Jet Li and Brigitte Lin star in martial arts romance epic Swordsman II (1992)

The best example of the swordfighting wave that re-emerged during Hong Kong cinema’s golden age of the 1980s and early 90s, Swordsman II features Jet Li Lianjie and Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia in a gloriously frantic homage to master martial arts director King Hu (A Touch of Zen [1971]).

Directed by Ching Siu-tung, who is often associated with Tsui Hark, the producer of this second instalment, the Swordsman trilogy was notable for the way it used special effects, combined with reams of traditional wire-work, to modernise the genre.

Also talked about at the time was its unusual – for a martial arts film – treatment of sexuality. Although it’s left unspecific, Lin’s alluring villain/villainess is pitched some­where between transgender and hermaphrodite.

This wuxia story loosely follows on from The Swordsman (1990), which was based on a novel by martial arts writer Jin Yong. The plotting is messy – this was, after all, the era of “flying paper”, when the actors’ lines were written while shooting the scene.

Lin plays Invincible East, the leader of a highland sect that is in a pitched battle with another group, Sun and Moon, for control of their territory. Invincible East has possession of the magic scrolls from part one, which increase her powers, and will also, Invincible hopes, complete her sex change from man to woman. Into this melee comes Lingwu (Li), a traveller who sides with Sun and Moon against Invincible East. Unexpected feelings of love for Lingwu threaten to become Invincible East’s undoing.