Will go back to see more!

Rating: 10/10 (19 February 2001)

An absolutely wonderful movie. Just finished my 3rd viewing. The last time I went to theater for a movie for 3 times was when Saving Private Ryan came out. Both of these movies have what I call the touch of a master. In SPR, one of those moments was when the camera showed the gravel vibrating while the audience could only hear the approaching Tiger tank. That single shot brought the tension to the breaking point. There are just so many places which exhibit the touch of a master in CTHD, that I am at a loss to say which one impacts me the most. Truth be told, I wouldn't want to see SPR for a 4th time. But I still want to see CTHD again. The experience was that powerful for me.
If I have to bring up something specific to rave about, I was amazed by by Yeoh and Ziyi. Having just finished a 3-week tour through 6 western US national parks, the scenery in this movie was equally breath-taking. China will definitely be high on my list of places to have the next vacation. The music score was fantastic. The drum beat was unbelievably effective in complimenting the furious action. The cello parts played by Yoyo Ma were very haunting, and fit extremely well with the sweeping grandeur of Western China and the tragic story.
A previous reviewer who hated this movie said it stole many elements from the Star Wars. Go read what Lucas said himself about where his inspirations came from for that movie. As long as the movie evokes an emotional response, I really don't give a damn if it was a copy or not. I think a person has to have the right make up (background, personal experience or whatever you wanna call) to enjoy a particular movie. For example, I hated some of the Oscar favorites, such as Gladiator. I also hated some past winners, like Titanic, the Last Emperor (what a bore!) etc. So no matter if CTHD wins or loses in the Oscar, this movie will always have a permanent place in my heart.
I've seen some really good Asian movies lately. Sunny Days (Yang Guang C'an Lan de Ri Zi) and Chungking Express stood out among them.