Du ba tian xia (1971)

Overview

Perhaps the most action-packed swordfighting flick of the early 70s. I was unable to work out what the title had to do with the film, although the hero certainly possessed no matches. The action is slam-bang almost the whole way, and there are gimmicks aplenty. There are Fatal Fingers, Deadly Pages (a hilarious scene where pages from a book are lethal flying cutters), the Iron Hat, Iron Net, Soul Seizure Technique and not to forget the Spirit Pins. The music is lovely, the is scenery pretty impressive. The acting is, of course, wild and melodramatic, but that only adds to the entertainment value. And, to top it off, a number of the fight scenes are downright hilarious. Very well choreographed and great to watch.