"Sounds great, but will it actually get made?" That was the first thought that ran through my head when I first heard that John Woo had cast Michelle Yeoh for a hopefully triumphant comeback as the lead in his Jianyu Jianghu - or, Rain Of Swords In A Pugilistic World. How could I not be more excited about Woo making his first full-on wuxia picture in what seems like forever and doing so with Michelle Yeoh in the lead? Pretty simple: For the past ten years or so Woo has had a less than encouraging record of announcing films the never get made. But it looks like this one is really happening. Or, at the very least, sales agents Fortissimo Films are certainly behaving as if it is, having produced that spiffy sales flyer to the left. And you know what they like to put on the back of these flyers? Synopses!
428AD, Bodhi, a Southern India prince became a Buddhist monk and set off for China, earning a hallowed reputation as a mystical martial artist. Following his death, his remains mysteriously disappeared.
Hundreds of years later, Zhang, a high-ranking court official, is assassinated by Drizzle. Zhang's son Jingxiu, whilst mourning his father's death, is assailed by a group assassins. They leave him for dead, but somehow he survives and escapes their clutches.
Drizzle, a talented warrior herself, finds herself in possession of Bodhi's remains, and begins her quest to return them to their rightful resting place at Yunhe Temple. The Black Stone, a team of deadly assassins who employed Drizzle, are also after the remains and the powerful secret they hold. To hide from The Black Stone, Drizzle undergoes drastic facial surgery and changes her name to Zeng Jing (Michelle Yeoh). She flees to Beijing, where she meets and falls in love with Jiang, soon to become her husband.
After a confrontation in Beijing, Zeng Jing's identity is uncovered and both she and Jiang must flee for their lives. As Zeng Jing kills off members of the gang while they are on the run, she quickly realises Jiang is actually Jingxiu, and he is seeking to avenge his father's death. This leads to a lethal triangle and a fight to death between our hero Zeng Jing, Jiang and The Black Stone.
The only question remains who will be the last ones standing to uncover the secret of Bodhi's remains?