a DIACHRONIC study of the IMAGE of the POWERFUL FEMALE in POPULAR (and maybe other) CULTURES
Saturday, May 30, 2015
YEAR 1966: GOLDEN SWALLOW
I confess that it's been quite a while since I screened King Hu's influential kung-fu drama COME DRINK WITH ME, and I don't remember being knocked out by its somewhat old-fashioned plot, though I accept the verdict of authorities who consider it a pivotal work in the history of commercial Hong Kong films in this genre. But it deserves a mention here in that it's credited with being the first modern film to focus upon the adventures of a female kung-fu diva, one "Golden Swallow," played by Cheng Pei Pei (best known to contemporary viewers for her role in CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON),
Given that I don't have that much new information to impart, I'll pass over the usual summation and simply link to an online essay that explores the film and its director in more depth than I can.
h