Pros: The choreography of the fight scenes (without cgi !), The acting by Chow Yung-Fat and Michelle Yeoh, what a major debut for Zhang Ziyi!!!, Beautiful photography, Magnificent blending of genres.
Cons: Some may have difficulty suspending belief during the martial arts scenes
janesbit1's Full Review: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
When was the last time you applauded during a movie? Was it during Gene Kelly’s magnificent dance number in Singing in the Rain, or immediately after the truck chase sequence in Raiders of the Lost Ark?
Don’t be surprised if you find yourself spontaneously applauding 20 minutes into Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon after the most exhilarating martial arts display ever recorded on celluloid. I know that I sat, mouth open, in utter amazement at the screen during this choreographed sequence as two lithe martial arts experts flew and spun across the rooftops in breathtaking beauty. That sequence alone is worth the ticket price.
Synopsis
The actual plot takes a background to character, cinematography, and the action scenes, but it does begin in ancient China with warrior Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) returning from a spiritual retreat early because he could not give up one thing. That unspoken thing is the unrequited love that he has for Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), who has the same thing for him. Li Mu Bai has decided to give up his ideas of vengeance over the death of his master and to give up his invincible sword, the Green Destiny, to respected Sir Te (Sihung Lung).
Since Yu Shu Lien is on her way to Beijing, she agrees to deliver the sword to Sir Te, at whose home she meets the adventurous and restless Jen (Zhang Ziyi), who is engaged to be married but really loves another – a desert rogue named Lo (Chang Chen).
The first night, the sword is stolen and the magnificent choreographed gravity-defying contest ensues between Yu Shu Lien and the thief. When the sword isn’t immediately recovered, Li Mu Bai arrives, decides that the evil Jade Fox (Cheng Pei Pei) that murdered his master is behind the theft, and decides that there is one more thing he must do before retiring his warrior career.
What works
The centerpieces of this genre have to be the martial arts sequences, and despite the high wire acts above the roofs and trees, Ang Lee brings sense and sensibility to these energetic scenes. They are beautiful works of art that can stand on their own, but underplayed emotional content resonates within those pieces when you consider the combatants.
Restraint describes the performances of Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh as well as any word I can think of. They express profound love, admiration, and yearning for each other with subtle facial expressions and through their eyes without ever physically touching. Keep in mind that this is a period piece from ancient China and that mythology and traditions are honored here, and that this is no modern American movie where lovers are leaping under the covers without minutes and grinding away for the cameras. The love here is no less obvious here without a physical consummation, and the spirituality behind it affected me to the point that I found myself wiping away some tears late into the film. Though the visual style is similar, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is no nihilistic journey like Lee’s Ice Storm.
For a little more physical passion look towards the younger lovers, in a flashback sequence in the desert that is a real knockout. Both Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen demonstrate real energy during the cat and mouse game playing that pretends to be over Jen’s comb, but really serves to bring the two lovers together. Again the choreographed fighting is a pleasure, but the camera also catches some wonderful facial expressions – just don’t trust Ziyi’s signals though, as she’s a tricky one, but the whole sequence adds charm and humanizes these characters.
Ang Lee has certainly brought together an impressive array of talent to bring Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to the screen. Of course Chow Yung-Fat is the widest known star from Hong Kong, and he has presence and charisma that takes over everything he ever does. The beautiful Michelle Yeoh also carries a lot of clout with 20 films that showcase her acting and martial arts skills, and should earn her an Oscar nomination this year. Then take the wizardry of martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping, best known for his work in The Matrix, and add the world’s greatest cellist Yo Yo Ma to the mix, and we expect a quality production.
I walked into the theater expecting to enjoy the film, but there is no way that my collection of Bruce Lee DVDs could prepare me for the visual feast and the poetic leaps over the rooftops, through the water, and into the trees that Ang Lee takes us through.
Finale
Ang Lee’s film is not without its detractors, but that’s often the case even with highly touted films. After hearing a lot of positive buzz about Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the first negative reaction I heard was from another Scottsdale Film Society member who told me that she had seen it several months ago in Borneo and that “it wasn’t that great.” Then a Taiwanese co-worker tells me that he had seen it last summer and didn’t like it because the martial arts scenes were too fantastic for him (and he is solidly based in reality and gravity), and another friend fluent in Mandarin relates that the English subtitles are badly translated. Others who are far more familiar with the Hong Kong film genre tell me that Lee’s film is very derivative and hardly original.
Frankly, I don’t give a damn (borrowing from another film classic). I’m not arguing perfection here. Even films like Citizen Kane and Vertigo may have some slight flaws discernable to nitpickers. All I know is that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon works for me better than any film I’ve seen for the year 2000. This beautiful period piece brought more excitement and poignancy to the screen than anything else I’ve seen on the big screen in the past several months, and I’m looking forward to watching it again. Ang Lee’s wondrous film has certainly awakened more interest in me for checking out other Hong Kong cult fare.
Should this be the case with other moviegoers, expect a surge of interest in the genre. We can only hope that the wider exposure that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon brings will serve to elevate Hollywood fare because it certainly needs a makeover. I’m hoping that Lee’s film will prove to be the kick in the butt that our tired movie industry needs.
I couldn’t stand the thought that this film wouldn’t show in Phoenix until the middle of January, so it was a major motivator for me to fly to the west coast. I have no regrets. Pen Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in this year for the Best Foreign Film Oscar. It would be a legitimate choice for Best Picture, but it’s hard to imagine the Academy honoring an "outsider." I’d love to see that happen though.
Known for making films about familial relationships director Ang Lee surprised everyone with his martial arts epic CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON. Base...More at Family Video
The disappearance of a magical jade sword sets into motion a quest of love and loss. The perils of Western China and a mysterious assassin provide pit...More at HotMovieSale.com
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.