Have Sword, Will Travel (1969)

the audience applauded

Some things I liked some I did not.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Before Ti Lung and David Chiang and Chang Cheh gave us DUEL OF THE IRON FIST, there was HAVE SWORD, WILL TRAVEL. We're introduced to Lung as he attempts to woo the lady Li. He's interrupted by some pesky members of the Flying Tiger Clan, but he casually dispatches them as he puts OTHER moves on Ms. Li. Chiang, meanwhile, is accosted when he tries to enter a seven-story pagoda to rest for the night: it's inhabited by members of- surprise- The Flying Tiger Clan, and they don't want him around. He, too, proves too much for the gang but moves on of his own accord. Lung and Chiang bump into each other and have a brief but inconclusive encounter... during which Chiang and Li lock eyes and, well... The trio effectively becomes a triangle at that point. Later, when Chiang arrives at Lung's Invincible Village still looking for a place to bed down for the night, Lung attempts to impress Chiang by turning a chopstick into a PAIR of chopsticks with one stroke of his sword. Chiang, rising to the challenge, splits a chopstick into THREE separate chopsticks with a single thrust... Needless to say, these guys are GOOD swordsmen. In Akira Kurosawa's THE HIDDEN FORTRESS, a hidden fortune is transported by the surviving princess of a fallen House and her bodyguard (Toshiro Mifune). Here, the shipment is to be watched over by Lung and Chiang (who volunteers, after putting two and two together and being threatened with death, though his volunteering has nothing whatsoever to do with fear of Death). In an interesting sequence, Chiang has a vision of his own death and its aftermath (which happens to come true). Although many of Chang Cheh's movies end abruptly, HAVE SWORD, WILL TRAVEL allows for a longer and more poignant resolution. There's a GAME OF DEATH type of ascension to the top of the pagoda and the often slow motion Finale prefigures the ending of DUEL OF THE IRON FIST (with Chiang, at one point, sporting more arrows than a pin-cushion). Just one of the many reasons why I think Easterns are better than Westerns.

Have Sword Will Travel (1969) is another blood soaked tale featuring two of the Shaw Brothers biggest stars (David Chiang and Lung Ti). This costume piece from China is about a royal carriage train being guarded from a group of bandits. Lung Ti is appointed to lead the train. Along the way, a savage band of thieves will stop at nothing to steal the imperial silver. Lung Ti's fiancée is along for the trip. Following the train is a lone knight (David Chiang) who arouses Lung's suspicions. But a strange friendship and triangle forms between the three characters.After being attacked by a crazed mute assassin (Wang Chung) and having the entire train nearly sacked. Lung Ti chases the villains to a giant tower armed with scores of swordsmen and archers. Lung storms the tower and hacks his way to the top. Chiang witnessing such bravery shakes away visions of a love that'll never be joins Lung in his mission to kill the leader of thieves. In a selfless act, Chiang saves the life of Lung and takes out the remaining thieves in a blood drenched act of courage and bravery. He sacrifices his life so his friend and fiancée can live their lives out whilst he dies in honor.One of the best action films I have ever scene. The well directed action scenes and blood letting alone recommends this Shaw Brothers classic. But watch the newly restored version released by Celestial Pictures.Highly recommended!

I've been disappointed by a variety of Chang Cheh films in the past, including the overly-vaunted American-guy's kung-fu favorite "5-Venoms", but this flick is just WAY MORE tastier; in fact, it may very well be my Chang Cheh favorite thus far, next to Boxer From Shantung. The coolness of character Lo Yi (played by the then VERY young Jiang Dawei aka:David Chiang) and his dominating ability (as well as those of his fighting-skills/girl-friend rival Siang, played by the then VERY young Di Long aka:Ti Lung), and the burning-cool chivalry between him and young master Siang make you wanna brandish a sword and act all cool in front of your mirror; just like how a movie like The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly would make you wanna grab a gun and act cool with it. Lo Yi inadvertently becomes part of a security force transporting and protecting a big load of gold being transferred from Luoyang town to government reserves in Kaifeng, and his presence ultimately proves vital as an overpowering number of bandits ambushes the goverment caravan. This movie also has one of the MOST INTENSE & MOST POIGNANT HEARTBREAK SCENES to EVER adorn the silver-screen..... that's the scene where Lo Yi discovers that the girl he most desires and love (female bodyguard Yun Piaopiao, played by the then VERY young Li Jing aka: Li Ching) is engaged to his semi-friendly rival Siang. Lo Yi then envisions his bitter death in a bloody fight scene that culminates in grueling slow motion, a scimitar that penetrates through his bosom; and then the heart-wrenching vision of Yun Piaopiao and master Siang galloping away on their steeds into to sunny green hills. Needless to say, the former premonition all comes true (except that the scimitar impales his lower abdomen, for a slower and even more dramatic broken-hearted death; almost like a self-fulfilled prophecy of hopeless end that is nothing short of bittersweet bloodbath. Very touching movie that's certainly a classic Shaw Brother's artsy-martial-arts flick with an underlying message of love..... oh, did I mention lots and lots of hard death and gallons and gallons of classic bright red SB studio blood? Definitely an all-time classic from 1969!! 4+ stars outta 5!!!Johnny Chan 22 Feb. '04

Highly entertaining swordplay picture from Chang Cheh, scripted by I Kuang. David Chiang and Ti Lung are both well-cast. For once, the love story part even adds something -- stay tuned for one of the best oh-so-THAT'S-what-you-two-are-up-to flashes ever committed to film. Great action repays a couple of viewings.