Li is the undisputed master of the Hong Kong costume epic, and with Illicit Desire he distils the essence of his directing skills into a trio of gems with some of the top names in Mandarin filmdom. Tang Dynasty emperors, Ming Dynasty scholars, assorted fortune-tellers and Buddhist monks, not to mention some of the sexiest ladies in Hong Kong movies, combine to create a world where adultery, greed, and lust take centre stage.