a great Chinese film

Rating: Null/10 (8 August 2000)

As a Chinese from Singapore I just love the exposure Chinese talent is getting in Hollywood, John Woo, Jet Li, Jackie Chan and now Chow Yun Fat and Ang Lee.
CTHD is a smashing film. It is none-too-bloody, subtle and delicate in its handling, and that makes it a great contrast to your overblown Hollywood pictures. Chow Yun Fat plays Li Mu Bai, arguably the greatest swordsman in the "Kiang Hu" (the world of warriors) who tries to avenge his teacher and also retrieve his famous sword, the Green Destiny, capable of slicing other swords in half. The sword has been stolen by a masked thief under the tutelage of Chow's nemesis the Jade Eyed Fox. The thief is actually Jen (a name I HATE, her Chinese name is Yu Jiao Long, meaning the "Nimble Jade Dragon"), an aristocrat stuck in a pre-arranged marriage who wants her way out and living with Lo, a Mongol bandit she has fallen in love with. (I also hate the name Lo, his Chinese name is Lo Xiao Hu, meaning "Little Tiger"). This couple is in fact the "Crouching Tiger" and "Hidden Dragon" of the title.
The first thing that struck me about the film was Peter Pau's photography, it captured the Spirit of Chinese landscape painting COMPLETELY. In Chinese landscape painting, what is UNSEEN is just as important as what IS SEEN, the belief of "form before emptiness" to create refreshing poetic visuals is a part of Chinese painting philosophy. In this film we have large deserts in which humans become puny figures, a waterfall descending from high, as in the words of the Chinese poet Li Bo, "like the milky way falling from Heaven." Mountains emerge from a sea of mist and temples on the mountains look as though they were castles in the air. Wheere we have blasted to oblivion by loud, crowded action vehicles, this is indeed a welcome change.
The fight scenes are needless to say, wonderful. In one scene Jen takes on twenty competitors using the Green Destiny in a tavern single-handedly while reciting Chinese poetry. In another Michelle Yeoh's character, Yu Xiu Lian, fights Jen with an entire arsenal of Chinese weaponry. One other scene between Li Mu Bai and Jen is also wonderfully played out, and Chow Yun Fat shows he kicks ass in period garb just as well in modern garb.
The actors are charismatic and excellent, best of all is Zhang Zi Yi as Jen, she is beautiful, wilful, passionate, stubborn, feisty and cunning, and manages to bring out the complex motivations and layers of her character. Chow and Yeoh are solid as ever, Chow's a dream to watch: he's cool under fire, skilful and unwavering even in the greatest crisis.
Storywise, it is more than a straightforward action picture but a story that explores the differences between two generations, Li Mu Bai and Yu Xiu Lian are the conservative older generation bound by Confucian ethics and principles. Jen and Lo are the passionate new generation who believe in following their hearts as they please. It also takes time to explore the relationship between lovers, as well as that of master and disciple. And like many of Ang Lee's previous films, one's bond to the family.
The only flaw I can think of is the four different Chinese accents of the leads, Chow Yun Fat has a thick Hongkong accent, Michelle Yeoh a thick Malaysian accent, Zhang Zi-Yi who plays Jen is a mainland Chinese, and Zhang Zhen who plays Lo is a Taiwanese. The interaction of four accents is laughable. And also the diva ballad belted out by Coco Lee, the Chinese Celine Dion, is groan-inducing.
Otherwise, it's a beautiful film. The title is actually a Chinese proverb meaning "incredibly powerful, talented individuals who hide away from public attention" or "hidden dangers". Here it is a pun for Jen and Lo, who hide noble spirits under their exteriors as a spoilt aristocrat and a bandit. CTHD explores a vision as sweeping as the Chinese landscape, and as unfathomable as the Human Heart. This is a VERY GOOD FILM.
Rating: 89/100