The Great Conqueror's Concubine (4K Digitised Version)

Dir: Stephen Shin
Orig Screenplay: Liu Heng
Scrs: Stephen Shin, Xiao He (aka He Jiping), Sze Yeung-ping
Action Choreographer: Benz Kong Tao-hoi
Prod Co: Great Dragon
Cast: Ray Lui, Rosamund Kwan, Gong Li, Zhang Fengyi, Wu Hsing-kuo
1994 | Colour | DCP | Cantonese | Chi & Eng Subtitles | 168min

An absorbing historical epic, The Great Conqueror’s Concubine dramatises one of the most turbulent chapters in Chinese history: the power struggle between rival warlords Xiang Yu and Liu Bang during the fall of the Qin dynasty. As uprisings spread across the country, Xiang Yu (Ray Lui) rises to prominence, determined to unify the land. Among his allies is Liu Bang (Zhang Fengyi), who soon becomes a formidable contender, setting the stage for a dramatic clash that will reshape China. Adding emotional depth to the epic are the fictional, complex relationships involving the women at their sides. Gong Li plays Liu Bang’s calculating wife, while Rosamund Kwan is Xiang Yu’s devoted concubine, whose love and tragic end is associated with the conqueror’s inner turmoil and ultimate downfall.

Known for his urban comedies, director Stephen Shin makes a departure with this lavish period drama, which was his first film shot in the Mainland. Backed by acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou as producer, the production features grand battle scenes crafted by a team of talents from the Mainland and Hong Kong. The Great Conqueror’s Concubine is a richly woven tale of ambition and human drama that culminates in Xiang Yu’s tragic defeat and suicide, leaving a lingering melancholy for a hero out of step with his time.

Filmed between 1993 and 1994, this was one of the earliest Hong Kong productions to be shot on location in the Mainland. Its crew members include award-winning art director Horace Ma; renowned cinematographer Cheng Siu-keung; and James Wong and Romeo Diaz as composers of the film score. On top of its epic battle scenes, the film also offers a complex and moving portrait of life in turbulent times, setting a new standard for Hong Kong historical dramas to come—it is thus a significant work in Hong Kong film history.

Courtesy of Sil-Metropole Organisation Limited

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