One of my all-time favorite movies regardless of genre. many people complain that the lot in this movie is too thin, that there is not enough story behind the duel, or the machinations of the different factions. I think this confusion is necessary; we question the merit and the motivation behind the duel, just as the main characters do. also, the fight scenes are a masterpiece of choreography, especially the much-touted final scene, where the combatants vault off there swords, rising higher and higher. Truly a masterwork. Ching Siu Tung is certainly a fine director, one of the most enigmatice filmmakers of our time.