The Blade (1995)
Reviewed by: hkcinema on 1999-12-08
Bandits kill an innocent monk, and two swordsmiths set out to take revenge. In the ensuing battle, one loses an arm and flees to an isolated hovel; the other escapes and eventually resolves to find him. "The Blade" is a vital, often original treatment of a currently stale genre, with a super-fast, slickly edited finale - compensation enough for the lack of solid martial arts choreography. After being ruthlessly copied for years, Tsui Hark seems to be well aware of new trends (although he could have avoided Wong Kar-Wai's contrivances), and here shows off his ability to stay ahead of the pack.

[Reviewed by Iain Sinclair]