As for the action, Red Cliff shows once again that when he’s working at the top of his game there is no better maestro of this sort of thing than John Woo.

Always an astonishing visual craftsman, House of Flying Daggers is as impressive as anything Yimou’s ever done. The shifting colors and landscapes flow in and out of one another like a dreamy netherworld, while the tiniest woodland sounds sparkle and hum with the majesty of a symphonic orchestra.