Golden Swallow

A landmark film for the development of the male figure in the martial arts. Following on from the success of One-Armed Swordsman, director Chang Cheh branched out into new territory with hard-hitting, macho protagonists. Continuing the technique of marking out a hero by dressing him in white (as seen in Peking Opera and cowboy Westerns), Chang has one of his leads, Silver Roc (Jimmy Wang Yu), wear white robes – although his arrogance and cold-blooded enthusiasm for murder are a long way from the warmth and virtue of previous heroes. Chang took bold risks with Golden Swallow, filming with roving cameras to add excitement to the fight scenes, instructing swordsmen to stand, authoritative and stock still, under a strip of large-character poetry, and never shying away from showing the full blood and guts of the violence. Chang ushered in a new generation of hero – a hero out for himself, first and foremost; the world of wuxia films would never be the same again.

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