Sakra (film)

Lore & Background

The film follows Qiao Feng, a Khitan-born baby who lost his parents and was raised by a couple from the Song Empire, which was at war with the Khitan-led Liao Empire. He grows up to become a formidable and righteous martial artist, eventually becoming the chief of the Beggar Clan. However, he falls from grace after his Khitan heritage is revealed and after he is wrongly accused of committing murders. During this time, Qiao Feng meets and falls in love with Azhu, who stands by him even though the wulin has mostly turned against him. He takes her to Heroes Gathering Manor to seek help from the physician Xue Muhua after she is accidentally injured. At the manor, he is surrounded and confronted by several martial artists, including some old friends and acquaintances, who now consider him a threat to the wulin. Forced to sever ties with them, he then fights and kills many of them. Towards the end, a wounded Qiao Feng is saved by a mysterious man. Azhu, after being healed by Xue Muhua, escapes from the manor and reunites with Qiao Feng, who has confirmed his Khitan origin and now goes by the name 'Xiao Feng'. Believing that 'Leading Big Brother', who was responsible for his parents' deaths, is behind the murders, Xiao Feng sets out with Azhu to uncover 'Leading Big Brother''s identity. At one point, Xiao Feng mistakenly thinks that 'Leading Big Brother' is the Dali prince Duan Zhengchun and mortally wounds him. However, the Duan Zhengchun he wounded turns out to be Azhu in disguise. Before dying, she reveals that she had just discovered that Duan Zhengchun is her long-lost father, and she hopes that her death will appease Xiao Feng. Xiao Feng deeply regrets his actions but it is too late. While mourning Azhu, he learns that Duan Zhengchun is not 'Leading Big Brother'. Qiao Feng, accompanied by Azhu's sister Azi, gets into a fight with Murong Fu and defeats him. He takes Azhu's remains to the countryside and buries her as his wife, after which he and Azi ride towards Liao soldiers. In the mid-credits scenes, Murong Fu is revived by his father, Murong Bo. Xiao Yuanshan, Xiao Feng's father, is also revealed to have survived all these years, and is the one behind the murders his son is accused of.

Reader's Guide

Sakra is significant as Donnie Yen's first directorial effort since 2004, marking his return to the director's chair. The film achieved notable commercial success, becoming the top Lunar New Year film across China's three largest streaming platforms (IQiyi, Tencent, Youku) and exceeding its budget in streaming revenue within ten days. In Southeast Asia, it performed well theatrically, grossing SGD 955,000 in Singapore (fifth highest grossing Asian film of 2023) and nearly MYR 6 million in Malaysia (sixth highest grossing Asian film of 2023). It received the award for outstanding streaming movie at the Golden Swan festival in Macau on 16 December 2023. The film holds a 70% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 20 reviews, with Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com calling it 'a surprisingly well-realized star vehicle and adaptation.' Its legacy lies in demonstrating the viability of streaming-first releases for major wuxia productions in China, while also serving as a vehicle for Yen's action choreography and adaptation of Jin Yong's classic novel.

Did You Know?

• Sakra was Donnie Yen's first film as director since Protégé de la Rose Noire (2004).
• The film's streaming revenues exceeded its budget within 10 days of release.
• It was the top Lunar New Year film across IQiyi, Tencent and Youku in 2023.
• Principal photography started on 27 July 2022 and concluded in October 2022.