The Brave Archer, also known as Kungfu Warlord, is a 1977 Hong Kong film adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes. The film was produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio and directed by Chang Cheh, starring Alexander Fu Sheng and Tien Niu in the lead roles. The film is the first part of a trilogy and was followed by The Brave Archer 2 (1978) and The Brave Archer 3 (1981). The trilogy has two unofficial sequels, The Brave Archer and His Mate (1982) and Little Dragon Maiden (1983).
Plot
Guo Jing and Yang Kang are the sons of two rebels. The rebels are killed by imperial soldiers, and then, the boys are rescued by six skilled pugilists. The pugilists agree to separate the two boys, tutor them separately in martial arts, and let them meet again when they have grown up, to determine whose abilities are better. Guo becomes the student of the "Seven Freaks of Jiangnan" while Yang Kang becomes the foster son of a Jurchen prince inadvertently.
When he reaches adulthood, Guo Jing travels to a local town, where he meets and befriends a beggar named Huang Rong, who is actually the daughter of Huang Yaoshi, master of Peach Blossom Island. He also meets Yang Kang, without knowing Yang's true identity, during a contest to win the hand-in-marriage of Mu Nianci, the adopted daughter of Yang's father. Yang's father is actually still alive. Yang Kang is tempted by the wealth and fame of being a noble, and he refuses to acknowledge and betrays his father, while his mother commits suicide.
Huang Rong reveals to Guo Jing later that she is actually a woman and they go on adventure together. Guo Jing learns the "Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms" from the "Nine-fingered Beggar" Hong Qigong, while Huang Rong is groomed by Hong to become his successor as chief of the Beggars' Sect. Guo and Huang travel to Peach Blossom Island later to meet Huang's father. Huang Yaoshi is does not approve of his daughter's marriage to Guo Jing. While exploring the island, Guo Jing meets a strange man called Zhou Botong who teaches him special martial arts techniques and forces him to read a manual, which is later revealed to be written by Huang Rong's late mother.
Ouyang Feng visits Peach Blossom Island with his nephew Ouyang Ke, and he proposes a marriage between his nephew and Huang Rong. Just then, Hong Qigong also arrives and he strongly supports Guo Jing to marry Huang Rong. Eventually, Huang Yaoshi arranges for a contest between Guo Jing and Ouyang Ke to determine who is worthy of his daughter's hand-in-marriage. The last part of the contest involves both of them having to read a manual and recite it from memory later. As Guo had already read the manual earlier, he recites it easily and wins the contest. Huang Yaoshi agrees to his daughter's marriage to Guo Jing. However, Ouyang Feng realizes that the manual is actually the fabled Nine Yin Manual and he wants it for himself.
Cast
Alexander Fu Sheng as Kwee Ceng
Tien Niu as Oey Yong
Ku Feng as Ang Cit-kong
Philip Kwok as Ciu Pek-thong
Wang Lung-wei as Auw-yang Hong
Ku Kuan-chung as Oey Yok-su
Ti Lung as Duan Zhixing
Danny Lee as Auw-yang Hok
Lee I-min as Yo Kang
Kara Hui as Bok Liam-ci
Yu Hoi-lun as Mei Chaofeng
Wang Chiang-liang as Chen Xuanfeng
Yu Wing as Wanyan Honglie
Dick Wei as Yang Tiexin
Lau Wai-ling as Bao Xiruo
Bruce Tong as Guo Xiaotian
Chu Jing as Li Ping
Fan Mei-sheng as Liang Ziweng
Chan Shen as Lingzhi Shangren
Suen Shu-pei as Sha Tongtian
Tsai Hung as Ke Zhen'e
Lam Fai-wong as Zhu Cong
Lo Mang as Han Baoju
Jamie Luk as Nan Xiren
Lu Feng as Zhang A'sheng
Chiu Chung-hing as Quan Jinfa
Chow Kit as Han Xiaoying
Lee Siu-wa as Wang Chuyi
Yeung Hung as Khu Ci-kee
Yip Tin-hang as Lu Chengfeng
External links
1977 films
Films based on The Legend of the Condor Heroes
Films based on works by Jin Yong
Films directed by Chang Cheh
Films set in the Jin dynasty (1115–1234) Films set in the Mongol Empire Hong Kong martial arts films 1970s Mandarin-language films Shaw Brothers Studio films Wuxia films 1970s Hong Kong films