThe Mount Hua Sect, also known as the Huashan Sect, is featured in three of Jin Yong's wuxia novels as one of the leading orthodox Chinese martial arts sects in the jianghu. As its name implies, the sect is based on Mount Hua. In reality, a Mount Hua Sect exists but it has nothing to do with... - Brigitte LinBrigitte LinBrigitte Lin or Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia is a Taiwanese actress. She was a popular actress, regarded as an icon of Chinese cinema, who acted in both Taiwanese and Hong Kong movies...
as Dongfang BubaiDongfang BubaiDongfang Bubai is a fictional character in the wuxia novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer by Jin Yong.Dongfang is the leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult . He castrated himself to learn the skills in the Sunflower Manual and becomes a formidable pugilist...
(Invincible Asia), leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult - Michelle ReisMichelle Reis-Biography:Reis was born in Macau which was then a Portuguese colony. Reis is of mixed ancestry as her father is Portuguese and her mother is Chinese. So, she can be considered as a macanese. Reis attended Maryknoll Convent School, and matriculated from St. Paul's Secondary School.Reis started...
as Yue Lingshan (Kiddo), Linghu Chong's junior - Rosamund KwanRosamund KwanRosamund Kwan Chi-lam is a Chinese actress born in Hong Kong with ancestry in Shenyang, Liaoning in China on her father's side and from Shanghai on her mother's side. She is the daughter of Shaw Brothers star Kwan Shan and actress Cheung Bing Sai...
as Ren Yingying, Linghu Chong's love interest and Ren Woxing's daughter - Waise LeeWaise LeeWaise Lee Chi-hung is a Hong Kong film and television actor best known for playing the roles of villains and antagonists in various films.-Biography:...
as Fubu Qianjun (Hattori), the wokouWokouWokou , which literally translates as "Japanese pirates" in English, were pirates of varying origins who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century onwards...
leader - Chin Kar-lok as Yuanfei Riyue (Saru), Fubu Qianjun's henchman
- Lau Shun as Xiang Wentian (Zen), an elder of the Sun Moon Holy Cult
- Fennie Yuen as Lan Fenghuang (Blue Phoenix), Ren Yingying's follower
- Yen Shi-kwan as Ren Woxing (Wu), former leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult
- Candice YuCandice YuCandice Yu born Yu De Ying on 22 October 1959) is a Hong Kong film actress and occasional singer, best known for her films with Shaw Studio of the 1970s and 1980s...
as Shishi (Cici), Dongfang Bubai's lover - Cheung Kwok-leung as Eunuch Hong
- Wong Chi-yeung as the interpreter
- Yeung Wah
Alternative versions
- The U.S. release has nine minutes of the original film cut. It is dubbed in English and retains the original music score. It is titled Legend of the Swordsman.
- The Hong Kong release is in Cantonese and retains the nine minutes of extended footage and gory violence.
- The Taiwanese version contains an additional four minutes of rare extended and gory footage that was removed in the U.S. and Hong Kong releases. The total run time of the film is 112 minutes. It has some different music scores and Jet Li's original Mandarin voice is featured.
- Some scenes from the Hong Kong version that differ from the U.S. R-rated release include:
- The title sequence after the head-ripping scene is in Chinese instead of English.
- The scene showing Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan burning grass is cut from the U.S. release.
- The scene showing Ren Yingying singing Xiaoao Jianghu is cut from the U.S. release.
- Dongfang Bubai's blood-spurting scene is cut from the U.S. release.
- The scene showing a head rolling down the stairs is cut from the U.S. release.
Production
In the Mandarin-dubbed version of the film, Rosamund KwanRosamund Kwan
Rosamund Kwan Chi-lam is a Chinese actress born in Hong Kong with ancestry in Shenyang, Liaoning in China on her father's side and from Shanghai on her mother's side. She is the daughter of Shaw Brothers star Kwan Shan and actress Cheung Bing Sai...
and Fennie Yuen speak with a Sichuan accent. This was meant to enhance the fact that their characters are of the Miao ethnic group
Miao people
The Miao or ม้ง ; ) is an ethnic group recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China as one of the 55 official minority groups. Miao is a Chinese term and does not reflect the self-designations of the component nations of people, which include Hmong, Hmu, A Hmao, and Kho Xiong...
.