Warrior and the Wolf (2009)

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A man is torn between his compassionate nature and the warrior's philosophy that has been drummed into him in this historical action adventure from director Tian Zhuangzhuang. During the era of the Warring States, Lu Chenkang (Joe Odagiri) is a Chinese shepherd who is strong but gentle, a man who loves animals and keeps a wolf cub as a pet as well as looking after his flocks. General Zhang Anliang (Tou Chung-hua) is leading his troops through the Kunlun Mountains, and when he meets Lu, he's convinced the shepherd has the potential to be a first-class soldier. Lu is wary, but is persuaded to join the General, and is indoctrinated into his philosophy of "Kill or Be Killed." A skirmish that goes wrong leads to the General being sent home, and Lu, who has become one of his most powerful fighters, becomes commander in his absence. As winter comes to China, Lu's army takes over an abandoned village in the mountain, and Lu finds a woman (Maggie Q) hiding in a makeshift shelter dug into the earth. Lu's initial reaction is brutal, but the woman, who had lost her husband in the war, refuses to be intimidated by him, and in time her beauty reawakens the kindness of his spirit. However, as Lu falls in love with the widow, she warns him that she is a member of a spirit tribe that can be transformed into wolves at a moment's notice, and he thinks he may have found a connection to a world in which he truly belongs. Lang Zai Ji (aka The Warrior and the Wolf) received its North American premiere at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi