Hero’s narrative unravels in the court of the King of Qin as a nameless assassin recounts his successful spate of murders before the wary royal counters with his own version of events. Boasting esteemed stars of the Asian screen such as Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi and Tony Leung all backed by bold colour-scheme backdrops, each flashback segment is amazing to watch.

It’s possible though that, for martial arts fans at least, the standout scene is the goe-house duel between kung fu legends Jet Li and Donnie Yen, playing the characters of the nameless assassin and Sky respectively.

Zhang Yimou’s sublime direction and sense of style enhances the physical action, and it’s the underlying suspense of the scene that makes it all the more breathtaking. As raindrops drip over the darkly-coloured courtyard and a blind old man plays a traditional tune whilst the combatants visualise the fight in the depths of their minds, it’s clear that this is no knockabout chopsocky. This is martial arts cinema that definitely doesn’t drop the ‘art’ component, and it’s a beautiful marriage of imagination and physical expression performed by two of the genre’s prime actors.

Incredible action choreography, epic tales of mysterious warriors engaging in fantastical duels and an overwhelming aesthetic experience that can’t help leave you slightly agog: it’s what wuxia films are all about.

You can view all our Greatest Scenes by clicking HERE. If you find any broken links or wish to request a scene (make sure you leave a paragraph saying why you recommend it), Contact Me and let me know.