The basis of this movie is Ma (Mu in Chinese Vengence) is an Army solider on the "way up" who "transforms" Chang and Wong from bandits into soldiers. Things are okay until Ma/Mu takes a shine to Chang's wife, Mi-Lan (Chang treats her like crap while he cats around so attention from Ma/MU is greatly appreciated). The 3 men become blood brothers and take over a bandits "base" (they're secretly part of the Darkside). and train the reformed bandits to become soldiers. Ma/Mu leaves to continue his military career - becoming a General in 3 short years. Ma/Mu allows power to corrupt him to the point he kills Chang to get Mi-Lan all to himself. Wong kills Ma/Mu to avenge Chang, for which he is of course executed. This leaves Mi-Lan alone and pondering if it were all really worth it. I'm going with - NO. No, it wasn't. Good fight scenes though. Hey, it's a Shaw Brothers production. Fights scenes are essential.

SPOILER: Chinese martial arts movies have a history of strong female martial artists as lead characters. Josephine Siao, Connie Chan, and Betty Lo Tieh took many lead roles in the 1960s going against male villains such as Sek Kin. Chang Cheh directed "One-Armed Swordsman" in 1967 and starting there, let me just say he had a different opinion about women in martial arts movies. I consider this movie his masterpiece. The life blood of a good movie is conflict. Conflict is to the fourth power in this movie. The male leads despite being blood brothers are always in conflict. Then there's that troublesome woman. I love when a movie starts by giving away the ending. David Chiang will be executed without doubt from scene one. Telling the story from his point of view is the best choice. He is the moderator, the peace keeper, he sees everything going on and he tries to stop it all from going to hell. Also unusual is the fact that there is no villain in this movie. In a way each lead character's fatal flaw is the villain. There is no overcoming of fatal flaws so in a sense all four villains win in this tragedy. I would love to see the movie expanded to one of those 80 episode dramas like Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber.

The Blood Brothers is one of the best Kung Fu movies of all time for many reasons. First, it is one of the few Kung Fu movies that has a plot that not only makes sense, but it is a bit more complex. Second, all actors are amazing. Third, the story begins as a flashback, something that is rare in Kung Fu movies. And this is well done.The story follows two bandits, Chang Wen Hsiang (David Chiang) and Huang Chang (Chen Kuan-tai) who attempt to rob Ma Xinyi (Ti Lung). They fail to defeat Ma, and so they decide to join forces with Ma and become blood brothers.At first they take over a hill under the control of bandits and then train the bandits, creating their small private army. However, the wife of Huang, Mi Lan (Ching Li) falls in love with Ma. Ma tries not to see Mi Lan because he does not want to betray his blood brothers, but the film shows that he is in love with her.After a few years Ma recruits his blood brothers and his private army to the Qing army and they fight rebels. But Ma's love for Mi Lan will lead him to betray his blood brothers................That is a synopsis of the plot. The story lets you know from the start that Chang killed Ma. So what keeps the plot interesting is how those close friends could kill each other.The only criticism I can make is that while the film makes the love story between Ma and Mi Lan believable and while it also makes believable that Chang and Huang are friends, it spends little time developing the relationship between Chang and Huang and Ma. Ma never seems to be a real friend of the two bandits and the viewer cannot really believe that Chang and Huang believe so much on Ma. But this in no way means that the Blood Brothers is not a good movie. Also most Kung Fu movies use the plot as an excuse to connect Kung Fu battles. This movie uses the Kung Fu scenes to connect the Plot instead. Even without Kung Fu scenes, the movie would still be awesome. But the Kung Fu battles are awesome and really good to see.Now the rating:Plot: 4/5 Acting: 4/5 Kung Fu battles: 3/5 Scenery: 5/5So in total, this films ranks 8/10. It is an awesome film, one of the best Kung Fu movies, but the films fails in the blood brothers relationship part. Had it had more development between the three main characters, this might well had been ranked 9.

Blood Brothers (1973) was a depressing film that was based upon a true story. During the waning days of the Ching Dynasty, a soldier (David Chiang) is accused of murdering a high ranking Provencial Governor (Ti Lung). A trial is held and the soldier writes out an account of what happened between the two men and what led to his murder. We find out that Ma (Ti Lung) was fooling around with his best friend's wife. Even though the three men were considered "blood brothers" and treated each other as if they're blood relations. In a desperate attempt to get rid of his friend and erase the shame and dishonor of having an affair with a married woman (the three brothers refer to her as sister), he has him killed.Chiang knows that Ma had his best friend killed so he vows to honor his dead friend and tries to assassinate Govenor Ma. He only wounds him before the two have a bloody fight that leaves Ma dying from a nasty stomach wound. The judge doesn't believe a word he says and has him beaten and throttled. Sentenced has been passed. Not only will he be executed for murdering Govenor Ma but for the death of his friend as well. He's taken out by Ma's henchmen and in a scene that was later "used" in BRAVEHEART, Chiang was disemboweled with a knife and a hook whilst tied up. His "sister" watches from her room as he's slowly gutted to death. Ma's men are pleased as he finally get's his justice served. Directed by Chang Cheh.Highly recommended.