It is highly refreshing to see Celestial Pictures give director Chor Yuen his due. Instead of pushing the films of Chang Cheh, King Hu, or Liu Chia Liang, they choose to release several of Chor Yuen’s Ku Lung swordplay adaptations for their first batch of DVDs. This great director should indeed be held in the same high regard as his contemporaries as he possesses some specialized directing abilities that successfully bring to life the characters and concepts of legendary Wuxia novelist Ku Lung. One of his biggest strengths is his artistic eye for the camera and composition, resulting in some truly colorful, detailed, and stunning cinematography. The man also knows how to motivate his actors and actresses to bring emotion and suspense to the multi-layered scripts of Shaw Brothers idea man, I Kuang. So far, Celestial has released THE BASTARD (1973), KILLER CLANS (1976), THE MAGIC BLADE (1976), and DEATH DUEL (1976). Well, add the little-seen CLANS OF INTRIGUE (1977) to that list. This time, Chor Yuen brings back the great Ti Lung, Yueh Hua (INVINCIBLE SWORD, WEB OF DEATH, GREEN DRAGON INN) Ling Yun (FISTS OF VENGEANCE, SUN MOON LEGEND, TWIN BLADES OF DOOM), Ku Feng (AVENGING EAGLE, KILLER CLANS, THE HEROIC ONES) and a bevy of Asian beauties including Nora Miao (THE DREAM SWORD, MASK OF VENGEANCE, THE BLADE SPARES NONE), Nancy Yen (DRAGON FORCE OPERATION, EVERLASTING CHIVALRY, HEROINE OF TRIBULATION), Ching Li (SWORD OF SWORDS, KING EAGLE, THE GOLDEN LION), and many more.

Master thief Chu Liu-Hsiang was a staple in several of Ku Lung’s novels, and Ti Lung breathes life into the character by portraying him as charming and roguish, though not arrogant in any way. The role calls for intelligence and diligence, too as Chu Liu Hsiang is considered a far-east version of Sherlock Holmes, solving mysteries though investigation. In CLANS OF INTRIGUE, a secret conspiracy kills off the leaders of three rival clans. The masterminds behind this scheme implicate Chu Liu Hsiang as a prime suspect. To prove his innocence, the master thief and martial artist must travel through the outlands investigating every lead and interrogating the opposing clans members. Along the way, a masked red Ninja pounces on him, and Chiu Liu Hsiang is forced to deal with this re-occuring attacker. Along his voyage of discovery, Chu Liu Hsiang makes enemies and through twists of fate secures allies. The answer to the riddles lay within the Palace of the Magic Water, a semi-magical place where the rules of our reality do not apply.

Though Chor Yuen’s forte is storytelling, acting, and visual grandeur, he has a few weaknesses which plague CLANS OF INTRIGUE. The director has a hard time portraying fantastical elements of Ku Lung’s mythical novels. The idea of a undefeatable multi-sexual antagonist bogs down what otherwise could be an outstanding effort. Whereas Chor Yuen overcame the fantasy elements of THE MAGIC BLADE, here they bog the film down. The displays of magic in CLANS OF INTRIGUE are weak and serve no purpose. One other problem is the action scenes themselves. The actual sword fights and combat scenes, though expertly executed, are too short and improperly placed in the narrative making stretches of long inactivity between fights. This leads the viewer wishing for the next fight sequence which never seems to materialize. So despite being a gorgeous and well crafted martial arts swordplay film, CLANS OF INTRIGUE suffers from these problems which affect the movie’s flow. The final revelations surrounding the intrigue are also hard to swallow.

Ti Lung rises to this acting challenge often making up for the some of the plot holes. Ling Yun gets points too, as hired killer Li Tien Hung, who guards Ti Lung’s back because of a life debt owed to him. Though his character is selfish and loathsome, Ling Yun brings out the character’s positive traits such as bravery, determination, and grit. Yueh Hua portrays Ti Lung’s ally, the honorable monk Wu Hua. Despite being a top notch martial artist, this monk is not your ordinary religious man. Yueh Hua’s subtle performance makes it clear that this Monk has his own desires and wants. These traits sow the seeds to the conspiracy within. Honorable mentions go to Nora Maio, Betty Pei Ti, Nancy Yen, Ha Ping, and Ching Li in the respective portrayal of their characters. Never has a Shaw Brothers production boasted such a female cast and actually used each character to their full potential! The females get more screen time the main characters. Depending on your viewpoint, this is either a strength or a weakness. CLANS OF INTRIGUE was also a first for Shaw Brothers for depicting the first lesbian kiss in a martial arts film (though why Celestial chose to edit this sequence out for this DVD release is beyond me).