This widescreen epic of love, loyalty, and betrayal is based on actual events that have become legend, spawning several film versions. Zhang's retelling finds David Jiang and newcomer Chen Guandai as bandit brothers who befriend young general Di Long after trying to rob him. The stage is set for tragedy when Di Long falls for Chen's neglected wife. Blood Brothers represents a turn by Zhang toward ever-greater psychological complexity. Di Long is a brooding, tormented man, and as the fulcrum of the love triangle, Jing Li is as conflicted as the men around her. From one tortured hero in One-Armed Swordsman to two in Vengeance!, Zhang here has three protagonists, the better to indulge his passion for sadomasochistic display of the male body under duress. This threesome whose devotion eventually turns to jealousy, treachery, and revenge prefigures John Woo's Bullet in the Head, and indeed, Woo served as assistant director on Blood Brothers.