The most popular and influential film from the most revered figure in early Hong Kong martial arts cinema, King Hu, there’s no doubting the influence of “Come Drink With Me.” In particular, fans of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” are in for some major déjà vu. This fanciful, occasionally brutal, 1966 Shaw Brothers film stars Chang Pei-Pei (34 years later, the villainous Jade Fox from “Crouching Tiger”) as Golden Swallow, a virtuous super-warrior sent to rescue her brother, who is being held hostage by a vicious gang. Along the way, she meets up with a good-natured drunk (Yueh Hua) who turns out to have several hidden talents.
There is no doubting Hu’s way with imagery and the acting is first rate, but his film nevertheless requires an open mind to appreciate. The relatively crude and choppy fight scenes might disappoint viewers used to the fluid wire-work of later wu xia extravaganzas. Also, some might not appreciate a three-song musical comedy interlude in the middle of the film, though it’s as well pulled off as any scene from a classic Hollywood musical. Finally, the otherwise solid, extras-laden Dragon Dynasty DVD is hobbled by a miserable translation. Unintentional humor caused by poorly written subtitles can be part of the fun of watching old Hong Kong films, but here they make the simple story unnecessarily hard to follow. (An English language soundtrack is less confusing, but, as usual, horribly acted.) “Come Drink with Me” really might be as great a film as its most enthusiastic boosters claim, but until a better translation comes along, it’s kind of hard for a non-Mandarin-speaker to be sure.
