AllMovie

In this richly costumed dance drama set in the Tang Dynasty, a beautiful woman living in China's western hinterlands is kidnapped by the owner of a dance and acrobatics troupe. Her father, a master artist, cannot afford to pay the ransom demanded to free her -- but both are reunited when a generous Persian merchant pays the ransom as a favor to the artist who had once saved his life. Although the performance by the Gansu Song and Dance Ensemble is excellent and inspired, the cinematography is not -- the dancers move in and out of the picture frame, and close-ups are not based on balletic movements but rather specific turns in the plot.