The Deaf And Mute Heroine

It’s a shame this clunky, old skool Hong Kong kung fu movie is so obscure,because despite its age and cobwebs, it’s a highly enjoyable sword-demon peppered with gory blade action, deceit, guts, long eyebrows and class.

Originally lensed in widescreen, the only version I’ve managed to see is a wonky, fullscreen VHS recording of a 1990’s asian satellite TV broadcast that cut the start and end of the english subtitles off the picture. Err,no matter, the title had me hooked and its a pretty standard revenge plot that’s easy to follow so I watched it twice. ‘Sally Wong’ is the deaf and mute heroine, she is the deadliest, deafest bounty hunter in all ancient China.

She ain’t chatty, owns a big silver sword and chops a guy in half (before the opening credits) and spits an arrow into the eye of an attacking bandit just for fun. Then, thanks to a simple twist, she fights for her life by taking others after her fiancee is ripped off in a card game and she’s hunted by a power mad, homicidal princess (Lee Ying) and her gang of assassins. The fights are all excellent, most of the cast can fly and many of them check out by squirting a foot long jet of blood from a wound before collapsing - and all the while, 007 music plays!

Given a proper restoration, correctly subtitled and presented right, this would be hailed as a great ‘cult’ movie. But for now, alongside Lightning Kung Fu (80) it’ll remain a sharp, secret needle lost in a big kung fu haystack. Watch for the director as a young bald monk.