Broken Oath A.K.A. Lady Killer • 破戒 (1977)

STORY OVERVIEW

A woman is imprisoned after her husband is murdered by a group of ruthless men. She gives birth to a daughter behind prison walls and, before her death, asks her fellow prisoner to make sure the child grows up knowing the truth about the men who destroyed her family. Hoping to spare the girl from a life of violence, the woman instead sends her to a Shaolin Buddhist nunnery.

Years later, Lotus has become a highly skilled martial artist, but her fierce temperament and love of fighting eventually lead to her expulsion from the monastery. When she learns what happened to her parents, she begins hunting the men responsible. Her search brings her into conflict with corrupt officials, dangerous fighters, and rebels, forcing her to decide how far she is willing to go to complete her mother's final wish.

MARTIAL ARTS HIGHLIGHTS

Broken Oath gives Angela Mao a showcase for both her dramatic ability and exceptional martial arts skills. The film features staff fighting, swordplay, hand-to-hand combat, and some unusually memorable sequences involving live scorpions used as weapons. Action directors Yuen Woo-ping and Hsu Hsia bring speed and precision to the fight scenes, with the action building toward a hard-hitting final stretch.

WHY COLLECTORS PICK IT

Collectors value Broken Oath for Angela Mao's commanding performance and the impressive group of martial arts performers surrounding her. Bruce Leung, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Corey Yuen, Yuen Wah, and other familiar faces appear throughout the film, making it especially interesting for fans of the performers who helped shape Hong Kong action cinema.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Released in 1977, Broken Oath was Angela Mao's final film for Golden Harvest and became one of her most recognized late-1970s martial arts productions. The film also brought together Jeong Chang-hwa with action directors Yuen Woo-ping and Hsu Hsia, capturing a period when Hong Kong kung fu filmmaking was moving toward faster and more elaborate fight choreography.

• Verified AKAs:
  • Broken Oath – English release title
  • Lady Killer – Alternate English title
  • Po Jie – Mandarin pinyin
  • Poh Gai – Cantonese romanization
  • 破戒 – Traditional Chinese title
  • 破戒 – Simplified Chinese title
  • Megszegett eskü – Hungarian video title
  • Juramento Quebrado – Portuguese release title
  • 파계 – Korean title
  • Phá Giới – Vietnamese title
• Director: Jeong Chang-hwa
• Producer: Raymond Chow
• Screenplay: Shih Kang
• Action Directors: Yuen Woo-ping, Hsu Hsia
• Studio: Golden Harvest
• Starring: Angela Mao Ying, Michael Chan Wai-Man, Bruce Leung Siu-Lung, Kuo Cheng-Yu, Guan Shan, Dean Shek Tin, Sammo Hung
• Music: Frankie Chan
• Cinematography: Tieh Wang, Yung-Lung Wang
• Editor: Peter Cheung
• Format: DVD
• Language: Mandarin
• Subtitles: English
• Running Time: 102 Minutes
• Region: All Regions
• Country: Hong Kong
• Release Year: 1977

Carefully researched and prepared for collectors of classic martial arts cinema by ClassicKungFuMovies.com.