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*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
The trailer is somewhat misleading. Rather than a heroic epic, this is an intimate tale of love and passion (perhaps in reversed order), which is not surprising if you have seen director TIAN Zhuangzhuang's 2002 remake of the all time Chinese film classic "Springtime in a small town". His painfully slow pace is often too trying for the average audience's patience. At least one walked out in the show I attended.The first one-third of the movie is devoted to establishing the main protagonist – a quick-witted but mild-tempered young shepherd's initiation into the brutality of warfare and eventual transformation into a seasoned warrior, all this done in magnificently shot landscapes that are at once splendorous and desolate. The appearance of a mysterious, beautiful woman from a "cursed" tribe shifts the mood of the movie, with ensuing hot steaming sex scenes aplenty. In the last third of the film, the legend finally emerges, with the mist that shrouded the curse lifted, only to bring the audience into a new realm of mysticism.Jo Odagiri and Magie Q bring to this movie convincing performances of a relationship that started with raw passion but evolves into something deeper. As mentioned, cinematography is something to look forward to. There isn't much by way of spectacular action but one scene showing a huge wolf pack fleeing from a devastating storm is quite impressive. I wouldn't be surprised if there are more people disappointed than pleased by this movie. Should that be the case, I would blame it on the trailer which creates the wrong kind of expectation.
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