Based on a Qing Dynasty story, "The Assassination of Ma", it was made in to a movie by Zhang Che in 1973, "The Blood Brothers".

Here, the roles of main protagonists are reprised by Jet Li as General Pang Qing-yun, Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro as bandits Zhao Er Hu and Jiang Wu-yang, respectively.

Pang opens the movie as the only survivor of a massacre that has his entire army slaughtered while he escapes by playing dead. And after an encounter with a peasant woman Lian (Xu Jing-lei), he joins a gang of outlaws led by Er Hu and Wu-yang. Pang, not content with a bandit life, outraged by looting from soldiers and being looted and humiliated by rival soldiers, suggests joining the imperial army. The trio signs a blood pact. With the story unfolding, the blood brothers find their principles in conflict with each other's. The ambitious and unscrupulous Pang, whose military successes awarded him the court's attention, suffers little remorse when it comes to sacrifice. His growing love for Lian, who happens to be Zhao's wife, doesn't recognize obstacles.

Er Hu, the charismatic leader, a man guided by honour, defends his ideals in loyalty to his men. And Wu-yang - torn between the reason and conscience, fanatically adheres to the code of the brotherhood.

Once their status as an army is established there comes awareness that they are only pawns in a dangerous political game. Scheming high court officials have their own agenda using Pang against his friends. New alliances and challenges further exacerbate brothers' differences and put the brotherhood to the test.

Powerful performance from Jet Li has deservedly won him a Best Actor award. As General Pang he has revealed a great dramatic talent.

The characters of Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro are less developed and the latter's is rather shallow. Lau is excellent and convincing as gradually disillusioned general Zhao, while Kaneshiro's appearances in jumpy close ups are quite irritating. It is disappointing that Lian's character is fleeting and superficial. In the love triangle, she appears a mere pretext to dividing the brothers.

The film is beautifully shot in muted, sepia colours, emphasizing relentlessness and grim reality of war, only later briefly enhanced to strongly contrast the opulence of the imperial court. Battle scenes strive to be realistic. However, the one where Li upturns a whole row of cannons and slahes off limbs with a guandao, echoes his earlier choreographed fights. And pitting 800 men against an army of 5000 seems like a flight of fancy.

Nonetheless, it is a film certainly worth watching, if only beacause of differently treated subject of war; if only to see Jet Li in his best acting role.