Writer: Lester Gan Wai Lun

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Watch this if you liked: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"

This film is about a historical figure, Qiu Jin, who is considered to be a heroine in China. She was a revered feminist, a revolutionary and a writer. It is obvious how fond director Herman Yau is of her as he used a lot of effort in showcasing her character, showing great attention to detail in everything she does. While that was understandably necessary for an audience to get in touch with the character, this film feels too much like the average martial-arts flick instead of a historical event.

The story follows Qiu Jin (Huang Yi) as she is forced to marry against her will to a man, Ting-jun (Kevin Cheng) who hopes for a wife that would submit to him. However, she continues to study martial arts, calligraphy and poetry. As time passed, she gives birth to two children, after which she abandons her entire family for Japan with the help of her friend (Pat Ha). She chases her politically-inclined interests, forming solid allegiances with many others including the revolutionary Xu Xilin (Dennis To).

However, this film only succeeds mainly because of its cast members, in addition to the strong supporting roles as well. While Huang Yi's performance felt a little awkward at times, she did a very good job in portraying Qiu Jin as a caring mother and wife as well as being a person who would fight for her ideals. Director Herman Yau should be applauded for the detail he puts in crafting his supporting cast.

Some of the fight scenes felt too choreographed at times, making it almost unbearable to watch. Those who are expecting the same spontaneous fighting atmosphere provided in films like "Ip Man" will be greatly disappointed.

Overall, this story is a truly inspiring and moving tale about Qiu Jin's life. Director Herman Yau and Huang Yi did a fairly great job in portraying a brave, intelligent woman who fought for the rights of her kind.

Cinema Online, 31 October 2011