Based on the novel by Wang Du Lu and exhibiting cinematic influences ranging from John Ford and Akira Kurosawa to The Matrix, this handsome period action romance from director Ang Lee put the art back into martial arts. Those familiar with the works of King Hu and Tsui Hark will revel in the unhurried way he reworks the conventions of the genre to explore the perennial themes of love and loyalty, duty and sacrifice. But Lee also combines brilliant stunt work with special effects to create such memorable sequences as the rooftop pursuit and the treetop battle. Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh excel as the warriors seeking the stolen sword of Green Destiny, but the most electrifying performance is Zhang Ziyi's teenage thief.

Two warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword and a notorious fugitive are led to an impetuous, physically-skilled, teenage nobleman's daughter, who is at a crossroads in her life.