Although it's got plenty of brilliantly-choreographed action set-pieces, this is more of a caper movie - though that description seems somehow inadequate when set against the sheer verve and exhilaration that Tsui and Ching bring to practically every shot. One critic compared it to a feature-length version of the first five minutes of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and that's a very fair description: it moves like a rocket from beginning to end, piling increasingly intricate plot points on top of each other with the deftness of a virtuoso juggler. There's probably a little too much to take in at a first viewing, but that's hardly a complaint!

Set in Peking just after the first Chinese revolution in the early part of the twentieth century, it focuses on three very different women: Tsao Wan (Brigitte Lin) is the daughter of a general who's secretly working to undermine him. Sheung Hung (Cherie Chung) is a singer who wants to emigrate to America - so she's turned thief in an attempt to raise the money, while Pat Neil (Sally Yeh) is the daughter of the local opera house owner - she wants nothing more than to perform on stage, but this goes against the rules governing Peking Opera: strictly men only.

Their paths cross throughout an immensely complicated plot that takes in revolutionary intrigue, turn-of-the-century sexual politics and backstage farce shot in a style that seamlessly blends costume drama (though the pacing couldn't be more different, there's a strong visual resemblance to Chen Kaige's international hit Farewell My Concubine), slapstick comedy, suspense and high-speed action, often within the same scene (if not the same shot!). But despite the tornado pacing - and even by its creators' own formidable standards this is breakneck stuff - it never loses sight of the central trio, their fears and ambitions, hopes and dreams, set against some superbly realised production design.

Indeed, the Chinese title translates as "Woman Warriors", and that's a pretty fair description of the type of hard-boiled no-nonsense feminism that drives the film - something surprisingly common in Hong Kong cinema considering it's normally a decidedly patriarchal society. The three leads are uniformly superb, especially Brigitte Lin, who would go on to play mysterious, often androgynous leading roles in such diverse films as Swordsman II, The Bride With White Hair and Chungking Express - though the overly squeamish should be warned that she's the victim in one of the nastiest torture sequences I can recall.

This is a rich enough confection even for those with no knowledge of Peking Opera - but apparently if you're more familiar with the style and content of the standard repertory the film is crammed to bursting with allusions and references. In many ways, the film is a loving tribute to the roots of contemporary Hong Kong cinema - many of its leading lights, including Jackie Chan and Samo Hung, started out as Peking Opera performers after years of arduous, only to be forced into the film industry when the art form started to die out at just the point they were graduating.

But even if that goes as far over your head as it did mine, this is a fabulous piece of cinema - and the perfect antidote to anyone who trots out the tired old cliché that Hong Kong films are merely about people beating each other up. True, there's plenty of that here - but if you cut the fights you'd still have a formidably entertaining film. This may well be Tsui Hark's masterpiece to date, and considering that his CV includes production and direction credits on such Hong Kong classics as Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain, A Chinese Ghost Story, all three A Better Tomorrow films, The Killer and the Swordsman and Once Upon a Time in China cycles, that's no small claim.

Although, like every other Hong Kong DVD I've seen, this is non-anamorphic, this is for the most part an excellent transfer. The print is in surprisingly good condition for a fifteen-year-old Hong Kong film: there are a few white dust spots, but nothing distracting, and the transfer is commendably sharp despite the lack of definition, reproducing the original picture and colours very well. It's about as good a picture as you'll get from non-anamorphic NTSC.

The sound is a Dolby Digital 5.1 remix - but, as ever, the film's mono roots are all too obvious. That said, some effective directional sound effects have been added, and the recording quality is adequate if never outstanding: pretty much in line with the better Hong Kong DVDs I've come across.

As usual, chapter stops have been set at a measly nine, hopelessly inadequate for a film as crammed with memorable scenes as this one (though at least the chapters contain full-motion video clips). The English subtitles are 16:9 friendly and, while not exactly what you might call polished, are nonetheless better than some of the semi-literate drivel that passes for simultaneous translation.

The extras are absolutely standard for a Hong Kong DVD - 'About the Film' reproduces the cast list and sleeve note already printed on the back of the box, and there are four trailers: for Peking Opera Blues itself, plus Ching Siu-Tung's A Chinese Ghost Story and the two Tsui Hark-produced John Woo films - A Better Tomorrow and The Killer. None of these trailers has subtitles - but, as ever, they don't exactly need any!

Michael Brooke