Historical tragedy: East and West

The pronounced theatricality of the film may be both director Feng's achievement and failure. Yet in the colossal production where talented actors like Ge You, Zhang Ziyi, Daniel Wu and Zhou Xun meet the expectation to deliver convincing performances, Feng emerges as an unfamiliar figure in the eyes of those who typecast him as “master of humor” and daringly puts forth his innovative adaptation of the popular genre with a twist of avant-garde spirit.