The Grand Passion

Director: Yang Shih-ching

1970 / 85min / DCP

“Like A City Called Dragon, The Grand Passion was made during the downtime of King Hu’s A Touch of Zen, a massive, much delayed production, when Hu’s production manager Yang Shih-ching picked up a camera and tapped Hu’s other major female discovery, Polly Shang-kuan, to headline. Yang’s film is a showcase for what Shang-kuan can do, setting her on her path to become one of Taiwan’s biggest action stars. Shang-kuan and Pai Ying are siblings who are part of a secret spy network. Standing in their way is the government’s torture-loving General Zheng Yun. An intense drama with gorgeous production design and a sense of realism that grounds the action and makes the twists feel real.”—Subway Cinema