Loosely based on the hyper-stylized, historical epic
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
by Luo Guanzhong, directors Felix Chong and Alan Mak’s movie The Lost
Bladesman is an alternate retelling of General Guan Yu’s (Donnie Yen)
journey to rejoin with his friend and warlord Liu Bei. The story is also partly
narrated by chancellor and rival warlord Cao Cao (Jiang Wen) during his attendance
and sponsorship of the general’s funeral, reminiscing on how Guan Yu was a truly
righteous man possessing the body of a wolf and the soul of a sheep. Cao Cao then
flashbacks to 20 years prior, when Guan Yu is among his VIP prisoners as China collapses
into civil war during the closing years of the 2nd Century CE.