Da bing xiao jiang

LITTLE BIG SOLDIER tells the story of a soldier and a general. The film is set during an era of pre-imperial Chinese history known as The Warring States Period (475 B.C. – 221 B.C.) Although the period was politically unstable, the rivalry between the states nonetheless led to a flowering of philosophy, literature, the arts and technology. More than two dozen states vied with each other for supremacy. At the end of this period the Qin dynasty emerged as the strongest state; this dynasty was to lay the foundations for the Chinese empire.
The plot takes place at the end of one of the many battles. An old soldier from the state of Liang takes prisoner a young general who fought for Lord Wei – in vain, however, since almost the entire army has fallen in battle. The soldier plans to take the general back to his far-flung homeland and so collect the customary reward. He hopes to be able to use this reward money to hang up his sword for good and go home to settle down as a farmer.
The journey of these two men with such different characters and backgrounds soon turns into an adventure during which they find themselves up against pursuers, abductors, swindlers and all kinds of difficulties – not least the disastrous effects of the war.
At the end of their long journey the soldier does indeed bring back the general to Liang – which has since been occupied by the superior armies of the Qin dynasty.