Swordswomen Three

Synopsis

Swordswomen Three (江湖三女俠) is a 1970 Hong Kong wuxia film starring Essie Lin Chia that follows the turbulent lives of three skilled female warriors in the lawless martial world of jianghu. Bound together by circumstance and a shared code of honor, the three women navigate rival clans, shifting loyalties and the personal costs of their swordsman’s life. The film emphasizes hand-to-hand choreography, swordplay and the emotional bonds between its leads, blending action with moments of quiet character interaction. Rooted in the visual and storytelling style of late-1960s/early-1970s Hong Kong martial cinema, Swordswomen Three highlights female agency in a genre often dominated by male heroes, offering brisk combat set pieces, period costumes and the era’s characteristic moral conflicts without relying on contemporary special effects. The result is a compact, character-driven wuxia entry that will appeal to viewers interested in classic Hong Kong action and female-led swordplay dramas.

Cast

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  Essie Lin Chia

  Han Ju Mei

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  Shen Yi

  Han Yu-Mei

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  Lo Lieh

  Chu Tien Hsiang

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  Chang Yi

  Hsu Chin-Wu

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  Violet Pan Ying-Zi

  Han Hsiao-Lan

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  Huang Tsung-Hsun

  Chung Pa-Tien

Reviews

Contemporary mainstream critical coverage for Swordswomen Three is limited, as the film is a lesser-known entry from the crowded Hong Kong martial-arts output of the period. Among available audience sources, the film is modestly rated on user-driven sites: "IMDb: 6.3/10" (user rating). Major aggregator sites do not show a broad critical consensus: "Rotten Tomatoes: no aggregated critic score available" and "Metacritic: no score listed."

Fan and genre-oriented responses tend to be mixed-to-positive. Supporters praise its focus on three female protagonists — a relative rarity in period martial films — and often single out Essie Lin Chia’s presence and the committed fight choreography as highlights. Viewers familiar with Shaw-era and small-studio wuxia films appreciate the movie’s authentic period atmosphere, economical storytelling and an emphasis on practical, hand-crafted action rather than modern cinematic polish.

Criticisms commonly noted by viewers concern production limitations that are typical for lower-profile Hong Kong pictures of the era: uneven pacing, occasionally thin plotting, dated dubbing or sound design, and modest production values compared with higher-budget contemporaries. Some modern viewers find the character development less deep than in more celebrated wuxia classics, though many accept this as part of the film’s straightforward, action-first approach.

Overall, Swordswomen Three is regarded by fans of vintage Hong Kong martial cinema as an enjoyable, female-driven genre piece with memorable fight moments and period charm, while mainstream critics and casual viewers may view it as a competent but not essential entry. If you value era-specific choreography and a focus on women warriors in the jianghu, the film delivers; if you expect lush production values or complex plotting, you may come away wanting more.