The Blade cover art

The Blade Details

1995 Certificate 18
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 479 members

Based on THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN (1967), which is widely regarded as launching the craze for swordfighting movies in Hong Kong, BLADE is a violent epic employing fast edits and a dynamic camera, instead of the panoramic shots of the original. With half a name, half a sword, and half of a martial arts textbook, a martial arts .. Read more

Starring Chiu Cheuk, Xin Xin Xiong, Song Nei
Director Tsui Hark
Genres Action/Adventure, Thriller, World Cinema

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The Blade cover art

The Blade

Based on THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN (1967), which is widely regarded as launching the craze for swordfighting movies in Hong Kong, BLADE is a violent epic employing fast edits and a dynamic camera, instead of the panoramic shots of the original. With half a name, half a sword, and half of a martial arts textbook, a martial arts protege with one arm transforms himself into a whirling dervish of a swordsman--more an anarchic force, rather than the graceful flying swordsmen of Hark's martial arts fantasies. An atmosphere of suffocation, repressed eroticism, and abject suffering dominates the film, which culminates in a climactic battle that martial arts cineastes will enjoy. There is very little that is heroic about the film; more often than not, people with good intentions are brutally slaughtered, while those who prey on the weak seem to constitute an endless horde. The bleakness of the film recalls the mood of A BETTER TOMORROW, which Hark produced. Like ASHES OF TIME, which was released just one year before Hark's film, THE BLADE verges on the philosophical, with an untrustworthy narrator who is not quite sure what is happening around her.

Starring Chiu Cheuk, Xin Xin Xiong, Song Nei
Director Tsui Hark
Studio MIA VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT LTD
Run time DVD: 1 hr 40 mins
Certificate Certificate 18
Genres Action/Adventure, Thriller, World Cinema
Language DVD: Cantonese
Subtitles DVD: English
Released DVD: 17 Apr 2000
Production year: 1995
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews of The Blade

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  • Nominally a remake of the old Shaw Brothers/Wang Yu One-Armed Boxer, this is actually a (not very) original story: a... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out
    • Posted 04 Nov 2008

  • Most helpful member's review of The Blade

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  • 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Brilliant!

    Good story, the fight scenes are excellent and compelling. Really fast sword fighting.

    A fighter loses his arm in escape and trains in the art of the one armed swordsman in order to get revenge on his fathers death.

    I also recommend Moon Warriors if you like this title!

      • john roberts from leeds
      • Posted 27 Jun 2004 15:00

  • Most recent members' review of The Blade

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  • Rated - 4 stars

    Not the one armed swrdsman, but still

    The quality of this film is based solely on what it takes from the orgiinal classic one armed swordsman, and nothing to do with the annoying girl & the modern wirework. As wirework films go, this one is watchable, not too ridiculous & still with some skill resonating from the performers. So it's definately worth a watch. But watch it before you see the original or you may be disappointed.

      • kung fu queen from london
      • Posted 28 Nov 2006 17:57

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Rating breakdown

479 Member ratings
  • 100
32
  • 90
30
  • 80
69
  • 70
67
  • 60
86
  • 50
63
  • 40
53
  • 30
33
  • 20
30
  • 10
16

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    • The Blade

    • The Blade
      Based on THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN (1967), which is widely regarded as launching the craze for swordfighting movies in Hong Kong, BLADE is a violent epic employing fast edits and a dynamic camera, instead of the panoramic shots of the original. With half a name, half a sword, and half of a martial ...