A Bladed Tale of Loyalty, Loss, and Justice

Read Time:5 Minute, 33 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Lady With A Sword (Feng Fei Fei)
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Genre: Martial Arts, Action, Drama
Year Released: 1971, 88 Films Blu-ray 2025
Runtime: 1h 30m
Director(s): Pao-Shu Kao
Writer(s): Kuang Ni
Cast: Lily Ho, James Nam Seok-Hoon, Meng Yuen-Man, Wang Hsieh, Chai No, Lin Jing, Ou-Yang Sha-Fei, Lee Pang-Fei, Lee Hae-ryong, Jin Bong-jin, Lee Ho, Lei Lung,
Where to Watch: Available now, order here www.88-films.myshopify.com, www.mvdshop.com, or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: The film offers a sharp, emotionally driven martial arts tale that cuts deeper than expected. Anchored by a protagonist with a fierce sense of purpose and helmed by a director making a bold first impression, THE LADY WITH A SWORD builds a story that feels at once familiar and defiantly personal. It’s a story about vengeance, yes, but also about the limits of tradition, the cost of loyalty, and how gendered expectations get in the way of justice.

Pao-Shu Kao makes a striking directorial debut, stepping behind the camera after years in front of it. Her transition from actor to director proves more than a career move—it’s a creative assertion. Rather than following the well-worn steps typical of martial arts revenge narratives, Kao reshapes them from within, endowing the central character, Feng Fei Fei, with emotional complexity that elevates the film above its peers. Something is refreshing about seeing a swordswoman story that doesn’t shy away from the weight of its premise, instead allowing it to inform both the character's motivations and the measure of the action.

Fei Fei’s journey isn’t just about retaliation—it’s about navigating a minefield of expectation. After her sister’s murder, she discovers that one of the people responsible may be someone long positioned to join her life in an entirely different way. That relationship—and the moral headache it brings—becomes the core of the film’s tension. Rather than diving straight into battle, the script allows space for conflict to bubble between personal obligation and righteous fury. It's this duality that gives the story weight. We’re not just watching swordplay—we’re watching a woman constantly deciding which parts of herself must be sacrificed for the sake of justice.

Lily Ho leads with a performance that feels grounded but never subdued. Without formal martial arts training, she still carries herself as someone not to be underestimated. There’s a restraint in her delivery, both in dialogue and in combat, that makes her moments of emotional intensity even more striking. The choreography—courtesy of Han Ying-Chieh and Simon Chui Yee-Ang—blends style and function, often focusing on clarity and character stakes rather than just spectacle. Not every sequence dazzles, but even the simpler ones feel intentional.

Where the film truly excels is in its ability to interrogate gender dynamics without reducing its characters to symbols. Too often, stories of female warriors flatten them into emotionless archetypes or paradoxically masculinize their strength. Here, Fei Fei isn’t stripped of identity—she’s empowered by it. Her compassion, her sorrow, and her hesitation are not signs of weakness but sources of strength.

Meng Yuen-Man as Hu Tou brings a surprising vitality to the screen. While young characters in martial arts films often serve as comedic relief or passive bystanders, his role here is surprisingly on point. His agility, timing, and physicality elevate every scene he’s in. It’s no shock to learn that he trained alongside some of the biggest names in action cinema history. His contribution adds a welcome dynamic to Fei Fei’s journey—not as a distraction but as a reminder of what’s at stake.

The film’s ability to pair action with emotional undercurrents makes it a standout. It doesn’t just swing swords—it swings with purpose. The creative team never treats the fight choreography as filler; instead, it uses it as punctuation to a much larger story about betrayal, grief, and resilience. And in a genre often reluctant to center its stories around women, THE LADY WITH A SWORD not only centers one—it lets her lead with strength, grace, and emotional intelligence.

The film marks a turning point in history. Released during a shift in audience tastes from stylized swordplay to hand-to-hand combat films, it feels both like a last word and a bold transition. Pao-Shu Kao’s directorial voice is confident from the start, unafraid to play with structure, tone, and technique. The fact that she directed only one film for the Shaw Brothers feels like a missed opportunity, but her debut still resonates today.

THE LADY WITH A SWORD doesn’t need to redefine a genre to stand out. It carves out a space for itself by being intimate where others are broad, thoughtful where others are brash, and character-driven where others rely solely on choreography. It’s a story told with clarity, care, and confidence—exactly what this genre needs more of.

Bonus Materials:
High Definition (1080p) Presentation in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Limited Edition Fold-out poster
Audio Commentary with David West
2.0 DTS-HD MA Mandarin Soundtrack with newly translated English Subtitles
Stills Gallery
Limited Edition O-ring

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[photo courtesy of 88 FILMS, MVD ENTERTAINMENT]

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