But it does not fit into either of the boxes into which Chinese films are expected to fit in the west, namely "martial arts" or "arthouse".
We have now forgotten that in the summer of 1854, when Anthony Burns – who had run away from slavery in Richmond, Virginia – was returned to slavery by a state judge acting as a federal commissioner under the second fugitive slave act, Boston itself had to be placed under martial law for three whole days.
The accusations against Jaruzelski remain that he betrayed Poland and was acting at Moscow's bidding when he declared martial law to crush the Solidarity movement, and that he turned to reform only because circumstances in the communist camp forced him to change course.
Intelligence sources, Jaruzelski claimed, persuaded him invasion was unavoidable – unless he acted against Solidarity by declaring martial law and detaining the movement's activists.
Afterwards, he often spoke of his "deep regret" over the martial law era.
Success on the battlefield was a signal of divine favour to govern, and martial valour was a vital accompaniment to monarchical power.
When the party finally had to abdicate power, in 1990, he accepted it without bitterness – and made his apology for martial law and past Communist regime excesses.
Two months later he concluded that Poland was facing the abyss – and declared martial law.
In November 1982, soon after Jaruzelski had provoked a further storm by banning Solidarity, he agreed to an interview with the Guardian, perhaps the first time he had been prepared to meet a western journalist since the declaration of martial law.
Philip Cave, a retired navy judge advocate who now works on court martial cases as a civilian lawyer, said the hearing would be a "road bump on the way towards Manning's trial.
Reservoir Dogs was essentially a heist movie (without a heist), Pulp Fiction a gangster flick, Jackie Brown a blaxploitation flick with an edge of noir, Kill Bill a martial arts double header and Death Proof a slasher movie.
