Program Note
This is a fantasy martial arts film that featured the Academy Award- winning Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh) and the Cannes Film Festival Best Actress (Maggie Cheung), starring Anita Mui who stood at the pinnacle of her careers as singer and actor. Raised by evil martial arts Master (Yam Sai-kun), Tung (Anita Mui), Ching (Michelle Yeoh), and Chat (Maggie Cheung) have lived their lives unaware of each other as time passed. However, when the Evil Master begins kidnapping newborns, the three women join forces. Director Johnnie To, known for his historical martial arts films such as Justice, My Foot! (1992) and The Bare-Footed Kid (1993), created a significant turning point just before Loving You (1995), which marked his transition into contemporary settings. Additionally, the film expands the great tradition of female-led martial arts films, which was exemplified by Swordsman II (1992) and Dragon Inn (1992), which ushered in the heyday of actress Brigitte Lin, by showcasing three female actresses with distinctive personalities. The film also features choreography by Cheng Xiaodong, who was responsible for the martial arts sequences in Swordsman II (1992), and attempts to create the epitome of high-tech martial arts films. Admist the music of Anita Mui’s “Woman’s Heart” and “Don’t Ask All One’s”, the film seamlessly transition between the modern and comtemparary eras, which make it charmful fusion action film. (JU Sungchul)