The Avenger, a brooding swordsman armed with a blade marked "Slayer of 1000 Armies" claims he's waiting for a long-missing friend, at an outpost in Northwest China's Sun Valley. The Avenger suffers an intense fear of blood, from being the only survivor of his clan's massacre. The sight of blood propels him into a killing fury. Winter is setting in, so the local horse trader Black Bull, and most of the valley's men, prepare to drive a herd to market, leaving behind Black Bull's girlfriend, a feisty innkeeper.
Cinematography
Gobi desert as existential void—stunning whites and browns.
Direction
He Ping fuses Leone's silences with Hong Kong blood-spray.
Acting
Zhang Fengyi's trembling restraint before the fury hits.
Director
He Ping
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Part of China's 'fifth generation' western movement—directors reimagining wuxia through American genre lenses. He Ping specifically cited Peckinpah as influence.
The 'Slayer of 1000 Armies' blade prop was lost after filming and reportedly turned up in a Beijing flea market in 2003.
CN
HK
