Jaime brings to you his first entry in his column, Heading East, focusing on the essentials of Asian cinema.

King Hu’s A Touch of Zen is arguably the greatest and most important martial arts film ever to have graced the screen, but what has allowed such an epic entry into the genre to stand out amongst the many other smaller martial arts films we know and recognize? It would be easy to note that King Hu’s epic was one among many influences for Ang Lee’s own Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but why this film of the many other wuxia ("martial hero") films of its own generation?

One will already note the beautiful scenery from start to finish being amidst many fleeting moments of eye candy, but this was never a surprising thing about what made wuxia films nearly half as great as they are. Again, coming to note the beauty of the action sequences, what also allows such a story to stand atop all others, is how it’s always willing to sprawl as much as it wishes.