It is 859AD, and the Tang Dynasty, one of the most enlightened empires in Chinese history at its height, is in decline. The Emperor is incompetent and the government is corrupt. Unrest is spreading throughout the land, and many rebel armies are forming in protest. The largest, and most prestigious, is an underground alliance called the House of Flying Daggers.
The House of Flying Daggers operates mysteriously, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Thus, they have earned the support and admiration of the people and expanded quickly. Based in Feng Tian County, close to the Imperial Capital, the House of Flying Daggers has long been a thorn in the side of the local deputies, their bitter enemies. Under the leadership of a mysterious new leader, the House of Flying Daggers grows ever more powerful. Feng Tian County's two local captains, Leo (Andy Lau) and Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) are ordered to capture the new leader within ten days.
Captain Leo has heard that one of the new dancers at the Peony Pavilion, a local brothel, is a member of the House of Flying Daggers. So, he sends Captain Jin to the Pavilion undercover, to search her out. Arresting the blind dancer Mei (Zhang Ziyi), Leo formulates a plan to lead them to the rebels: Jin will pretend to be a lone warrior called 'Wind' and rescue Mei from prison, earning her trust and escorting her to the secret headquarters. However, when caught in an ambush by government troops, Jin realises that he is now caught between his loyalty to his comrades and defending his and Mei's lives...
'House Of Flying Daggers' tells of a passionate emotional journey, in which three people suffer for love; it tears them apart, yet they are willing to sacrifice everything for it. Zhang Yimou, fresh from helming the worldwide smash 'Hero', reunites with athletic leading actress Zhang Ziyi (who made her debut in Zhang Yimou's 'The Road Home') for the central role of Mei, caught between captains Leo and Jin.
"I don't want to make an ordinary martial arts (Wuxia) film" explains the director. "I want to talk about passion, interesting characters, my own style of Wuxia film but it is also an evocative and romantic love story."
Official selection at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, 'House Of Flying Daggers' bears Zhang Yimou's trademark exquisite visual beauty and incisive storytelling.