The Legend of The Swordsman (1992)

Swordsman II, also known as The Legend of the Swordsman, is a 1992 Hong Kong wuxia film very loosely adapted from Louis Cha’s novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. It was the second part of a trilogy: preceded by The Swordsman (1990) and followed by The East Is Red (1993). Directed by Ching Siu-tung, Swordsman II starred Jet Li, Brigitte Lin, Rosamund Kwan and Michelle Reis in the leading roles. None of the original cast from the previous film return except Fennie Yuen.

Plot

Linghu Chong, Yue Lingshan and members of the Mount Hua School 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 Japanese rōnin to rebel against the Ming Empire 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 martial artist. Linghu Chong meets Dongfang Bubai by

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chance without knowing his true identity, mistakes him for a beautiful young woman, and falls in love with “her”. Dongfang Bubai knocks out Linghu Chong while he is not looking and imprisons him in an underground dungeon. In the dungeon, by coincidence, Linghu Chong meets Ren Woxing, Ren Yingying’s father and the former leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult. They escape from captivity together. One night, while Linghu Chong is distracted by Dongfang Bubai’s lover Shishi, Dongfang tracks down his Mount Hua School fellows and kills them.

Production, Box office

In the Mandarin- dubbed version of the film, Rosamund Kwan and Fennie Yuen speak Sichuanese instead of Standard Mandarin. This was meant to enhance the fact that their characters are of the Miao ethnic group. The film grossed HK$34,462,861- (US $4,411,669) at the Hong Kong box office and remains Jet Li’s highest-grossing film in Hong Kong to date.