After the Chinese Revolution of 1911, three women -- a general'sdaughter (Brigitte Lin), a petty thief (Cherie Chung), and an actress wannabe (Sally Yip) -- find themselves aswirl in intrigue that drags them back and forth between the (ex-) Royal Palace and the Peking Opera theatre run by Yip's father (Wu3 Ma3). The Citizen Kane of Hong Kong, blending action, farce, and political satire into a work of almost vertiginous excitement; the rooftop finale is one of the all-time great jaw-droppers.

[Reviewed by Rim Films Catalog]