I respect the classical 18th century story that this film was based on, and loved the cultural touches, like a Li Bai poem which is beautifully rendered. There is also an admirable amount of feminism in the strong female lead character Yang (Hsu Feng). We gradually come to understand she's being hunted by a corrupt Eunuch, and has a score to settle of her own. She befriends an unambitious painter (Shih Chun) who's living with his domineering mother, and along with a skilled ally (Bai Ying), fend off waves of attacks, including rigging an old fort to appear haunted. It's a nice enough concept especially when you throw in an enlightened Buddhist monk (Roy Chiao) who can also kick some butt, as well as superhuman leaping abilities during the fight scenes. I love all that stuff.
However, I have to say, I was let down by the slow pacing and the unevenness of the cinematography. There are some marvelous shots, like those in Taiwan's beautiful Taroko Gorge, the fight in the bamboo forest, and the commanding presence of the backlit monk towards the end, but there are also lots of unnecessary zooms, edits, and scenes filmed without enough light. There was a lot of searching around and fighting in darkness, scenes which were also frustratingly long. The film clocks in at 200 minutes and it should have been much, much shorter. Narratively it meandered, weak in its first hour and random in its last. It felt like it didn't know when it should end, and even when it did, like it was set up for a sequel. I appreciate its place in the history of the genre and its influence, but it's not one I'd want to revisit, or would easily recommend.
However, I have to say, I was let down by the slow pacing and the unevenness of the cinematography. There are some marvelous shots, like those in Taiwan's beautiful Taroko Gorge, the fight in the bamboo forest, and the commanding presence of the backlit monk towards the end, but there are also lots of unnecessary zooms, edits, and scenes filmed without enough light. There was a lot of searching around and fighting in darkness, scenes which were also frustratingly long. The film clocks in at 200 minutes and it should have been much, much shorter. Narratively it meandered, weak in its first hour and random in its last. It felt like it didn't know when it should end, and even when it did, like it was set up for a sequel. I appreciate its place in the history of the genre and its influence, but it's not one I'd want to revisit, or would easily recommend.