An Empress and the Warriors

Icon Home Entertainment 2008

R4 DVD

Subtitled in English

In recent years the Chinese film industry has begun to reach outwards to sell its products to the rest of the world. It has got past the propaganda stage and is producing high quality work especially in the costume period drama area. With China’s long history there is plenty to choose from. Not for them the British costume dramas of pointless people living boring lives, or the European style of knights in armour acting with chivalry. A Chinese period piece will be full of conflict, betrayal and huge bloody battles. Often these are based on periods in China’s history as the country struggled towards unification. This film is a fantasy set in the period before the powerful emperors began unifying the many kingdoms.

Princess Yan Feier is the daughter of the king of Yan. The king is badly injured in a battle with the army of neighbouring Zhao and he passes command to his adopted orphan son, Muyong. He warns Muyong to beware of the hidden enemies. Muyong’s imminent promotion enrages the king’s nephew, Wu Ba. Wu Ba has earned the king’s displeasure because he wastes men in battle, is cruel and seeks only his own glory. He assassinates the king and is set to take command of the kingdom when the Prime Minister announces the king’s death and choice of successor. Muyong, sensing that the generals will not accept him as their leader, works a swift verbal change of course and claims that the king named his daughter as the new commander. Perhaps the generals will accept a woman of royal descent more readily than an illegitimate orphan? The generals are reluctant but the princess states that if she is to lead men in battle she will undergo full military training first. This satisfies the generals but Wu Ba arranges to have her assassinated.

One day while training in the forest she is attacked by a group of Wu Ba’s men and is struck by a poisoned dart. She is saved by a young reclusive man who lives deep in the forest and is a doctor. Over the days of her recovery she begins to fall in love with him despite her feelings for Hu, who has grown up with her. The doctor tells her that fighting for peace is a better goal than fighting for glory or conquest.

When she returns to the kingdom she finds Wu Ba is turning the generals against Muyong. More importantly the Zhou have chosen this time to invade the kingdom of Yan so she must, as promised, lead her troops into battle. Wu Ba and his cronies have taken many troops out of the battle so Yan is desperately outnumbered. Muyong devises a trap using Yan Feier as the bait. If it works he will capture the Zhou king. It works, but rather than execute the Zhou king and continue the ancient blood feud she makes peace with the Zhou king and his son.

With that out of the way she punishes the generals who deserted her and humiliates Wu Ba. Then she announces her abdication in favour of Muyong and returns to the forest to be with the doctor. Wu Ba will not let it rest there, though. He sends assassins after her and kills off the loyal generals. If he cannot win power by any other means he will take it by force. Finally there must be a showdown between Muyong, Yan Feier and Wu Ba.

It is a great story, full of the spectacle we have become used to in this genre of film. It may have been westernised a little to cater for overseas tastes, but it still retains a distinctive Chinese feeling. As usual the acting, direction and photography are superb. The costuming, especially the armour, is an area the Chinese excel in and this film is no exception. The detail of the armour and fighting equipment is elaborate and beautiful. The film is everything you could want in a Chinese epic.

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This review will appear in Volume 3 No. 3 of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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