One of the Generals of the emperor Qing (Zhang Yimou) fell in love with a concubine (Gong Li). When this love was discovered, the lovers have no choice, only give themselves death. But before dying, the concubine managed to give to her lover a pearl of immortality intended for the emperor. In the Thirties, the warrior was awaked by plunderers of tombs. They were accompanied by a young scatterbrained actress who looked like the ancient concubine.
Review
Even if Ching Siu-tung does not manage to find the same attaching tone like in his last movie, the esthetism and the presence of very ostentatious scenes confer to this opposed relation a certain beauty. On the other hand the second part is definheely less convincing, especially because of the character of the young girl who is played by Gong Li and of the tone sometimes heavily burlesque of the film. It remains a very interesting reflexion on the past and the inexorable destroying work of time...