Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
(A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat), a great warrior during China's Qing Dynasty decides to hand over his sword, the Green Destiny, to a treasured friend in 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', directed by Ang Lee. When said sword is stolen, it's up to him to retrieve it. Coincidingly, he is trying to avenge his beloved master's death by the evil Jade Fox (Cheng Pei-Pei). He is aided in this quest by Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), the love of his life. During all of this, they meet - but don't necessarily trust - Jen (Zhang Ziyi), the young, mysterious daughter of a well known family. She is the link to the plot/subplots that unfold. Everything in the story hinges on Li & Shu Lien's attempts to retrieve the stolen, ancient sword for Sir Te; the man he had given it to.
Shu Lien is a powerful warrior, as well. She loves Li Mu Bai, he loves her. But to uphold the honor of his deceased brother (who Lien used to date), they don't openly acknowledge their feelings for one another. Thrown into this mix is the powerful & seemingly innocent Jen, an aristocratic, unhappy bride-to-be who is wandering down a morally evil path. What is her part in all of this all? How is she connected to Jade Fox, the notorious fugitive & deadly adversary to Li Mu Bai? Will Li & Shu Lien live to experience a life together that they've always been forced to stifle? Containing shameless melodrama, lyrical music, gorgeous landscapes, exquisite sets/costumes, 2 love stories & groundbreaking action sequences ... 'CTHD' aims to awe.
And so it does. Ang Lee proves to be one of the most versatile directors out there; nailing the likes of a Jane Austen adaptation, Sense & Sensibility, and a dark 1970's suburban drama, The Ice Storm -- I think he can do it all. In this film, he carefully balances martial arts with Chinese legends & supernatural beliefs (in this story - flying). This is a fairy tale, of sorts; so one's ability to fly is acceptable. There are 3 flying sequences of note. 1) A fantastic scene across Beijing's rooftops. 2) Jen & Black Cloud's (Chang Chen) lengthy, drawn-out romantic desert romp. And 3) a great fight scene staged high in the trees; jumping from branch to branch. I imagine this scene will linger longest in the minds of the viewers, long after the film is over.
This is not an overly deep movie, per say. It preaches philosophy, but it is not philosophical. Most of the characters' personalities are a bit frigid and/or lack some dimension. This makes is difficult to summon guttural feelings of compassion, or even antipathy towards them. That is not a slam against the actors. I just think the material prevents them from over-emoting, perhaps. Chow Yun-Fat is a commanding presence. Michelle Yeoh is both intense & earnest (her eyes conveying SO much). Zhang Ziyi makes for an intriguing up-&-coming star. And Cheng Pei-Pei is appropriately loathsome.
'CTHD' offers big, flashy themes: freedom, feminism, mysticism & guilt. All of these are presented in grand, melodramatic fashion. People fly because they can. Our heroes are good because they are. Our villains are bad because they are, etc. You know, CTHD' is great escapist fare. It's rare to find a film with as much beauty & magnitude as this one – it truly is masterful. There's just something about the story/characterizations at hand that didn't quite live up to the creativity & the majesty of the rest of the film, for me. For all the punches thrown during the action, I feel like the drama & dialogue needed a little more punch. Still, I admire & love A LOT in 'Crouching Tiger ...'. Big thumbs up.
Shu Lien is a powerful warrior, as well. She loves Li Mu Bai, he loves her. But to uphold the honor of his deceased brother (who Lien used to date), they don't openly acknowledge their feelings for one another. Thrown into this mix is the powerful & seemingly innocent Jen, an aristocratic, unhappy bride-to-be who is wandering down a morally evil path. What is her part in all of this all? How is she connected to Jade Fox, the notorious fugitive & deadly adversary to Li Mu Bai? Will Li & Shu Lien live to experience a life together that they've always been forced to stifle? Containing shameless melodrama, lyrical music, gorgeous landscapes, exquisite sets/costumes, 2 love stories & groundbreaking action sequences ... 'CTHD' aims to awe.
And so it does. Ang Lee proves to be one of the most versatile directors out there; nailing the likes of a Jane Austen adaptation, Sense & Sensibility, and a dark 1970's suburban drama, The Ice Storm -- I think he can do it all. In this film, he carefully balances martial arts with Chinese legends & supernatural beliefs (in this story - flying). This is a fairy tale, of sorts; so one's ability to fly is acceptable. There are 3 flying sequences of note. 1) A fantastic scene across Beijing's rooftops. 2) Jen & Black Cloud's (Chang Chen) lengthy, drawn-out romantic desert romp. And 3) a great fight scene staged high in the trees; jumping from branch to branch. I imagine this scene will linger longest in the minds of the viewers, long after the film is over.
This is not an overly deep movie, per say. It preaches philosophy, but it is not philosophical. Most of the characters' personalities are a bit frigid and/or lack some dimension. This makes is difficult to summon guttural feelings of compassion, or even antipathy towards them. That is not a slam against the actors. I just think the material prevents them from over-emoting, perhaps. Chow Yun-Fat is a commanding presence. Michelle Yeoh is both intense & earnest (her eyes conveying SO much). Zhang Ziyi makes for an intriguing up-&-coming star. And Cheng Pei-Pei is appropriately loathsome.
'CTHD' offers big, flashy themes: freedom, feminism, mysticism & guilt. All of these are presented in grand, melodramatic fashion. People fly because they can. Our heroes are good because they are. Our villains are bad because they are, etc. You know, CTHD' is great escapist fare. It's rare to find a film with as much beauty & magnitude as this one – it truly is masterful. There's just something about the story/characterizations at hand that didn't quite live up to the creativity & the majesty of the rest of the film, for me. For all the punches thrown during the action, I feel like the drama & dialogue needed a little more punch. Still, I admire & love A LOT in 'Crouching Tiger ...'. Big thumbs up.