Producers Charles Heung and Zhang Yimou apparently hoped to turn Wu Chien Lien (Ng Sin Lin) into the next Gong Li. To her credit, Chien Lien pulls this off admirably with her stoic portrayal of the long suffering woman who must suppress her intense hatred and burning desire for revenge if she is to successfully exact this revenge upon the powerful man who - 9 years earlier - was responsible for the murder of her entire family... and on her wedding day, no less! As the only survivor of the massacre, Chien Lien joins forces with a hired assassin. Under assumed identities, they separately travel to the town the killer lords over.

But... nobody gains this level of power and influence by being a fool. Suspecting them both immediately, he invites them to his palace for closer scrutiny. Stricken by Chien Lien's beauty, the murderer's son asks her to
pose for a painting, a request she dare not refuse, despite the fact that the process will keep her under the killer's watchful eye for several weeks. As her hatred smolders inside, Chien Lien's intended target tests her again and again... each test more painful than the prior. To say more, is to give away this film's unexpected twist, so I shall merely conclude with the following
warning... This is an art flick, NOT an action flick. If you go expecting the later, you will come away disappointed. But if you can stand the stink of art, you ought not be displeased.

Paul Kazee