An awakened immortal warrior struggles between defending the emperor and the actress he believes to be his love of old.
Acting
Zhang Yimou's surprisingly vulnerable warrior, Gong Li's dual-layered performance
Practical Effects
Pre-CGI tomb awakening scenes that still hit
Costume
Qin dynasty armor vs 80s Hong Kong fashion clash
Director
Tony Ching Siu-Tung
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Tony Ching Siu-Tung later became legendary for A Chinese Ghost Story and Hero's action choreography—this early work shows his signature wirework developing.
Zhang Yimou took this role to fund his own directorial debut Red Sorghum; critics called it 'a better actor than director' irony that aged poorly.
HK
