Trilogy of Swordsmanship is a 1972 martial arts/wuxia Anthology Film released by Shaw Brothers, consisting of three episodes each headed by a different director at the peak of their career in the studios. Each story with a running time of roughly 30 minutes tells an independent plot, which shares no continuity, set in different eras, as a showcase of each director's talents and their capability of compressing what would usually reserved for a feature-length film in roughly one-third the amount of time.
The trilogy consists of the following mini-episodes:
Episode 1: The Iron Bow (directed by Griffin Yueh Feng) revolves around a Love Triangle that intersects with the titular bow. Ying Ying (Shih Szu) finds herself the object of affection of Master Shi, a martial arts clan leader and powerful bandit chief, which she doesn't reciprocate due to her love for Master Kuang (Yueh Hua). Both men, however, need to prove their love for her to be genuine, through an Iron Bow which is the family heirloom of Ying's deceased father; only a hero who can lift and shoot an arrow from the weapon can earn Ying Ying's hand in marriage.
It... doesn't end well.
Episode 2: The Tigress (directed by Cheng Kang) tells a romance story of a much grander scale, between the Imperial General Wang Xing Yu (Tsung Wa) and the Emperor's concubine, Shih Chung Yu (Lily Li). Both of them are deeply in love, but due to Shih belonging to the Emperor, their love is a forbidden one. And when General Wang is framed for a crime and is to be executed, Shih Ching Yu attempts to plea for clemency to the Imperial Court to get the decision reversed. The only thing that stands between the lovers is Pang Hsun (Lo Lieh), a powerful rival lord.
It... doesn't end well.
Episode 3: White Water Strand (directed by Chang Cheh) is by far the most action-packed and intense of the trilogy, with most of Chang Cheh's regular casts involved. Seemingly taking place after the events of The Water Margin, much of the final segment feels like the climax of a film not shown: a heroic wanderer, Mu Yu-Ji (David Chiang) who is a legend among martial arts clans, is framed by a corrupt Magistrate working in tandem with Master Luo Tian Yi, a traitor to the martial arts world. The villains intends to sell out their country to gain the favor of the invading Mongol warlords, but a crew of heroic warriors, led by the siblings Hsu Shi-Ying (Ti Lung) and Hsu Feng-Ying (Li Ching) are dedicated to bail the hero out if it means getting Mu Yu-Ji on their side.
Tropes pertaining the entire trilogy, as a whole:
- Action Girl: Ying Ying from The Iron Bow and Hsu Feng Ying from White Water Strand are both capable fighters who kick as much ass as their male co-stars.
- Anyone Can Die: The film boasts a massive cast of wuxia icons, and only four of them ( Yueh Hua, Shih Szu, Li Ching, David Chiang) survives their respective segments.
- Ensemble Cast: The cast consists of numerous major stars under Shaw Brothers' contract, each with prominent roles in every sub-episode.
- Stock Wushu Weapons: Every form of weapon from typical wuxia gets used in every episode, from the jian to the gun and qiang. White Water Strand notably had the entire band of marauders wielding most of the weapons associated with his trope.
Episode 1: The Iron Bow contain examples of:
- Battle Couple: Master Kuang and Ying Ying in the finale.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Master Shi, after being rejected by Ying Ying and proving himself to be unworthy of her marriage, is willing to send his own army of mercenaries to have her kidnapped.
- Hopeless Suitor: Master Shi towards Ying Ying, and he's Not Good with Rejection.
- Only the Chosen May Wield: Only the Worthy of Pulling Open the Iron Bow may Win Ying Ying's hand in Marriage. Master Shi doesn't take it well when he realize he's unable to wield said bow.
- Weapon Title: The episode is named after the family heirloom of the Ying family, where the daughter Ying Ying can only be bethrothed to a hero capable of wielding said bow.
Episode 2: The Tigress contain examples of:
- Plot-Inciting Infidelity: The plot is kicked off by a love affair between Shih Chung Yu, a courtesan, and General Wang, despite the former being entitled to the Imperial Court.
- Downer Ending: The segment ends with General Wang's death, and it's implied Shih Chung Yu will follow him soon after in a Together in Death moment.
- Hooker with a Heart of Gold: Shih Chung Yu the courtesan to General Wang. She may be a mere concubine but her love for him is genuine.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Shih Chung Yu and General Wang.
Episode 3: White Water Strand contain examples of:
- And the Adventure Continues: The film ends with Mu Yu-Ji and Hsu Feng-Ying, the only two survivors of the outlaws, riding out of town to expose the corrupt magistrate's crimes and warn the Imperial Court of the impending Mongol invasion.
- Badass Crew: The rebel team led by the Hsu siblings, who can take on armies far larger in size and win.
- Big Badass Battle Sequence: The battle between the Liangshan rebels, against the corrupt Magistrate's army and Master Luo Tian Yi's acolytes, which climaxes the film's last 15 minutes.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: While the two previous segments only have a single major villain, this one has two, the corrupt Magistrate supporting the Mongol invaders and the villainous Master Luo Tian Yi who commands his own army of Elite Mooks.
- Bittersweet Ending: Mu Yu-Ji is saved, the corrupt Magistrate and his subordinates are all killed, but most of the outlaws have died in the aftermath of battle as well with Mu Yu-Ji and Hsu Feng-Ying as the only survivors. They then set off to warn the Imperial Court of the invasion and to recruit more heroes for their cause.
- Brother–Sister Team: The heroic Liangshan rebels are led by the siblings, Hsu Shi-Ying and Hsu Feng-Ying.
- Category Traitor: Master Luo towards the heroic outlaws, who willingly serves a corrupt magistrate for wealth and power.
- Characters Dropping Like Flies: Basically everyone in the finale. Save for Mu Yu-Ji and Hsu Feng-Ying, who then ensures everyone's sacrifices aren't in vain by setting off to the Capital City and alerting the court of the invasion.
- Corrupt Politician: The evil Magistrate working in cahoots with the invading Mongols, who intends to have every hero of Liangshan captured, framed and executed to get himself in the good graces of his new superiors.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: Hsu Shi-Ying in the hands of his sister, Hsu Feng-Ying, after a lengthy battle that sees almost all the heroes dead in the aftermath.
- Distant Sequel: The movie supposedly takes place decades after The Water Margin, released by the same studios just a year earlier.
- Elite Mook: Luo Tian Yi's proteges are expert fighters clad in brown, who Dual Wield unique weapons and puts up a far better fight than regular mooks. Under the command of their Master, they also managed to kill off quite a few named characters.
- Hero Killer: Luo Tian Yi is described to be a corrupt martial artist who is responsible for the deaths of most of the heroic outlaws, and in the climax he inflicts a mortal stab on Hsu Shi-Ying.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Luo Tian-Yi, who uses a net to maim and disable opponents (see below) ends up having Mu Yu-Ji grabbing his net and forcing it to close backwards into himself, where he gets ensnared instead as Mu Yu-Ji lands a fatal stab killing the villain.
- Inescapable Net: Befitting him as an Improbable Weapon User, Luo Tian Yi's preferred weapon is a solid net that opens and closes like an umbrella, which he can use to ensnare his targets allowing for easy impalement with his sword. This is how he managed to inflict a life-threatening injury on Hsu Shi-Ying resulting in the hero's demise after the battle.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: The heroes infiltrates the public execution by disguising themselves as farmers, and hiding their weapons in bales of hay and common farming tools. Somehow, it works.
- Public Execution: Mu Yu-Ji is subjected to being executed in a public market as a punishment for treason at the end of the film, and the rebels, led by the Hsu siblings, need to intervene the execution.
- Sole Survivor: Mu Yu-Ji and Hsu Feng-Ying are the only named heroes who are still alive by the end of this segment.
- Stealth Sequel: The film is implied to take place decades after the events of The Water Margin, with the new heroes being descendants of the original film's characters.
