One of the greatest movies of the last 25 years

Rating: 10/10 (25 June 2013)

This film is a dramatic and poetic expression of a philosophy of life and contains a great message. No talent or skill has merit by itself, but must be placed at the service of a higher purpose. It is a warning for the narcissistic artist and for anyone with a selfish creative force. This is not stated ostensibly at any time in the movie, however. Instead, we are treated to a wonderful adventure, with complex characters, extraordinary choreography and inspiring images of nature. The music is also beautiful and has become influential. The love story is touching and at times sublime. It does not really matter that the movie uses formulas that prevail in many popular Chinese adventures. History has many examples of popular formulas that are brought to the level of high art by insightful masters, and this is one of them.