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An epic love story and action drama, set in China during the Qing dynasty, revolving around two sets of lovers. Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) and Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) are cast as duty bound warriors whose unspoken love for each other spans decades. By comparison, their young romantic counterparts Jen Yu (a promising young warrior) and Lo (her bandit lover) represent freedom, youth and unrestrained love. After Li surrenders his legendary sword to Yu and vows to stop fighting, his plans to retire are halted when the sword is stolen. In their quest to recover it, Li and Yu confront the evil forces headed by Jade Fox who is attempting to recruit the impressionable young Jen Yu to her cause. As the opposing forces of good and evil battle to secure the sword, they also struggle to lure Jen Lu to their side. Based on an early 20th century novel by Wang Du Lu, the project was scripted by Wang Hui Ling, James Schamus and Tsai Kuo Jung. Photographed by Peter Pau. Martial arts choreography by Yuen Wo-Ping. (Awards: Academy Awards 2001, Best Foreign Film, Best Music Score, Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography)
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Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
314838
Languages
Chinese
Czech
English
English
English
Hungarian
Polish
Portuguese
Turkish
Audience classification
MA
Subject categories
Action & Adventure → Action films
Action & Adventure → Martial arts films
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Academy awards (Motion pictures)
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Foreign language films
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Martial arts films
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Motion picture trailers
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Motion pictures - Awards
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Motion pictures - Awards - Australia
Fantasy & Science Fiction → Fantasy
Feature films → Feature films - China
Hobbies, Recreation & Sport → Martial arts films
Literature → Chinese literature - Film and video adaptations
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
DVD; Access Print (Section 1)