Class!!!

Rating: Null/10 (12 August 2001)

It's a rarity these days that an Asian Martial Arts picture gets the recognition in the West, but I'm glad people are opening their eyes and taking in the class wonders of foreign film-making.
Hidden Dragon is a class picture, the film's foundations are based in the Martial Arts genre, but Ang Lee takes it further, ingraves a deep meaning, a more character driven picture. Each of the characters has a unique personality, each one has a story. There are 4 main characters, each of them is given a lot of time.
The film is entirely fantasy, the fight sequences are special, even though they look like they are on wires, there's something majestic about them - they are very enjoyable to watch.
The direction is excellent, Ang Lee is a director who has delivered quality character driven pictures in the past, and he does it again here.
The photography is great, but sometimes the lighting makes the background look fake.
Excellent screenplay, but the flashback sequence lacked something. It seemed to be inserted rather than part of the flow.
Superb film score!
Overall, I'm surprised just how good a Martial Arts movie can be when characters are so strong in-depth.