HK films never cease to amaze me. I didn't expect much from this 1990 Jue Yin Ping actioner, but... jeez, what a movie!

I'm no expert in Chinese history, but the plot concerns a regiment of soldiers fighting the Communists in the early '50's, and the misery they endure because of their commitment to freedom. And... boy. These guys are really miserable. They're ambushed, shot, dismembered, chased, poisoned, find loved ones, lose loved ones - you name it. The production and direction are fine, and I was really impressed by the acting as well (though Andy Lau is the only actor I recognized in the film).

The DVD itself is one of those scholar discs from Taiwan. It's in Mandarin, but that's fine since that's the language the film was made in. The subs are burned in, and the picture quality is just acceptable - there are spots where the image jitters, or suffers from video dropouts. Still, this is the only DVD I know of for this film. Worth searching out.