Told in elegant visuals in a desaturated palette that draws on China's centuries-old tradition of ink brush painting, the movie alternates scenes that rich in exquisite visual composition with dazzling battle sequences.

Zhang explained that in order to achieve the visual style of his film, he did not rely on computer effects but rather created sets that were "as complete as a painting" in terms of design, costumes, makeup, and lighting, while the battle scenes involved a month of shooting in the rain.

The master filmmaker added that while "we are all bound by the invisible laws of history", in this movie he wanted to show "how a common man can manage not only to survive amid the power games of kings and the aristocracy, but even manage to turn defeat into victory."

He said that the role of the king's sister, played by 21-year-old supporting actress Guan Xiaotong, represents "today's young Chinese women, who are driven by their strength of character and who don't let themselves be used as pawns in the games of others -- (the king's sister) pursues her own dignity, and exacts revenge when she is offended."

"I will continue to make movies in which women play a key role in expressing my vision," Zhang said.

In the course of his long and distinguished career, the acclaimed Chinese director who is now in his late 60s has won dozens of awards around the world, and garnered several nominations for the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

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