Original subtitles

The Field of the Great Hold.

I don't know what it is.

The only thing I remember is that daddy was taking me to many places

very far from each other.

But he never told me why.

I remember hearing many dialects.

I learned a few of them.

But I don't remember where they come from.

Daddy was telling me

many trade stories.

Everything was a matter of commerce

to him.

If we want something,

we have to buy it... and pay it.

But to sell something, we sometimes have to pay too.

I wouldn't be able to define terms like "purchase",

"sale" and "payment".

Daddy used to say:

Justice?

There are many quarrels over right and wrong.

It's hard to define.

When we notice an injustice, we have to do something.

But we can't predict anything.

The one being unfair might be you.

Then it's pointless to have any remorse.

No one will feel pity for you.

For the moment I'm not concerned with all this.

I never knew what daddy was doing.

Until the day

when I saw pretty lights at my window.

They were blinking.

Just like in a fun fair.

It was wonderful.

Later, I learned where those lights were coming from.

My imaginary world fell apart.

That's when I started to spy

on daddy's activities.

There's also the curved sword, it's 75 cm long.

It's made of three thin steel layers.

It's three times lighter than an ordinary sword.

I also have my own Field of the Great Hold.

It involves two men.

There's Iron Skull who's been working for us for 4 years.

The day he arrived,

his glance remained etched on my memory.

The other is Ding On, an orphan that daddy took in.

I'm responsible for the scar on his face.

I was five years old, he was seven.

He didn't say a word when I hurt him.

I will owe him forever.

My debt is on his face.

Puss!

Puss!

Directed by Tsui Hark

THE BLADE

I always had a nasty thought on my mind.

I want to start a fight

between those two men.

And the winner will belong to me.

I already decided of the place and time.

The fight of my dreams will start soon.

Come to the kitchen to drink some soup.

Come to the kitchen to drink some soup.

The fight I've always dreamt about will start.

A plate for two strong men. How to share it?

But this fight isn't theirs.

It's between me and two men.

How to share a bowl of soup?

It will get cold if they don't come. Eat it yourself.

Where did Ding On and Iron Skull go?

Where are they?

This soup was the first problem between me and them.

I didn't know I would pay for it later.

This copper tin is magnificent.

It's beautiful.

- What is it? - It comes from the West.

It's a kind of savior. It saved a lot of people.

A kind of God?

Who did it save?

It's an amulet.

How much?

Do you have some money? I haven't been paid.

I saved some.

Let's kill this pig!

Look at him. He's chatting up.

Pay him later.

Help him find a girl. Hurry up.

Let go of me!

You wanted to fight, didn't you? Run!

Are you sure of the price?

It's expensive. Did you count it well?

Four times three, twelve. And a carafe of wine,

it makes 16.

Just for that? Too expensive.

Boss!

There's a problem with the bill.

Is someone refusing to pay?

Grab the knives.

Five knives to skin the ox.

Damn monk!

Never try the impossible.

Do you fix wheels? I have a problem with mine.

- The money is on the table. - Thank you.

Count it safely.

The monk fought again against several people.

But this time it's over for him. He's no match.

Let's run! Let's run!

Master! Master!

Iron Skull!

Let's run.

- Iron Skull. - Where are the hunters? Speak!

- Are you crazy? Stop! - But that's him.

Let them come if they dare!

You're no better than they are if you act like that.

Are you afraid to show yourselves?

- Are you crazy? - I must avenge this monk!

Avenge him?

We still have goods to deliver.

Iron Skull!

Where are those hunters?

We're working at the swords factory.

Our brothers will fight against you.

Come tonight if you dare.

Meet at the wood warehouse.

Our brothers from the factory will fight against you.

If you don't come we'll kill you one by one.

Meet tonight at the warehouse. Don't forget.

We're making swords.

What they're doing with them is none of our business.

The factory must remain neutral in these quarrels.

Iron Skull and Ding On have changed.

They don't talk to me anymore.

Iron Skull keeps staring at this ball.

And Ding On is looking up.

They weren't like that before.

The fight of my dreams will start soon.

Will I be the stake?

It doesn't matter

as long as the winner

belongs to me.

I hate those hunters! Let's kill them!

They'll never stop if we let them unpunished.

What's going on?

No deliveries today?

What are those swords for? Is it war?

Some hunters are terrorizing people. Everybody is afraid.

So what? Do you plan to kill them all?

- To make them run away. - To make them run away?

Are you here to make swords or to fight?

Do you know how to fight?

Why are you watching Ding On?

Harder!

- Harder! - Well done.

- Harder! - Well done!

Speak! Speak!

Harder!

I'll fight if you won't.

Do you persist in your choice?

Master, they want to help people.

Do you want to fight too?

Kneel!

It was a monk.

Why didn't anyone interced?

Boss, you're a buddhist.

Does Buddha promote violence?

I want to keep up my reputation.

I won't let anyone slander me.

Go up to take the sign off!

- Have you heard? - This monk was killed.

Silence!

Quiet. It's none of your business.

Say something!

Two days later,

it was the annual celebration of the sword.

I never imagined things would change.

This day, I entered

this field of the Great Hold they had talked about.

It's a bloody ceremony.

Keep quiet. You'll throw flowers soon.

You'll catch butterflies.

And you'll buy a nice vase to put them in.

I'm not a child anymore. I grew up!

I decided

that if I could, I'd kill them all.

But I wasn't able to do it.

Our annual celebration of the sword is today.

This broken sword will bring us 20 years of peace.

Its history

encourages us to be good.

I'm getting old. Making swords is for young people.

I've decided to promote one of you as my successor.

It will be Ding On.

He's with me since the beginning.

That's why he will succeed me.

Master!

Master, I don't know how to run a company.

If you can't do it, who will?

I want to pass it on to you.

My decision is made.

His orders will be mine.

You will do as he says.

Any suggestions?

Put this on.

Don't say anything if you want to follow us.

We have no future here.

Unless we do like Ding On.

Fake loyalty towards the master.

It did him good.

I don't want to stay here any longer. They can fire me.

I won't accept this traitor as a master.

How will he run the company?

All he can do is breaking swords.

And there's Siu Ling. One of us has to seduce her.

He wants to be her husband!

Let's go first.

Why are you quarrelling?

Why don't you want to wear an armor?

The master will punish us. And I can't bear that thought.

What kind of attitude is it?

Put on the armor or I'll break your jaw!

Succeeding the master, with all those workers.

They're gonna hate him.

If the old master had thought about it he wouldn't have acted like that.

Ding On's father died so miserably.

Even if he thinks he's indebted to him,

it's gonna kill him.

Daddy is indebted to him?

His father died miserably?

What happened?

He was hung and skinned alive.

It was horrible!

The old master never said anything. I'm not supposed to talk about it.

Amah Mah, what's happening to you? It's nothing.

I saw a black shadow. I knew it was Ding On.

And I could see his face.

Since that night,

the nightmare everybody had forgotten

suddenly reappeared.

I was trying to escape his piercing glance.

I had never seen him like that.

Don't ask me questions! I don't know anything!

- What was my father's name? - I don't know.

Tell me!

Daddy told me a long time ago but I forgot.

My last name isn't Man.

What was your father's name?

I believe it was Lai.

Daddy told me: "Fast Sword in the River of the Noon."

"His sword weights more than 50 kg."

Did he die miserably?

Daddy didn't tell you anything so you won't try to take revenge.

How did he die?

He was killed by a powerful man.

A terrifying man able to fly.

His body is covered with tatoos.

A long time ago when daddy lived far away from here,

he met some pillagers.

He managed to escape with his people.

But your familly was slaughtered.

Your father put you on his back when he fought the bandits.

This broken sword belonged to your father.

Master, my father's murderer is here!

Fei?

You're too slow! Faster!

Brother Fung!

Tell me.

It's Fei Lung. He can fly.

His body is covered with tatoos.

Identify yourself!

Master. Tell me.

Was my father named Lai?

Who told you that?

Who killed him? What's his name?

I won't tell you. I promised your father.

I won't tell you as long as I'll live.

Very well, don't tell me. That's your right.

But how was my father?

Did he deserve to die?

Take my son!

- Did he deserve to die? - No.

Was he a good man?

Yes.

Master, you took care of me.

I'm grateful for that.

Here's an amulet from the West.

It will bring you peace.

Keep it.

Faster!

I'm coming!

The standard bearer must run in the front!

Ding On!

Ding On!

Ding On!

Ding On, where are you?

A bird was caught in a trap.

Ding On!

Siu Ling!

And here's a pig!

Did you kidnap a girl?

Siu Ling!

Siu Ling!

Siu Ling!

Siu Ling!

It's gonna be alright.

We'll go back home.

Ding On! Let's run quickly!

Siu Ling!

Let me grab your shoulder!

Give me my father's sword back!

- This way! - Give it back to me!

This way!

Give it back to me!

Give it back to me!

Give it back to me!

Give it back to me!

Give it back to me!

Here!

Ding On fell in it?

- Go down to check. - It's deep.

Iron Skull!

I'm here!

Ding On was here!

Don't worry about me! Save Ding On.

Don't worry about me! Save Ding On!

- Dow! - Don't worry about me!

Do you hear? Save Ding On!

The mountain is wooded.

We wanted to find Ding On before dawn.

Two days later we still hadn't found his body.

Some said he had been eaten by wolves.

And others said he was still alive.

Whatever had happened to him, his arm

was put near the memorial dedicated to my father.

Ding On, are you back?

Ding On!

I thought he was back.

They told me it was his spirit.

Let's pray! Let's pray together!

Let's pray! Let's pray together!

Ding On...

You've had a serene and quiet life.

But the factory

will never be peaceful again.

My arm!

My arm!

My arm!

My arm!

My arm!

My arm!

Daddy, now that I lost my arm,

I can't avenge you anymore.

Bless me. I'll build my house here.

I'm sorry.

This sword, take it back.

Hey one-armed boy, we're calling you. Here!

You have to work.

This food is revolting.

Here.

Clear the table. Don't you have anything to do?

Master Fei Lung.

Fei Lung...

Is he the one claiming he can fly?

Who are you to touch me like that?

It was a stupid pig. It was trampling on everything.

Even with the head severed, it kept on trampling.

Why are you doing this? It's a disgrace.

You can't earn your life.

Life is full of dangers.

Everybody's working hard to survive.

You need luck to succeed.

And you need to jump at opportunities.

Only the fast survive. What about the slow?

They have nothing to eat.

There's no point in working hard.

Where are you going one-armed? The boss is calling you.

Get to work! Did you want to hit me?

Did you?

We have to cut his head off.

Siu Ling, get up!

Get up!

On your feet! Get up!

Is this how you're waiting for Ding On's return?

You look like a ghost.

Go outside with the others.

You say he's alive. We're going to look for him.

We'll wait if we can't find him.

Look in what sorry state you are!

Get dressed! We'll look for Ding On.

You're as stubborn as a mule, eat a papaya.

A pig almost stole it.

Why this old knife?

I use it everyday.

I wanted to use your sword.

But you didn't want to and you buried it.

I would like to have some money to buy a sword.

You're weird.

Did you get paid?

Those are knives from the swords factory.

- From the swords factory? - Yes, they're good quality stuff.

Do they really come from the factory?

There's an awl. They're good knives.

Which factory?

There's only one. It's the most famous.

Don't you know it?

That's enough.

Only fools don't buy knives.

They're sharp and strong.

They're made of the best steel.

And they're stainless. We can even kill with them.

Many things changed

since my childhood.

Here's the Field of the Great Hold

they used to mention.

Suddenly, I understood.

The fight between Iron Skull and Ding On

won't take place where I wanted to.

This woman is scaring me.

I don't know her, but her stare

seems to mean that she knows me well.

Here's the Field of the Great Hold.

I don't understand anymore.

I didn't think I would find happy people there.

Yet, they seem to be.

But are they really happy?

Maybe they know how to be happy.

Why are you staring at me like that?

Go away! Go away!

Take this sword, maybe you'll need it someday.

You can rest peacefully.

I'll watch the entrance.

Eat something when you'll wake up.

We still have a long way to go tomorrow.

Everybody got a sword. It was my turn.

That's when I started hating everybody.

I hated Iron Skull. I hated Ding On.

And I hated myself.

I was nothing.

I got lost.

Just like them.

I could feel they were playing a game.

A brutal game.

Where have you been?

How dare you throw wine at my face! Don't ever do it again!

Lick me up to the last drop!

You're new here.

It's the first time you're coming here.

Yes.

May I offer you a drink?

No thanks, I'm in a hurry.

Are you refusing my invitation? You're insulting me.

I told you you're insulting me!

You can drink it alone.

My turn.