The 14 Amazons (4 Stars)

This is a 1972 film about the heroic deeds of the Yang family. They were a courageous family that provided generals for the Song Dynasty for over 200 years. It's not doubted that the Yang family really existed, but the stories told about them have become the subject of folklore, exaggerated from generation to generation. This is probably the most fanciful of the stories.

In the 12th Century General Yang Tsung Pao died defending the Song Dynasty against barbarians from Western Xia. They're weird barbarians whose soldiers dress like Santa Claus. When the report comes of his death, the Song Emperor wants to negotiate terms of surrender. General Yang's great grandmother refuses to accept defeat. She says she'll lead an army to fight the barbarians. 13 of her female descendants will be her lieutenants.

The 14 women are impossible to follow through the film. That's just too many. They're all named in on-screen text in an early scene, when they meet to celebrate Yang Tsung Pao's birthday, but most of them are never addressed by name in the dialogue. It's stated in a song on the way to battle that they're four generations of women, but I found it difficult to figure out exactly who's who. Since this film is based on a written tale, it's possible that someone who's read it can tell me exactly who's who.

The great grandmother is easy enough.

Tsou Lan Ying is addressed as grandmother.

I'm not sure about Ken Chin Hua. She's either the daughter or the sister of Tsou Lan Ying.

Mu Kuei Ying is the wife of General Yang. She's the main character in the second half of the film, so it's easy to follow her. Ken Chin Hua is either her mother or her aunt. It's possible that the (unnamed) great grandmother is only her grandmother.

Yang Chiu Chu is Mu Kuei Ying's sister.

Yang Chiu Lan is also Mu Kuei Ying's sister.

Yang Pa Mei is either Mu Kuei Ying's sister or her daughter. I can't be sure.

I'm also unsure whether Yang Chiu Mei is her sister or her daughter.

Tung Yueh Ngo is a relative. I have no idea how she fits into the family.

Huang Chiung Nu is another relative.

Ma Sai Ying is yet another relative.

Chai Chun Chu is another relative. Judging by the grey streaks in her hair she's probably meant to be an older relative.

I also don't know how Yang Pai Feng fits into the family.

Judging by the conversation at the birthday party, Tu Chin Ngo isn't a relative, but she's a close friend of the family.

That's the 14 Amazons from the film's title, but there's one more person.

Yang Wen Kuang is Mu Kuei Ying's son. The great grandmother doesn't want him to go into battle because he's the last male in the family, so the Yang family would come to an end if he died. Despite all the fighting women, the Song Dynasty was a patriarchal society, and families only continue through the male heirs. However, he insists on joining the battle, and he's one of the best fighters in the army.

He? Somehow he looks like a girl.

Yes. He's played by the actress Lily Ho. I might be getting old, but I can still tell the difference.

But nobody in the film doubts his gender for a moment. When the enemies capture him they call him a boy, even though his armour shows the form of breasts beneath it. Is that supposed to be a stupid joke by the director? I don't get it. I could post half a dozen screenshots, and in every one he would look more feminine than the last.

I've never been to war, but isn't a floppy Santa hat impractical in battle?

But then again, the Amazons hardly cover their heads appropriately. They go into battle wearing jewellery that looks like an extravagant tiara. And that's the boy on the left, in case you didn't recognise him.

After watching the film I thought it looked familiar. It was remade in 2011 as "Legendary Amazons". I should watch it again to compare the two films. I just reread my review, and I was also confused by the large number of characters. Five Amazons would have been easier to follow, but it had to be 14 because it's a true story. Maybe.