The Promise (2005)

"The Promise" is a 2005 Chinese epic fantasy film helmed by Chen Kaige and featuring Jang Dong-gun, Hiroyuki Sanada, Cecilia Cheung, and Nicholas Tse. It is a loose adaptation of "The Kunlun Slave," a wuxia romance tale penned by Pei Xing during the Tang dynasty in the ninth century. Reception to the film was predominantly mixed to negative. Synopsis: Qingcheng, a young girl suffering from hunger, roams the land in search of food. By chance, she encounters a boy, deceives him, steals a mantou from him, and flees. Along her journey, she encounters the goddess Manshen, who presents her with an enticing offer: a life of wealth, luxury, and unmatched beauty. However, Qingcheng must pay a price - she will never experience true, everlasting love with any man. As she grows older, she becomes a concubine to the King. General Guangming achieves a remarkable victory against a massive army of barbarians with only 1,000 soldiers, and rushes back to rescue the besieged King from the treacherous Duke Wuhuan. He encounters Manshen, who warns him that a person wearing his Crimson Armour will commit regicide and tarnish his reputation. Later on, Guangming is caught off guard and wounded by Snow Wolf, Wuhuan's henchman, but is saved by his slave, Kunlun. Guangming instructs Kunlun to don his crimson armor and save the King. When Kunlun asks how he can identify the King, Guangming informs him that the King is the one without a weapon. Kunlun arrives at the palace and mistakenly believes Qingcheng, who is unarmed, to be the King. Consequently, he accidentally kills the actual King, who had just unsheathed his sword. Kunlun flees with Qingcheng, but they find themselves cornered at a cliff by Wuhuan and his men. Wuhuan promises to spare Qingcheng if Kunlun jumps off the cliff. Remarkably, Kunlun survives the fall. Meanwhile, Guangming's subordinates accuse him of regicide and turn against him. Kunlun returns, rescues his master, and returns the Crimson Armour to him. They later embark on a mission to rescue Qingcheng from Wuhuan. Qingcheng mistakenly falls in love with Guangming, believing him to be the person who jumped off the cliff. Conversely, Kunlun is captured by Wuhuan, who discovers that Kunlun is the true murderer of the King. While Guangming and Qingcheng lead a blissful life in the countryside, Kunlun utilizes his speed powers to witness the Veil of Time, discovering that Wuhuan is responsible for the destruction of his family and homeland. It is revealed that Snow Wolf, Wuhuan's servant, hails from the same land as Kunlun and was coerced into servitude. Snow Wolf also reveals that no one can cross over to the other side of the Veil of Time. Wuhuan lures Guangming back to the palace and captures him. He subjects Guangming, Kunlun, and Qingcheng to a show trial on charges of regicide. During the trial, Kunlun confesses to killing the King, and Qingcheng realizes that he is the one who saved her earlier. Guangming, Kunlun, and Qingcheng are sentenced to death, but they manage to break free and engage in a fight against Wuhuan. Wuhuan reveals to Qingcheng that he is the boy from whom she stole a mantou. He grew up consumed by hatred due to Qingcheng's betrayal, ultimately becoming the evil person he is. Both Wuhuan and Guangming perish in the battle, while Kunlun sustains severe injuries. However, Kunlun survives by wearing Snow Wolf's immortality robe. Manshen appears when Kunlun and Qingcheng attempt to pass through the Veil of Time, cautioning Qingcheng about the fragile nature of promises made between deities and humans. Qingcheng finally finds true love and is presented with an opportunity to choose once again. Manshen advises her to choose wisely. The film concludes with the opening scene depicting a young Qingcheng wandering aimlessly.