Wuxia godfather Hu’s ultimate masterpiece of chivalry and intrigue follows an effete scholar who gets involved with an indomitable female fugitive in an ancient Chinese town, sweeping us into a fever-dream of mystical proportions, at once romantic and suspenseful. A three-hour martial arts film and the first fight doesn’t happen until the last act! But it’s so transcendentally beautiful, profound, and exhilarating in its artistry as to mesmerize audiences to this day—and when the action does come, you’ll see why the movie was awarded a technical grand prize at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival. Not to be missed!