Filmed in 1983 and based on the famous novel of the same
name by Huanjhu Loujhu, this movie was directed by Tsui Hark (Syu Ke) and its production
company was the Golden Harvest. During the process of filming it, there were experts
invited from Hollywood to help with the special effects for this movie and to train local
technicians. With updated techniques and excellent effects, this movie had a good
box-office record. This story set in the Wuhu
Luanhua (AD 304-439) Period when the five northern tribes cut up half of China, and the
country is in chaos. A run away soldier Di Mingci (played by Yuan Biao) from the Sishu,
western Sichuan falls off a cliff and, instead of death, he finds himself in a mysterious
land, a zone belonging to the Mojiao. There are some unknown vessels flying across the
sky, and coincidentally he is trapped in a cluster of threads in a huge cave. A martial
arts master called Ding Yin (played by Adam Cheng, Cheng Shaociu) rescues him. Ding Yin
impresses Di by his unbelievable wugong, such as he can fly, so Di kneels down asking Ding
to leave this strange land to save the chaotic country, and he also begs Ding to accept
him as a disciple. However Ding refuses, because he wants to keep himself away from the
disordered world. Before long Ding's junior fellow disciple Siao Yu (played by Damian Lao,
Liu Songren) and Siao's disciple, Yi Jhen, also come on the scene. Together they fight the
flying vessels, the martial arts masters of Mojiao. Unfortunately Siao Yu is wounded and
even worse is that the evil spirit of Siemo possesses him. So Ding Yin decides to take
Siao to the castle called Yaochih Sianbao to be cured.
The martial arts masters of the Mojiao kept attacking them, until the Master Long Eyebrow
appears. He contains the evil spirit, Siemo, with his own body and asked the young men to
bring back the swords of Zihcing Shuanjian from the cliff of Tiandao within 49 days,
before the Siemo regain power from the moon. So the young men, Ding Yin, Yi Jhen, Siao Yu,
and Di Mingci (he sticks onto Ding Yin), have two places to go and two missions to
complete. The first is to go to the castle to cure Siao Yu, and the second is to go to the
cliff to bring back the swords. The first comes first; they take the mission of rescuing
Siao Yu as the primary mission. However, when they arrive at the castle, they are informed
that the Mistress of the castle (played by Brigitte Lin, Lin Chingsia) is in the middle of
her retreating period, and she can not be disturbed. However Ding Yin happens to be the
one who can help the castle to keep the ice fire burning, so the Mistress comes on the
scene to cure Siao Yu.
However when the young men leave for the next destination, Ding is accidentally injured,
and the evil spirit possesses him at once. Before Ding is fully occupied, he orders Mingci
to send him back to the Mistress's place to get cured within three days. When Mingci takes
him to the castle, they realize that the Mistress has run out energy after rescuing Siao
Yu. So the Mistress decides to freeze Ding in the castle so the Siemo can not come out by
using Di's body. So she breaks the ice mirror and the castle is frozen at once, only
Mingci, Yi Jhen and one maid of the castle are able to leave the castle in time.
They then went to the Tiandao Cliff, where the Mistress Li Yichih teaches them how to use
the two swords by uniting their spirits and minds. The 49-day period is up soon, and the
Long Eyebrow Master can no longer contain the demon. Siemo, which incarnates by using Ding
Yin's body. The Mistress from the castle flies out to stop him from damaging the world,
and holding the swords Mingci and Yijhen also become very powerful. Together they defeat
the demon. |
