The English title is clearly a reference to the
American Western TV series but a better title for this period wuxia might
have been Two Men, a Woman and a Horse: A Love Quadrangle. This is directed
by Chang Cheh after his massive kill count films - One-Armed Swordsman, The
Assassin, Golden Swallow and Return of the One-Armed Swordsman and perhaps
he needed a time out as this is really more of a drama and love story - saving
the action till the end. It works superbly. With Jimmy Wang-yu having left
Shaw, he turned to his new discoveries - Ti Lung and David Chiang. He had
starred them together earlier in the same year in Dead End which made no
mark. He tries again in this film. They were both fresh faces with charisma
to spare and together they were to go on to be legendary. It was a continuation
of his masculine cinema. Ti Lung was new to the industry, but his strong
good looks and open face quickly made an impression while Chiang had been
appearing in films since he was a child but as an adult, he was little more
than an extra. Chang saw something there in his slight boyish matinee looks
that appealed to him and he turned him into an action star.
The woman in this is Piao Piao (Li Ching)
who is the cause of the charged relationship between Lo Yi (Chiang) and Siang
(Ti Lung). When she and Lo Yi hold on to opposite ends of a sword and stare
at one another with longing, it is as Freudian as you can get. She is practically
popping with sexual yearning. But she is engaged to Siang and much of the
first hour of the film is taken up by this dynamic of Piao Piao and Lo Yi
holding back their attraction to one another as Siang looks on in confusion
and resentment. Both Siang and Piao Piao work for Lord Yin (Ching Miao) who
runs a security service that transports valuables. If you have watched many
of these wuxia films, you know that it is a form of employment best avoided.
The little guys always end up dead.
And sure enough there is a gang of endless
killers headed by Chao Hong (the always reliable Ku Feng) that has plans
to steal the next shipment of silver to the Emperor. Into this with his beloved
horse wanders Lo Yi, a man simply looking for a job and a place to sleep.
With astonishing fighting abilities. As soon as he shows up there is an instinctive
reflex from Siang that dislikes and distrusts him. Like a cat with its fur
up. He wants him gone, Piao Piao wants him to stay. When she gazes
at him his world of solitary desire crumbles. This back and forth takes up
about the first 70-minutes - and then the shipment leaves with a large group
of men - the ones you know will be killed in gushes of blood along with the
three heroes.
And the next 30 minutes is some of the best
work Chang Cheh has done - great action, heroism, dozens from both sides
being slaughtered - but also some great drama occurring between kills. At
one point Siang has entered a multi-story pagoda with a force on each floor
of swordsmen, archers and others with deadly weapons. Piao Piao urges Lo
Yi to go in and help and you can see his hesitation - he wants his rival
dead but his honor is saying something different. It is a terrific and emotional
set-piece. It is not often that I pay much attention to the score but this
one from Wang Fu-ling, one of Shaw's regulars is full of Morricone whistling,
drums and orchestra is great. Choreography from the great Tong Kai and Yuen
Cheung-yan.
