The Great Magician

The film is set in Northern China during the early 20th Century where warlords engaged in perpetual territorial feuds, causing turmoil in the land. Zhang Xian (Tony Leung), a famous magician who returns to Beijing after many years spent overseas, wins the attention of Lei Daniu, aka Bully Lei (Lau), who enlists his help in earning the affections of Liu Yin (Zhou Xun), whom he has forced into becoming his 7th wife.

Unknown to Lei, however, Zhang is in cahoots with a band of rebels looking to kidnap him, so they can bargain for the release of one of their senior officers, who is Zhang`s mentor, and Liu`s father. What becomes clear soon is that Zhang has personal motives in targeting Lei namely that Liu Yin, whose heart Lei is trying to win over, is actually Zhang`s estranged fiancÃ