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The Film

On first hearing the title, you might guess that this is a Hong Kong adaptation of the much-filmed Edgar Allan Poe story. It is, largely, an adaptation, but not of that. Writer/Director Stephen Shin apparently wanted to do a straight remake of Luc Besson’s Nikita, but the rights weren’t available (because they had already been sold in preparation for John Badham’s Bridget Fonda starring Point of No Return [Aka: The Assassin]). Shin made this instead. He makes some cosmetic changes, but in structure and many specifics, it remains very recognisable. You could say that Shin went from remake to ripoff in his concept of the film. Which isn’t to say it’s bad.

Former model Jade Leung debuts as Catherine, who kills a truck driver who tries to molest her, then the cop who comes to arrest her. As she’s taken to her trial,...

Pablo Picasso was apparently supposed to have said “good artists copy, great artists steal”. In the world of transnational cinema this is especially true when we see re-imaginings (to use the modern parlance) of particular films. With Luc Besson’s “La Femme Nikita”, the original “inspired” an incredibly dull American remake, TV series and inevitably an unofficial Hong Kong take from D&b Films. It would be hard pressed to argue that they were great artists and Stephen Shin would hardly be considered a visual stylist as Luc Besson in his prime. Yet this is more than just a facsimile copy and does have merit in it’s own right.

After killing a truck driver for assaulting her, Catherine (Jade Leung) is found by the police and shoots one of them unintentionally. After being attacked in jail by vengeful officers, she attempts to escape whilst on route to court.