Rarely have I seen a movie with such a marriage of art and poetry. It seemed like studying a paining at depth while hearing a poet/teacher tell a story of his life. Ip's story and his connection to Gong Er was operatic. I was engrossed to the end by the performances. The direction and cinematography was the best I've seen in a long while. The long, slow scenes were perfect for the story as it was told mixed with a soundtrack that was appropriate throughout. I truly enjoyed this movie and I will add this to my private collection as a movie I will want to return to again and again. Even the fight scenes were more dance or ballet than simple fighting but with technique and flow rarely seen. I highly recommend this film.