Lady with a Sword – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1971
Director: Kao Pao-shu
Writer: Ni Kuang
Cast: Lily Ho, James Nam Seok-Hoon, Meng Yuen-Man, Wang Hsieh, Chai No, Lin Jing, Ou-Yang Sha-Fei

Release Date: April 21st, 2025 (UK), April 22nd, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 88 Minutes 40 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Mandarin
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK), $34.95 (USA)

"When her sister is attacked and murdered, swordswoman Feng Fei-fei (Lily Ho, Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan) knows just what to do – find the culprits and slice ‘em up. But her righteous vengeance is compromised when she learns just who her target is: the man her parents have arranged for her to marry..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "High Definition Blu-ray presentation in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio".

Lady with a Sword comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 25.4 GB

Feature: 23.9 GB

Though the transfer uses a dated source, it is in excellent shape. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is solid. That said, there does appear to be some digital noise reduction that is inherent to the source.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Mandarin with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extra for this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background (15 images), an audio commentary with David West, reversible cover art, a double-sided foldout poster, and a slipcase (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

A young woman with extraordinary sword-fighting skills seeks vengeance against four bandits who assaulted and murdered her sister.

Lady with a Sword was directed by a first-time director named Kao Pao-shu; before directing, she was an actress who starred in over 75 films for The Shaw Brothers. Though Lady with a Sword explores the familiar theme of revenge, it does so from the perspective of a male-dominated world. In addition to being directed by a female filmmaker, Lady with a Sword features a female sword fighter as its protagonist, who is on a quest for vengeance.

If you have seen enough martial arts films, they start to blend into each other with their familiar scenarios. Fortunately, one aspect that all of the best martial arts films share is their captivating opening sequences. That said, Lady with a Sword has an exemplary opening sequence that draws you in and holds your attention.

Anchoring the story that unfolds is Lily Ho (Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan), who portrays Feng Fei-fei, the woman who seeks revenge. Her character is strong-willed and confident, and her performance perfectly captures these qualities. Another performance of note is Lin Jing (The 14 Amazons), who portrays the mother of the man who killed Feng Fei-fei’s sister. Her character's only concern is protecting her son, even when he should face consequences for his actions.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Lady with a Sword is lacking. The familiar premise is well-executed and given a solid plot twist where one of the men responsible for Feng Fei-fei’s sister was once romantically linked to her. The narrative does an excellent job balancing exposition and action, with everything building to a lengthy fight sequence finale where everything comes into focus. And when it comes to the fight sequences, they are all exemplary. Ultimately, Lady with a Sword is a must-see for fans of Wuxia films.

Lady with a Sword gets a first-rate release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an informative audio commentary, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer