The Sword Stained With Royal Blood

Cast:
Yuen Biao - Yuan Cheng Zhi (Yuen Shing Chi)
Sharla Cheung Man - Ah Jiu (Ah Kau)
Danny Lee - Golden Snake Man (GSM)
Ng Man Tat - Leader of Hua Shan Sect
Anita Yuen - Jade Ho
Elvis Tsui - Master Wen
Wu Ma - General Yuen's follower

In many people's opinion, 1993 is one of the best years in Hong Kong cinema. The author would like to confirm this for fans of the martial arts genre. More wuxia movies came out in 1993 than any other year in HK. The cinema saw successes in Fong Sai Yuk 1-2, Bride With White Hair, Tai-Chi Master, Once Upon a Time in China 3, Eagle Shooting Heroes, and Iron Monkey. "Sword Stained With Royal Blood" is one of the less acclaimed of the wuxia movies from that year. Although it has a negative reputation or no reputation at all, this is a well-made wuxia film not to be missed.

The plot has been modified from the original novel by Jin Yong. If you care to know the details, read on. Otherwise, skip the next section and go to the end for the final say.

Plot (spoilers)

The Golden Snake Man (GSM) shows up at the funeral of General Yuan. He kills all but one man (Wu Ma), who blinds himself and swears he never saw the GSM. The man is not ready to die because he has not found his general's son, Yuan Cheng Zhi. He will keep searching...

In a village, the naïve 9th princess Ah Jiu (Ah 9) persuades her master (Ng Man Tat) to let her wander in the pugilistic world. She encounters some bad guys from the Wen family and hurts them. A constable comes along and arrests her. They then witness a battle between the Golden Snake Man and the leader of the Five Poison Sect, Jade Ho. The young and righteous constable, Yuan Cheng Zhi, becomes sworn brother with the Golden Snake Man. The three spend one night together, and in the morning they go their separate ways, Yuan to take the 9th princess to prison.

A meeting has been organized by several evil clans to counter the Golden Snake Man. Attendees include Jade Ho of the Five Poison Clan and brothers from the Wen family. Yuan Cheng Zhi accidentally stumbles into the mess, and soon it is clear that the GSM came and went. He came to deliver a message to his former lover, who has become the wife of Master Wen. Also arriving is Ah 9's master, who also happens to be Yuan Cheng Zhi's friend. He has come to look for his wife, who has gone crazy due to the death of their son.

While locked in a room, Ah 9 nearly gets bitten by the snake of Jade Ho, who is, after all, the POISON Clan leader. Yuan Cheng Zhi saves the princess and wrestles with the snake, only to be poisoned by it. Now possessing the poison required by Jade Ho, Yuan Cheng Zhi becomes her target. She dresses up as a homeless woman and travels with Yuan Cheng Zhi and Ah 9.

On their way to the Capital, the three encounter the Golden Snake Man at his tomb, where he is thought to be buried. In fact, the history of the GSM is as such: his whole family was killed by the Wen family, and Master Wen even took away his lover. The GSM gave up his lover when he decided to concentrate on swordsmanship in order for his revenge. He gives a note for Ah 9 to deliver to his lover.

The three pass the Wan family mansion, where Master Wen becomes insane after witnessing the death of his brothers and his mother due to his unwillingness to kill his wife, who is being condemned for being the former lover of GSM. Yuan Cheng Zhi and Wen Ching Ching (Master Wen’s granddaughter), who are probably more than friends, follow the mistress to her rendezvous with the GSM. Yuan vows to arrest the GSM for killing Wen's men. They set a date for their duel.

In the mean time, Jade Ho finds a soft spot for Yuan Cheng Zhi. She finally gets herself together to poison Yuan with soup, but Yuan's crazy brother (Ah 9's master) drinks it. When Yuan Cheng Zhi lets go of Ah 9 because he doesn't want her around to see him fight the GSM, she expresses her disappointment in him. She has always believed that he is a righteous man who only apprehends bad people, but this time he is apprehending a good man.

On the night of their duel, Ching Ching poisons the GSM, which is a bad move because everyone has been waiting for an opportunity to get the powerful Golden Snake Sword. This is when Master Wen shows up, revealing that he was not insane and was only faking the insanity for his gain. The Golden Snake Sword is now in Wen's hands, Yuan Cheng Zhi is captured, and the GSM's lover is badly hurt. GSM uses his last energy to heal her. Before they get far, Wen comes along, and both GSM and his lover commit suicide. Ching Ching also sacrifices herself to save Yuan Cheng Zhi from her grandfather.

Things are not looking good for Yuan. He remains hurt, and the Golden Snake Sword remains in Wen's hands. At last, his father's blind general recognizes him and delivers him the ancestral sword that's even more powerful than the Golden Snake Sword. Yuan's brother sees this sword and exclaims, revealing his identity: the leader of the Hua Shan sect. Presumably, he teaches his martial arts to Yuan Cheng Zhi to prepare him for the settlement with Wen, in which Yuan uses the ancestral sword to counter the Golden Snake Sword, and finds out the power of the sword stained with royal blood...

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MOVIE AND NOVEL

It can be supposed that one of the reasons for this movie's flop is its alterations from the original novel. The key female character in the novel is Wen Ching Ching, who is barely in this movie. The romantic interest of Yuan Cheng Zhi here, believe it or not, is Jade Ho, leader of the Poison Clan, who at the end saves Yuan Cheng Zhi with her drugs, but they have to engage in sexual intercourse in order for the medication to function.

The novel said Jade Ho is a lover of the Golden Snake Man; the movie mentions no such detail. Also, I don't think Yuan Cheng Zhi and the GSM become sworn brothers in the novel. In addition, in the novel, GSM's lover is Master Wen's daughter, but in the book she is Master Wen's wife.

CHARACTERS

I liked the 9th Princess. Her playful character adds a lot to the story. Of course, having Sharla Cheung Man play her can only be a good thing. Jade Ho turns from evil to good, and she has earned my preference. Yuan Cheng Zhi is overly righteous, as he arrests anyone who commits anything; yet he completely ignores the crimes committed by the Wen family. The Golden Snake Man is tragic. He lost everything, and at one point in the movie he says of his sword, "but you are the only thing that will never leave me." At the end, even the sword leaves him, but he does get his lover back.

FINAL SAY

This is a highly underrated movie. It's a personal favorite, and I recommend it without reservation.