A resistance force that wants to see the Song Dynasty resurrected has gathered around Moon Sung-ju. When he′s arrested by Won Dynasty loyalist Daewonsa, the others plot his rescue operation. They manage to get inside the prison with the help of Lee Ho-ju, an unknown chivalrous man, but they face unexpected problems. The Rescue is a good combination of martial arts film′s spectacles and the rovel court drama′s tensions, but it is also a prime example revealing problems in co-production, which bad already been raised in the early 1970s. Since Come Drink with Me was first introduced in 1966, Hong Kong martial arts film continued to be a huge attraction in Korea until the 1980s. However, it was not easy to import martial arts films from Hong Kong owing to strict quota restrictions on foreign films by the government. Under the circumstances nominal co-production status, by hiring Korean actors or directors in the Hong Kong film industry, was an expedient for importing Hong Kong films. Aware of the situation in Korea as well, Hong Kong film productions willingly signed co-production contracts, not export ones. The Rescue is one of the films imported through this device. Also, it is another example of a false campaign, which was widespread in the Korean film industry at that time. Attaching another director′s name to a film, like the famous Chang Cheh, guaranteed higher revenue. The Rescue was alleged to be a film by Ho Meng-hau (director of Susanna, a huge hit in Korea), but it was directed by Shen Chiang, a veteran writer and director in Hong Kong. (Cho Young-jung)