The Touch
In the Buddhist religion, a Sharira is a relic purported to contain the pure essence of a Holy Man. Shariras are said to possess mystical powers that can transform mankind for the better or worse. A…
The Touch
In the Buddhist religion, a Sharira is a relic purported to contain the pure essence of a Holy Man. Shariras are said to possess mystical powers that can transform mankind for the better or worse. A Chinese family of martial artists and acrobats have been performing for many generations. The family includes Pak Yin (Michelle Yeoh), and her brother Pak Yeuk Tong (Brandon Chang). Lily (Margaret Wang) is Tong's girlfriend. The family are, in secret, guardians of a holy treasure accessible only by a spectacular jump which, to everyone else, is impossible to perform. A ruthless treasure hunter Karl (Richard Roxburgh) works with a master thief Eric to procure an ancient artifact for him from a secure location in Hong Kong. The artifact concealed the Heart of Dun Huang, a jade medallion that is said to unlock the secret of the Sharira. The Sharira is actually the crystallized essence of a legendary monk which can supposedly do great things for mankind. It was said that the Sharira of the monk could grant immortality. The funeral pyre of the pure monk continued burning for 4 days. Eric steals the Heart of Dun Huang from Karl. Eric (Ben Chaplin) is Yin's ex-boyfriend (who joined the family back when he was a child when he was caught stealing food from Yin's father's kitchen), who left the family when he decided to use his acquired skills for theft. Eric shows up on Yin's doorstep with the Heart of Dun Huang. Eric tells Yin that her father was always fascinated with the legend of the Sharira and now they finally had a way to pursue the legend. Yin's father is now dead. Yin asks Eric to leave but he asks for permission to stay the night. Tong approaches Yin and finds that she had a sacred scroll in her possession, that she said was lost. Yin says that the pursuit of the legend nearly bankrupted their father. The scroll depicted the acrobatic moves that had to be performed at the right location to access the Sharira. Karl does not take the theft likely and knows that Eric had feelings for Yin. He also knows that Yin's circus is in the same town. Karl's men attack the family but are beaten off. They protect the scroll and the heart, but Eric is captured and taken back to Karl. Yin attacks Karl's layer and rescues Eric while he was being tortured by Karl. Karl allows Yin and Eric to escape as he knew that with the scroll and the Heart, the family would go after the Sharira themselves. Yin and Eric return only to find that Tong and Lily took the Heart and the scroll and went after the Sharira themselves. Yin is livid but has no choice but to follow Tong & Lily. Tong & Lily reach the village of Dun Huang and ask the locals to decipher the secrets of the scroll. The locals have no clue. They notice a Buddhist monk and follow him. On the gate of his home is the same symbol as on the scrolls. The monk gives them instructions on where to find the Sharira. Karl was following them and heard the entire conversation. Tong & Lily are kidnapped by Karl to procure the priceless relic for him. He then proceeds to kill the monk so nobody else can receive the instructions. Yin and Eric reach the monk's home and find him murdered. Pak Yin, with the help of Eric, pursues them in order to uncover and protect the treasure that her ancestors had sworn to keep safe. Due to a storm both parties have to wait one night. That night Yin remembers the words of her dying father (the life and death go hand in hand) and connects them to the murals she found in the monk's home. She realizes that both were giving her indications to the location of the Sharira. Yin & Eric reach a lush orchard. The orchard had a dead tree stump, which had an entry passageway. The passageway was adorned with murals depicting the life of the Holy Man. The murals give instructions to an ancient desert where legends say the treasure is buried. Yin also finds an ancient flask, which had the blood of the Holy Man, which is the key to unlocking the treasure. As per instructions the Blood of Holy Man has to be poured on a pure heart. Unfortunately for them, Karl had found them and abducts Eric. Karl blows up the passageway where Yin was on the other side of it, and shoots Eric. Eric survives due to a whiskey flask that he was carrying in his coat pocket. Eric rescues Yin and they both rekindle their romance. They both study the murals again and realize that the Sharira is protected by traps. They both pursue Karl across the desert. Karl comes across a rock formation in the desert and is sure that this where the Sharira is located. He enters a cave in the rock formation and finds a Buddha statue with a hole the size and shape of the Jade heart. Karl places the Jade heart in the hole and pours the blood from the flask to open the gate. As Karl and his entourage step through the gates, it activates the defense mechanism of the location. Eric reaches the location with Yin just the defenses take shape in the form of several rectangular boulders, which are the only safe places surrounded by a sea of fire. Karl takes Lily hostage. Fire arrows shoot from the walls and in such a way that only a skilled acrobat can survive. One by one Karl's henchmen are killed. Karl threatens Lily's life to force Yin to retrieve the Sharira. But then, one of the arrows strikes Lily and she is killed. Yin, Tong and Eric escape through a hole in the roof of the structure, just as fire arrows strike and kill Karl. The escape trio go further into the cave to find the Sharira which is in a room across a large chasm. Tong and Yin team together to perform their acrobatic maneuver to jump across the chasm. In the room, Yin finds the Sharira. The trio then travel to Lhasa and hand over the Sharira to the keepers of the Buddhist faith. Tong decides to stay in Lhasa, while Yin and Eric return home.
The Touch
Action,Adventure,Romance
Film Details
In the Buddhist religion, a Sharira is a relic purported to contain the pure essence of a Holy Man. Shariras are said to possess mystical powers that can transform mankind for the better or worse. A Chinese family of martial artists and acrobats have been performing for many generations.
The family includes Pak Yin (Michelle Yeoh), and her brother Pak Yeuk Tong (Brandon Chang). Lily (Margaret Wang) is Tong's girlfriend. The family are, in secret, guardians of a holy treasure accessible only by a spectacular jump which, to everyone else, is impossible to perform.
A ruthless treasure hunter Karl (Richard Roxburgh) works with a master thief Eric to procure an ancient artifact for him from a secure location in Hong Kong. The artifact concealed the Heart of Dun Huang, a jade medallion that is said to unlock the secret of the Sharira. The Sharira is actually the crystallized essence of a legendary monk which can supposedly do great things for mankind.
It was said that the Sharira of the monk could grant immortality. The funeral pyre of the pure monk continued burning for 4 days. Eric steals the Heart of Dun Huang from Karl.
Eric (Ben Chaplin) is Yin's ex-boyfriend (who joined the family back when he was a child when he was caught stealing food from Yin's father's kitchen), who left the family when he decided to use his acquired skills for theft. Eric shows up on Yin's doorstep with the Heart of Dun Huang. Eric tells Yin that her father was always fascinated with the legend of the Sharira and now they finally had a way to pursue the legend.
Yin's father is now dead. Yin asks Eric to leave but he asks for permission to stay the night. Tong approaches Yin and finds that she had a sacred scroll in her possession, that she said was lost.
Yin says that the pursuit of the legend nearly bankrupted their father. The scroll depicted the acrobatic moves that had to be performed at the right location to access the Sharira. Karl does not take the theft likely and knows that Eric had feelings for Yin.
He also knows that Yin's circus is in the same town. Karl's men attack the family but are beaten off. They protect the scroll and the heart, but Eric is captured and taken back to Karl.
Yin attacks Karl's layer and rescues Eric while he was being tortured by Karl. Karl allows Yin and Eric to escape as he knew that with the scroll and the Heart, the family would go after the Sharira themselves. Yin and Eric return only to find that Tong and Lily took the Heart and the scroll and went after the Sharira themselves.
Yin is livid but has no choice but to follow Tong & Lily. Tong & Lily reach the village of Dun Huang and ask the locals to decipher the secrets of the scroll. The locals have no clue.
They notice a Buddhist monk and follow him. On the gate of his home is the same symbol as on the scrolls. The monk gives them instructions on where to find the Sharira.
Karl was following them and heard the entire conversation. Tong & Lily are kidnapped by Karl to procure the priceless relic for him. He then proceeds to kill the monk so nobody else can receive the instructions.
Yin and Eric reach the monk's home and find him murdered. Pak Yin, with the help of Eric, pursues them in order to uncover and protect the treasure that her ancestors had sworn to keep safe. Due to a storm both parties have to wait one night.
That night Yin remembers the words of her dying father (the life and death go hand in hand) and connects them to the murals she found in the monk's home. She realizes that both were giving her indications to the location of the Sharira. Yin & Eric reach a lush orchard.
The orchard had a dead tree stump, which had an entry passageway. The passageway was adorned with murals depicting the life of the Holy Man. The murals give instructions to an ancient desert where legends say the treasure is buried.
Yin also finds an ancient flask, which had the blood of the Holy Man, which is the key to unlocking the treasure. As per instructions the Blood of Holy Man has to be poured on a pure heart. Unfortunately for them, Karl had found them and abducts Eric.
Karl blows up the passageway where Yin was on the other side of it, and shoots Eric. Eric survives due to a whiskey flask that he was carrying in his coat pocket. Eric rescues Yin and they both rekindle their romance.
They both study the murals again and realize that the Sharira is protected by traps. They both pursue Karl across the desert. Karl comes across a rock formation in the desert and is sure that this where the Sharira is located.
He enters a cave in the rock formation and finds a Buddha statue with a hole the size and shape of the Jade heart. Karl places the Jade heart in the hole and pours the blood from the flask to open the gate. As Karl and his entourage step through the gates, it activates the defense mechanism of the location.
Eric reaches the location with Yin just the defenses take shape in the form of several rectangular boulders, which are the only safe places surrounded by a sea of fire. Karl takes Lily hostage. Fire arrows shoot from the walls and in such a way that only a skilled acrobat can survive.
One by one Karl's henchmen are killed. Karl threatens Lily's life to force Yin to retrieve the Sharira. But then, one of the arrows strikes Lily and she is killed.
Yin, Tong and Eric escape through a hole in the roof of the structure, just as fire arrows strike and kill Karl. The escape trio go further into the cave to find the Sharira which is in a room across a large chasm. Tong and Yin team together to perform their acrobatic maneuver to jump across the chasm.
In the room, Yin finds the Sharira. The trio then travel to Lhasa and hand over the Sharira to the keepers of the Buddhist faith. Tong decides to stay in Lhasa, while Yin and Eric return home..