This film is beautiful to look at with lots of furious sword fighting and spectacle and colour that sometimes takes the breath away. Mainly set in the Dragon Inn where plot and counterplot keep the story moving, a simple enough tale of two fleeing children and their protectors. There is humour as well as drama.
The acting is first class. Maggie Cheung as the inn keeper is great, one of her best film performances surely. Spirited and sly and sympathetic she is the centre of the film. She is a survivor. Brigitte Lin and Tony Leung are good too as the children's main protectors who in contrast to Cheung play it quiet and steadfast. They have a mission. Mix these together with a gallery of interesting supporting characters and you have a fascinating film.
As well as the action there are other great scenes. The scene between Lin and Cheung that starts off with one having no clothes on and the other fully dressed develops in a humorous but charming way. The last fight scene is shocking but gripping. There is also a lovely moment when Lin and Leung, by arrangement, meet up at the Inn. She looks at him and he looks at her, then he touches her cheek. In one brief moment of quietness volumes are spoken. You know their history. This subtlety is quite alien to Hollywood.
If you like this kind of film it's a treat.
The acting is first class. Maggie Cheung as the inn keeper is great, one of her best film performances surely. Spirited and sly and sympathetic she is the centre of the film. She is a survivor. Brigitte Lin and Tony Leung are good too as the children's main protectors who in contrast to Cheung play it quiet and steadfast. They have a mission. Mix these together with a gallery of interesting supporting characters and you have a fascinating film.
As well as the action there are other great scenes. The scene between Lin and Cheung that starts off with one having no clothes on and the other fully dressed develops in a humorous but charming way. The last fight scene is shocking but gripping. There is also a lovely moment when Lin and Leung, by arrangement, meet up at the Inn. She looks at him and he looks at her, then he touches her cheek. In one brief moment of quietness volumes are spoken. You know their history. This subtlety is quite alien to Hollywood.
If you like this kind of film it's a treat.