One of the coolest films

"DUBEI DAO (ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN)" isn't one of the greatest of films, but it surely ranks as one of the coolest.
I made that observation last night, as I watched one particular scene in Chang Cheh's 1967 wuxia classic.
His arm cut off by his martial-arts master's spoiled daughter, Fang Gang (Jimmy Wang Yu) uses an old, burnt book on fighting to teach himself left-handed swordplay.
In one of my favorite scenes, Fang Gang faces an armed gang at a roadside inn. His victory is marvelous, complete with tea cups used as effective weapons.
With the theme of the lone hero against many well-armed foes, the scene merges Spaghetti Western and Samurai film traditions -- the very combination that made "Dubei Dao" such a revolutionary film in Hong Kong's cinematic history.
"Dubei Dao" provided a template for Hong Kong action films for years to come.
Last night, it was deeply satisfying watching the oh-so-cool original -- especially the scene at the inn.