5. Come Drink With Me
The classic Shaw Brothers wu xia films were less like a film filled with fighting but rather action scenes as a dance. Coming from the tradition of Peking Opera, the fight scenes in 60s and 70s Kung Fu films are fluid and visually enthralling if not fake looking. But, that does not mean they were any less great. Come Drink with Me is the perfect example of that. In fact the star of the film, Cheng Pei-pei, is not only a female protagonist, but was trained as a dancer. This is, by all means, the culmination of all classic Chinese cinema especially in terms of wu xia films which is all about mood and setting and atmosphere. Director King Hu, the master wu xia films, is able to create the mythical hero of the Golden Swallow, a female protagonist which is ever so rare in these types of films. Cheng Pei-pei, using her experiences as a dancer, is able to show grace and mystique in her moves. The elegance that she brings to her role is what makes the film excel as it does have its moments of being over longed such as these interludes of songs. But, the influence of this film is evident from Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan, so much so that there have been rumors for years that Quentin Tarantino was thinking about doing a remake of the film for the Weinstein Company.