One woman, eighteen dudes, zero chill — the 1960s wuxia that started it all.
Siao Fong-fong, who played the heroine Sha Yen, was a young actress who enjoyed huge popularity at that time. The Daring Gang of Nineteen from Verdun City (aka 19 Heroes of the Green Mountain) portrays how Sha Yen practices kung fu with her eighteen fellow male disciples, vowing to seek revenge for the murder of her parents. Produced by Hsin Hwa Motion Picture Company in Hong Kong, it was shot in Taiwan and featured the local landscape. The credits show that renowned director Sung Tsun-shou worked as script supervisor on the production. The theme, “avenging the murder of one’s parents”, is typical of a traditional martial arts movie. Siao Fong-fong as a lovely young swordswoman in the film left a deep impression on countless fans.
Practical Effects
Pre-wire fu action — real bodies, real pain, real ambition.
Cinematography
Taiwan's landscapes frame every duel like painted scrolls.
Costume
Siao's swordswoman silhouette defined the look for decades.
Director
Tu Kuang-chi
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This film helped establish Taiwan as a location for Hong Kong productions fleeing mainland politics, creating the 'Taiwan-Hong Kong wuxia pipeline' that dominated 1960s martial arts cinema.
Sung Tsun-shou's script supervision here is ironic — he'd soon direct his own revenge classics, while Siao would become Hong Kong's biggest female star, making this her origin story in every sense.
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