The Lost Bladesman (2011)
"Guan yun chang" (original title)

The story of legendary Guan Yu crossing five passes & slaying six generals. He played a major role in the civil war that led to the collapse of Han Dynasty & the establishment of Shu Han of the 3 Kingdoms, making Liu Bei its first emperor.

Directors:

Felix Chong, Alan Mak

Writers:

Felix Chong, Alan Mak

Stars:

Donnie Yen, Wen Jiang, Betty Sun

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Donnie Yen	...	Guan Yu
Wen Jiang	...	Cao Cao
Betty Sun	...	Qi Lan
Bing Shao	...	General Zhang Liao
Bo-Chieh Wang	...	Emperor Liu Xie
Yong Dong	...	Xuyou
Andy On	...	General Kong Xiu
Yuan Nie	...	Han Fu
Xuebing Wang	...	Wang Zhi
Zonghan Li	...	General Qin Qi
Ailei Yu	...	General Bian Xi
Alex Fong	...	Liu Bei
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yang Biao
Hong Chen	...	Lady Gan / Liu Bei's first wife
Siu-hou Chin	...	Yan Liang

Storyline

This historical martial arts film adapted from the story of Guan Yu crossing five passes and slaying six generals in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In AD 200 during the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Cao eliminates his political opponents Dong Cheng and others, before turning his attention towards rival warlords Liu Bei and Yuan Shao. To avoid fighting a war on two fronts, Cao Cao decides to attack Liu Bei first. Liu Bei flees north to join Yuan Shao, while his family is captured by the enemy. Liu Bei's sworn brother Guan Yu (Donnie Yen), surrenders to Cao Cao to uphold his oath of brotherhood and preserve his honor. Cao Cao knows he's a great warrior & hopes that Guan Yu will continue serving him. Meanwhile, Guan Yu is secretly in love with his sworn brother's concubine Qilan, but is afraid to express his feelings to her. Qilan reproaches Guan Yu for serving Cao Cao. By then, Guan Yu has also received news of Liu Bei's whereabouts, so he prepares to ...

---

Plot Keywords:

concubine | martial arts | warlord | year 200 | three word title | 

---

Genres:

Action | Biography | Drama | History

---

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [jp]

Country:

China Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

28 April 2011 (China)

Also Known As:

The Lost Bladesman

Company Credits

Production Co:

Star Union Skykee Film Investment Co, Shanghai Film Group, Anhui Media Industry Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX (Dolby Surround 7.1)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

An ambitious production that will make the Chinese community proud

It took these people quite a while, didn't it? Who else did they think could don that imposing armour, wield that threatening blade and still exhibit grace and agility? Who else did they think could command enough screen presence to sport a scholarly moustache and beard? And who else did they think could take on the role of real life Han dynasty general Guan Yu who personifies courage and righteousness? The perfect candidate is none other than Hong Kong action superstar Donnie Yen, of course. After a decent success that was Ip Man (2008), Yen has been wowing his fans with his slick moves (okay, the redundant All's Well Ends Well 2011 was a breather) in one action flick after another. Here, he takes on the titular role in a historical epic drama based on one of the characters in the classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdom. A fictionalised tale set in AD 200, this high budget production has its attention on the relationship between General Guan and the infamous Cao Cao, who is out to conquer the whole of China. Despite Cao Cao's repeated attempts to recruit Guan Yu, his loyalties lie with Liu Bei, whose concubine Guan Yu has a soft spot for. The 107 minute movie follows Guan Yu as he faces treacherous ambushes while escorting the lady home to his sworn brother. Yen has proved his acting chops in works like Bodyguards and Assassins (2009) and Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010), and he delivers a decent performance here as the recognised deity in Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. He personifies the gallantry, trustworthiness and uprightness that Guan Yu is known for. But all eyes are on Mainland actor Jiang Wen as the tyrannical Cao Cao. The acclaimed actor steals the show with his ability to instill an intelligently sly sense of intimidation in all the scenes he appears in. Supporting characters are played by Sun Li (Fearless), Andy On (True Legend) and many other Mainland artistes (Li Zonghan, Shao Bing and Hei Zi amongst them), ensuring ticket sales in the Mainland China market. Familiar faces like Alex Fong (as Liu Bei) and Chin Siu Hou (as a slain general) also appear as cameos. The spectacular actions scenes are no doubt the highlight of this highly recommended movie. Guan Yu's famous expedition of "crossing five passes and slaying six generals" plays out in an episodic manner, with each sequence showcasing a unique martial arts style. Choreographed by Yen himself, action fans will be pleased to see various blades, spears, crossbows and arrows on display, as they come into use during the countless fight scenes. Action scenes aside, the drama is often intense and serious, with elevated dialogues written by directors Alan Mak and Felix Chong. This may not be Infernal Affairs material, but expect to be engaged in a high octane drama that features some truly intelligently dramatic lines. Those unfamiliar with the original novel may be thrown off balance with the massive setup of this period piece. But given its very impressive production values, you will be taken along for the ride. With luscious cinematography by Chan Chi Ying (Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame), masterful production design by Bill Lui (Lust, Caution), and an emotional score by Henry Lai (Echoes of the Rainbow), this is one Chinese production truly worth watching on the big screen.