The Ghost Hill

1971 ｜ 92min｜ Color ｜ DCP When swordsmen Tsai Ying-chieh and Feng Chun-ching have a duel, Tsai wins and obtains the sacred Purple Light Sword as a result. Chin Yen-wang is a gang leader who terrorizes the villagers. Chin sends an underling of his in disguise of Feng to kill Tsai’s master and steals the sacred sword and another in disguise of Tsai to kill Feng’s master, hoping that Tsai and Feng will fight each other to death. However, Feng’s master’s daughter, Flying Swallow, finds out about the truth and stops the duel. Together, they defeat Chin and retrieve the sacred sword. Nonetheless, as countless people covet the sword, which has caused so much bloodshed, Tsai throws it into a lake and leaves with Flying Swallow. Director Ting Shan-hsi puts a lot of efforts into the story, production design, costume, action choreography and the romance between the protagonist and the two swordswomen. Protagonist Tsai Ying-chieh must seek revenge for his father’s murder but gets caught between two women, and that makes Tsai’s emotional struggle even more complicated for the actor to covey it. The action choreography is complex and varied, and the unique innovative costume design and the wide range of weapons bring in new elements into the production. From the studio set, the location shooting, the different devices, the various places where fighting takes place to the explosions, these features contribute to the brand-new viewing experience the production offers to the audiences. Director: TING Shan-hsi Ting Shan-hsi was born in Qingdao in 1935, and passed away in 2009. Moved to Taiwan with his father in 1948, Ting was a filmmaker and screenwriter who had worked for major studios including the Shaw Brothers and CMPC and had made more than 70 films in Taiwan and Hong Kong. He was also known for his patriotic films, such as Eight Hundred Heroes and The Battle for the Republic of China.