[cert 12A, 99 mins]
The film opens, like many folk legends, with a
storyteller before the throne of an imperious ruler,
counting on his wits to protect his life. The
storyteller is called ‘Nameless’, who comes to the
imperial court of the dreaded King of Qin. Qin
dreams of uniting all of China’s warring kingdoms
under his rule; he plans to end war. Three assassins
have vowed to kill him: Broken Sword, Flying Snow
and Long Sky. ‘Nameless’ claims he has killed them.
He explains that his martial arts skill was not
enough to defeat such formidable enemies. Instead,
he used psychological methods to discover their
weak points.
Director:Yimou Zhang
Starring:Jet Li, Tony Leung, Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung
Level:GCSE, KS3
Subjects:English, Film Studies, Media Studies
