The tyrannical first emperor of China wishes to live forever, and doesn't really care how many of his subjects get sacrificed in the quest for immortality. A soldier (Zhang Yimou) becomes his most favoured general after thwarting an assassination attempt, but falls in love with an unwilling concubine (Gong Li). When their affair is discovered they are sentenced to death, but she slips her lover an immortality pill before he is coated in terracotta to become a statue in the emperor's tomb. Many centuries later, in the 1930's, a reincarnated Gong Li is now a shallow, vain actress, filming near the undiscovered tomb. When the film crew disturbs the tomb, the 'immortal' soldier comes back to life and intrigue follows.
DVD, 105 minutes, Mandarin Chinese with Chinese Subtitles
