Amateur movie with Big budget

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

I watched this trilogy out of order. I saw #2 then #3 then this one. Whomever describe Chin Huan as having an Oedipus complex clearly doesn't understand the definition. What he does possess is the knack for trusting the wrong people an doing some incredibly stupid things to repay a false debt.Chin Huan returns to town to reveal the identity of the Plum Blossom Bandit. He soon finds himself facing one assassination attempt after another with no clear logic behind the attacks on his life.There's a mystery to solve and Chin Huan is just the man for it. He has to face the woman he gave up 10 years ago as part of repayment of a debt to a man be believed saved his life. It turns out that was a complete lie and Chin Huan screwed up his own life for no reason.There are fights galore in this movie. They are well choreographed. All lead up to Chin Huan losing the woman he loves and having to face the truth of the Plum Blossom Bandits identity.Several Shaw Brothers familiars make this movie even more enjoyable. The final duel between Chin Huan and the Plum Blossom Bandit involves the use of nature as a weapon.Seeing the final scene of Ah Fei and Chin Huan going their separate ways makes me sad, because I've already seen Return of the Sentimental Swordsman, so I know things aren't going to be all sunshine and Plum Blossoms for Ah Fei when Chin Huan returns.

I see that THE SENTIMENTAL SWORDSMAN has garnered quite a few negative reviews on this site and I'd balance that negativity somewhat. This is a fast-paced and colourful Shaw Brothers swordplay romp which places a far greater emphasis on plotting than in a rival Chang Cheh film, for instance. Ti Lung stars as the alcoholic hero who finds himself involved in a hunt for the 'Pink Blossom Bandit' and whose journey leads him to a situation in which he himself becomes the main suspect.This is a dense and complex story which requires close attention throughout. The reason for that is that there's a massive supporting cast all of whom have plenty of screen time. A cast of wandering swordsmen, beautiful femme fatales, Shaolin monks, local lords, and martial arts masters fill the screen in their colourful costumes and take time out to engage in a lot of athletic swordplay at every opportunity.Lung does well in a balanced role that requires more mannered acting than usual. He's given fine support from his cast members which include cameo villain parts for the likes of Fung Hark-On and Yuen Wah. Yee Tung-Shing is very good as the wandering swordsman figure. The plot becomes more engaging as the running time progresses and the climax doesn't disappoint after the careful build-up. Two sequels, RETURN OF and PERILS OF, followed.

Chin Huan (Ti Lung) returns home to his brother after 10 years to defend his family against the mysterious Plum Blossom bandit whose identity is unknown. On his way, he becomes a friend of Ah Fei (Derek Yee); they both have a strong sense of honor and mutual respect for each other. When the local people suspect that Chin Huan himself could be the Plum Blossom bandit, because he is such a skilled fighter, Ah Fei defends him. Together they try to find the actual bandit.This is a colorful and entertaining movie, well directed, and - quite rare - staged in a snowy landscape. Even the smaller characters, for example the drunken doctor, the Shaolin abbot and the master of poisons, are always interesting. Also the story has the unusual twist that the hero is fought most of the time by the good guys, as they mistake him for the villain, so instead of killing everyone, he often tries to avoid fights. Recommended!

THE SENTIMENTAL SWORDSMAN is chock full of intrigue, with Ti Lung as Li being accused of killing at least one relative of most of the characters he meets in the movie. There are several attempts to frame him for yet other murders, but, with the aid of Derek Yee (who, incidentally, makes an excellent sidekick and who dispenses with more than a few of Li's would-be killers), things are set to right. Says Yee at one point: "The one with the quickest sword is boss." The seemingly never-ending backstabbing (and would-be backstabbing) wears on Li. At one point, he offers up his opinion on the whole affair: "We all want to make our own web and live in it. Then we're trapped in it." Although I must confess I figured out who was behind everything fairly early on in the proceedings, THE SENTIMENTAL SWORDSMAN is a plot-heavy who-done-it-and-why well worth the time. Li at one point taunts a would-be killer: "I killed your brother? Tell me what he looks like so I can say hello to him when I get to Hell." Sarcastic, as well as sentimental.THE RETURN OF THE SENTIMENTAL SWORDSMAN: You can take the martial artist out of The Martial Arts World, but you can't take the martial art out of the martial artist. Feeling guilty about killing The Plum Blossom Bandit, Li (Ti Lung) is in the process of drinking himself into oblivion when he's drawn back into the Martial Arts World. Along the way, he encounters a wide variety of characters, including Hu (Lo Lieh), who trafficks in human beings; Ah Fei (who had actually softened up the Plum Blossom Bandit for Li, though Li never knew it), whose adulterous wife has driven HIM to drink; Ku Feng as the unscrupulous head of The Money Clan (who disowns his own son the moment he's killed, saying: "He no longer bleeds my blood."), who has taken up with Ah Fei's old lady; and Jing (Fu Sheng), The Left-handed Gun- er, Dagger- whose right arm he keeps covered because it's covered with the names of those he's slain ("Only the dead know that secret."). There's also The Silver Halberd, who literally walks away from the Martial Arts World at one point, walking in slow motion into the mist. Like Doc Holiday, Li's suffering from "consumption" (he coughs up blood). (In CLANS OF INTRIGUE, his character has a nasal blockage that literally saves his life when gas is used on him. These types of infirmities aren't at all usual for martial arts heroes.) THE RETURN OF THE SENTIMENTAL SWORDSMAN is another of those must-see movies that fans of the genre look for: it's all about the martial arts and boasts interesting characters and some well-integrated fights.