A truly great film in many respects.

Rating: 10/10 (27 December 2000)

Watching "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is almost like watching your own dream evolve on the screen. I mean this in only the most positive sense. It is pleasantly surreal, and works like the best of the dreams you have ever had. It follows the story of fictional characters a couple of hundred years ago in China, revolving around the theft of a legendary sword, and the revenge of a student for the death of his master. It is extremely satisfying on so many levels. I will try to name just a few of them.
First of all, the acting is superb. Michelle Yeoh doesn't actually get top billing in this movie, but she deserves to. She is utterly outstanding, and shows her talents as both an actress, and a martial artist. In one scene, she uses just about every martial arts weapon you've ever seen, each with equal skill. Add to that an earlier scene where she fights bare-handed, and you have some of the most highly skilled martial arts acting ever filmed. Newcomer Zhang Zi Yi is also wonderful. Not a martial artist herself, she clearly took her training for the film seriously, and learned well -- well enough to hold her own credibly with the likes of Michelle Yeoh. Zhang is also a terrific actress, portraying an extremely complex character very credibly.
The cinematography and directing are also outstanding -- nothing new for director Ang Lee. The fight scene I mentioned above, where Michelle Yeoh uses just about every martial arts weapon known to Man, also includes some very clever camera work. My favorite part is where they showed a rather long part of the fight sequence from directly over-head -- a rare angle in any fight sequence, whether in a martial arts movie, or in Star Wars or Zorro, and it worked well. I hope other directors follow the lead of Ang Lee and show that angle more often. But Ang Lee didn't just do a good job filming fight sequences. There is a ton of feeling and emotion in this movie, including two different love affairs, and equal attention and care was given to the quiet scenes. Ang's directing was both subtle and skillful.
The sound track also bears comment. It is moody and dream-like, adding to the impression that you are almost watching someone's dream unfold before you.
The combination of the factors mentioned above makes for a truly great movie. Ang Lee intermixed drama and comedy so cleverly that I was amazed. I found myself thinking, "I wish I could dream like this once in a while." I know Ang Lee not only has no plans for a sequel, but has vociferously rejected the idea, since he likes to try something new each time he makes a film. Personally, I hope he changes his mind. These are wonderful characters, it is a wonderful world... and it is a wonderful film. I want more, and I'm sure you will feel the same, after seeing it.
My score: 10/10.