The 14 Amazons

Long before “feminism” made it to Hong Kong, women proved themselves more than equal to men in this martial arts classic, a forerunner to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Set in ancient China, a matriarchal clan proves as adept with sword, fist, and gravity-defying leaps as anything conjured up by the Crouching Tiger ladies thirty years later. The cast is a veritable “who’s who” of the golden age of Shaw Brothers swordplay adventures, and was not only a major box office hit (ranking fourth for 1972), but also a top prize winner, including Best Supporting Actress for Lisa Lu, a special citation for outstanding lead female performance for Lily Ho, Best Director for Cheng Kang, and an award for Honourable Mention For Drama.