The best movie of 2000, the best movie released in the past 10 years.

Rating: 10/10 (8 December 2000)

After seeing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the new kung-fu love story from director Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility, The Ice Storm), one might be tempted to make grand, sweeping pronouncements about this film's place in the upcoming Oscar race or in the all-time pantheon of great movies. (I will do that later.)
And while a film of this quality will only attract such talk--and deservedly so--it is so important to realize that this is a film not only of grand moments, but also of small flashes. For it is the combination of grandeur and those seemingly insignificant flourishes that elevate this film from simply great to classic.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a story about a sword. But this is not just any sword. Rather, it is the Green Destiny (Lee loves his imagery), a 400 year-old sword owned by the legendary wuxia warrior, Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat). (Wuxia pan is a type of Hong Kong period action romance that focuses on swordplay--Asian pulp fiction.)
Mui Bai is a weary warrior, ready to hang up his sword when we meet him at the beginning of the film. Though he has never avenged the death of his master at the hands of the Jade Fox (Cheng Pei Pei), he arranges for the sword to be given to his close friend Sir Te (Sihung Lung) by fellow fighter Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), a longtime friend. Shu Lien delivers the sword, but it is soon stolen and she must get it back. The masked thief is the local governor's daughter, Jen (Zhang Ziyi), who is conflicted. She is about to be wed in an arranged marriage, but wants to be with her secret lover, Lo (Chang Chen), a desert bandit she met years before.
Shu Lien is also conflicted. She feels for Jen because she has long felt the same way for Mui Bai. Unfortunately, she and Mui Bai have never admitted their love for one another because they were both honoring the memory of Shu Lien's long-dead fiance.
To complicate matters further, Mui Bai realizes Jen's warrior potential and offers to train her, to help further her skills. But Jen refuses, despite her obviously strong feelings for Mui Bai.
This film succeeds because it its firmly aware of what it is. It is a love story. It is a spaghetti western. It is a kung-fu film. It is a celebration of feminism (as so many of Lee's films are.) And it does not take itself too seriously. Lee fully intends for the audience to laugh during Jen's scene at the saloon and during her initial meeting with Lo.
The big moments are big. The gravity defying fight scenes are choreographed by Yuen Wo-Ping, who did similar work in The Matrix. And while his work in that film was wonderful, it cannot hold a candle to the onscreen antics in this film because, while CGI is incredibly effective at making unreal situations real, it cannot compare to what can be done by people manipulating invisible wires.
The initial fight between Shu Lien and Jen brought loud applause from the audience. The battle between Jen and Mui Bai on top of the bamboo forest drew similar reactions. I have never seen better martial arts displays in a film--not from Bruce Lee, not from Jackie Chan.
And the small moments are big too. Because despite their importance in furthering the plot, they are treated almost as afterthoughts at the same time. Confused? When you see the film, consider the significance of Jen's comb or the moment when Shu Lien drops a teacup that Jen catches silently. That is a monster moment that can easily pass unnoticed. The viewer is being strung along by a master director.
A film like this could not be a success without terrific acting performances. Anything less would cause the film to cross the line from masterpiece to cheese. Chow Yun Fat's quiet dignity meshes so well with Michelle Yeoh's painful resolve. Newcomer Zhang Ziyi's youthful exuberance is the perfect antithesis to the aforementioned performances. The supporting cast is wonderful.
Beautifully filmed by Peter Pau, and supported by Yo Yo Ma's virtuoso cello sonatas, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a dream, a perfect film. Lee not only knows how to open a film, but he knows how to close one as well. The closing line, spoken by Lo, will go down as one of the most memorable ever.
Note that I have yet to mention the fact that the film is subtitled. Please do not let that prevent you from seeing it. After a few minutes, you forget about their presence since this is a film that is not driven by its dialogue. No one complained about the having to read the opening credits or subtitles in Star Wars.
Movies are supposed to be an escape. The great ones take you somewhere you have never been. This is a great action film--one that reminds you why you fell in love with the movies in the first place.
Many people have complained that this has not been a great year for film. Though I tend to disagree, secure in the knowledge that I have seen at least 10 great films so far this year, said feelings should only strengthen the argument that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon deserves to be nominated not only for Best Foreign Language Film, but also for Best Film.

Though I still have yet to see Traffic ,and one or two others that have been rumored to be excellent, I feel confident saying that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is not only the best movie of the year, but also the best movie I have seen in the past 10 years. While the film is almost assured of winning the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, the Academy must not be afraid to give it the Oscar for Best Picture. It is most deserving.