Description

Storm clouds a deep shade of blood red are gathering over 17th-century China. The Ching Dynasty has taken hold of the reins of power, and to guarantee their dominance, they have issued a decree: the study of wuxia, or martial arts, has been outlawed, and those who defy this order will be beheaded. The cruel and greedy General Fire-Wind, seeing that there are many gold coins to be made in this matter, sends forth his forces to carry out this ruling with a hateful enthusiasm. Leading them in the slaughter are Fire-Wind’s dozen lieutenants, masterful killers without a drop of human conscience. One of their massacres is interrupted by the mysterious Fu, who proceeds to Martial Village, a holdout of wuxia disciples on Fire-Wind’s hit list. There he enlists young Wu and Han to follow him to Mount Heaven to seek the aid of Master Shadow-Glow and his students. Seven warriors, armed with seven swords of tremendous power and significance, will confront the enemy – but treachery, deceit and affairs of the heart will complicate matters terribly before a glimpse of victory is on the horizon!

With Seven Swords, the great Tsui Hark, often tagged as the Chinese Steven Spielberg, makes his overdue return to the director’s chair, and to the magnificent genre of the grand, fantastical martial-arts epic. Stunning landscapes, gorgeous production design and astounding action scenes (note the inclusion of the great Donnie Yen in the cast!) are most certainly on the menu! Hark is working here from the celebrated martial-arts novel "Seven Swordsmen from Mountain Tian" by Yusheng Liang, part of a greater mythology that once spawned the Hong Kong classic Bride With White Hair. If it seems that Seven Swords opens up all manner of fascinating subplots, and introduces engaging characters who simply beg for further adventures, rest assured that the film is not merely a satisfying, self-contained whirlwind of fights and fantasy, but in fact the gateway to a vast panorama of adventures to unfold in the coming years. Seven Swords is a momentous event in the glorious, ongoing history of kung fu cinema!

—Rupert Bottenberg

"The fights… are imaginatively choreographed, vigorously performed and extremely bloody" – Philip French, THE OBSERVER

Website

http://www.sevenswordsthefilm.com/

Credits

Director: Tsui Hark
Screenplay: Cheung Chi-Sing,Chun Tin Nam, Tsui Hark (from Yusheng Liang)
Cast: Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Charlie Yeung, Dai Liwu, Kim So-yeon, Duncan Lai, Liu Chia-Liang, Lu Yi, Ma Jingwu, Jason Pai Piao, Sun Honglei, Michael Wong, Zhang Jingchu
Producers: Lee Joo-Ick, Nansun Shi, Tsui Hark, Cheng Yun, Ma Zhong-Jun
Distributor: Films Seville