Beauty on an epic scale

Rating: 8/10 (20 May 2011)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is probably one of the most acclaimed foreign language films of all time, and rightfully so. It is one of those movies that, even if you don't love it, you still find it hard to truly dislike. The film tells the story of two warriors in search of a legendary sword that was recently stolen. The trail leads them to a teenage warrior who is going through a difficult part of her life as she has to choose between two worlds that she has become involved in. One is with royalty, the other with a fugitive who she is madly in love with. This is a hypnotic film with a certain quiet beauty to it that is as immaculate as it is raw. The film is pure, alive, and practically flawless as far as filmmaking goes from a technical point of view.
It is a film like this that comes to mind when I think epic scale production. This film is grand, glorious, and mighty. And yet it is also gentle, dainty, and beautiful. It is this contrast that so mystifies the mind as you watch it and makes this film very different from any you have ever seen before. I found myself not so much moved by this film, but rather entranced. Throughout the film I was still, focused, and attentive. The film draws you in very slowly and it plays with you as you learn more about the characters and the film itself.
The story here is more complex than average and you have to work to keep up with it, especially with all the odd subtitled names. I'll admit that I got lost a few times but I didn't have much trouble catching back up and keeping up to date with everything going on. This film actually plays a fairly cruel trick on you. You think it is very straightforward and won't be difficult to follow. However, as the film goes on you begin to realize that it is much less accessible than you at first thought. You realize this after you've been lulled into this false sense of security, then you have fallen behind and you miss a lot of what has been going on. I still really liked this film, despite being fooled by it, so I definitely feel like it deserves a re-watch.
Now, for whatever reason, the people in this film can fly. Yes, fly. Unless I missed it, it is never explained why they can do this, and you just have to take it for granted. But the beauty of it is that you do take this for granted and you quickly buy into the idea that these characters can fly, just because of how well this element is utilized. The martial arts fight scenes in this film are just astounding to watch. The beautiful choreography of these fights turn them more into immaculate dances than actual fight scenes. And they are shot with the utmost care and keen eye for detail. You never miss a single swipe for punch through Ang Lee's fabulous direction of these fights. At first I wanted to call the fights in this movie awesome. But then I realized I was wrong. Lord of the Rings is awesome. Star Wars is awesome. Saving Private Ryan is awesome. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is beautiful.
This is a very good film. It tells an epic story that enthralls you from start to finish, throwing in incredibly well orchestrated fights that astound the mind while entertaining the eye. It takes effort to fully appreciate this films story and everything else about it, but it is an effort worth spending. This film is unlike any I've ever seen before and that should be reason enough to call it a great film.