''Thiên mệnh anh hùng'' (天命英雄), known as ''Blood Letter'' and ''Sword of the Assassin'' in English, is a 2012 Vietnamese martial arts action fantasy directed by Victor Vu, produced by Phuong Nam Films and Saiga Films, in association with BHD. One of the most expensive Vietnamese films ever made, ''Blood Letter'' is considered the first film of its kind, Kiem Hiep (Sword fighter Adventures) in Vietnam. It was released theatrically in Vietnam on January 20, 2012 by Megastar Media. The film was going to be the official submission for Vietnam to the 86th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. However, on 19 September 2013, the National Cinema Department announced that the film did not meet the AMPAS criteria for distribution.

Synopsis

Adapted from a popular novel ''Bức Huyết Thư'' by Bùi Anh Tấn, based on the life of Nguyễn Anh Vũ, a Royal court officer during the era of Emperor Lê Thánh Tông. The film begins with a young boy arriving at the shore of a remote monastery. The boy grows up under the care and martial arts tutelage of the lone monk who cares for the temple. Twelve years later, Nguyen Vu discovers his true identity, that he is the lone descendant of the nobleman

Nguyễn Trãi Nguyễn Trãi (阮廌), pen name Ức Trai (抑齋); (1380–1442) was an illustrious Vietnamese Confucian scholar, a noted poet, a skilled politician and a master strategist. He was at times attributed with being capable of almost miraculous o ...

, who was beheaded, along with the rest of his family, when he was implicated in the death of the King. Two eunuchs from the Royal Court learn the truth and when they try to escape are hunted down. One of the eunuchs writes his testimony in blood before he dies and this Blood Letter disappears. Nguyen Vu then embarks on a quest to find this letter so that he may clear his grandfather's name. Along the way he meets two sisters who are also on a quest to carry out vengeance against the Royal Court.

Cast

* Huynh Dong as Nguyen Vu * Midu as Hoa Xuan * Van Trang as Empress Dowager Tuyên Từ * Khuong Ngoc as Tran Tuong Quan * Van Anh as Lê Nghi Dân, Prince of Lạng Sơn * Minh Thuan as Su Phu * Jaivee Mai The Hiep as Le Dai Nhan

References

External links

* 2012 films 2010s fantasy action films Films directed by Victor Vu Vietnamese action films Vietnamese fantasy films Vietnamese martial arts films 2012 martial arts films Films based on works by Vietnamese writers Films set in the 15th century Films set in the Lê dynasty Vietnamese mythology in popular culture Vietnamese-language films {{martialart-film-stub