I’m surprised that I was as much of a fan of this as I was. I was expecting an epic film that had constant fight sequences and fake blood galore. But what I got was a patient, riveting, secluded thriller. I could definitely tell that this wouldn’t be many people’s cup of tea as it’s a very slow burn.

The build up hardly gives you information and makes the viewer analyze the surroundings to really get a grasp of what’s happening. The whole plot is extremely subtle and you’re waiting for something to happen at many points but it still lures you into the environment.

I will say despite how strange this film continues itself with seemingly unproductive structure. There’s actually a sense of tension that’s constant. Tension plays a huge part in this film as there’s not much happening until the third act.

Observation seems to be key with this type of film and the different frames of this film are beautiful and well organized. I wish the fight scenes were better choreographed bc it’s miles behind the Shaw Brothers stuff. Some could see this as boring but for me it’s a mesmerizing piece of art.

I’m surprised that I was as much of a fan of this as I was. I was expecting an epic film that had constant fight sequences and fake blood galore. But what I got was a patient, riveting, secluded thriller. I could definitely tell that this wouldn’t be many people’s cup of tea as it’s a very slow burn.

The build up hardly gives you information and makes the viewer analyze the surroundings to really get a grasp of what’s happening. The whole plot is extremely subtle and you’re waiting for something to happen at many points but it still lures you into the environment.

I will say despite how strange this film continues itself with seemingly unproductive structure. There’s actually a sense of tension that’s constant. Tension plays a huge part in this film as there’s not much happening until the third act.

Observation seems to be key with this type of film and the different frames of this film are beautiful and well organized. I wish the fight scenes were better choreographed bc it’s miles behind the Shaw Brothers stuff. Some could see this as boring but for me it’s a mesmerizing piece of art.

I prefer the completely balls-out macho action of “The Valiant Ones” to the immaculate formalism of “The Fate of Lee Lhan”, but “Lee Khan” is still really good and is basically King Hu flexing his mastery of ensemble staging and storytelling. Even when the plot of this movie gets convoluted, we always know who the characters are and what side they are on. If this movie is about anything, it is a very enthusiastic defense of the pleasures of Chinese storytelling, which puts a lot of stock on virtues such as group dynamics, musicality of movement, historical intrigue, and more. Yet the reason “The Fate of Lee Khan” left me a little cold is that I have always preferred King Hu the aesthete over King Hu the formalist. To me, it’s always Hu’s more aesthetic impulses that take him to stranger and more wonderful lands, whereas as a formalist Hu is too slavish to traditional forms of storytelling here. It’s not until Hu’s next film “The Valiant Ones” where he is able to translate all those qualities of “Lee Khan” into a uniquely fatalistic vision of wuxia chivalry.

I prefer the completely balls-out macho action of “The Valiant Ones” to the immaculate formalism of “The Fate of Lee Lhan”, but “Lee Khan” is still really good and is basically King Hu flexing his mastery of ensemble staging and storytelling. Even when the plot of this movie gets convoluted, we always know who the characters are and what side they are on. If this movie is about anything, it is a very enthusiastic defense of the pleasures of Chinese storytelling, which puts a lot of stock on virtues such as group dynamics, musicality of movement, historical intrigue, and more. Yet the reason “The Fate of Lee Khan” left me a little cold is that I have always preferred King Hu the aesthete over King Hu the formalist. To me, it’s always Hu’s more aesthetic impulses that take him to stranger and more wonderful lands, whereas as a formalist Hu is too slavish to traditional forms of storytelling here. It’s not until Hu’s next film “The Valiant Ones” where he is able to translate all those qualities of “Lee Khan” into a uniquely fatalistic vision of wuxia chivalry.