Awards and festivals

Film description

Inspired by a novel by Wang Dulu, the story takes place during the Qing dynasty: Li Mu-bai is a Wudang swordman who has decided to give up his warrior life, he asks the woman he is secretly in love, Yu Shu-lien to bring his sword, Green Destiny, to a friend in Beijing. There Shu-lien meets Jen, the daughter of the governor Yu. The young woman is about to get married but seems to yearn for a more adventurous life. At night the the sword is stollen.

Ang Lee in this film pays a tribute to the old wuxia masters such as King Hu but also make the traditional genre frame explode thanks to the resolute feminist tone of the story. This may explain the international success of the film but the heavy critics it received in Taiwan and China.

Wafa Ghermani