An epic tale of revenge, honour, betrayal and, courtesy of writer/director John Woo, monumental fight sequences. Two swordsmen, hired to defend a family from a murderous enemy, learn the true meaning of friendship and chivalry through their battles with ever more bizarre and deadly opponents, up to a final attack on a fortress heaving with all manner of killers. Woo claims this started out as a zen movie about internalised conflicts, but it plays like a regular martial arts melodrama, just darker and more cynical than usual. At the time the film was made Wu Xia (swordplay film) was falling out of favour with the public so this film was a revival of the genre and is an excellent revitalisation. A classic Hong Kong action movie from the master of the beat 'em up.