Superman Can Fly...So, What's the Problem?

Rating: Null/10 (26 June 2001)

I don't often feel compelled to comment on movies here. In fact, this is my first. But after having read the overwhelming negative comments about CTHD, I feel the need to express my two-cents.
First of all, what most people seem to be addressing in their negative reviews is the preposterous notion of these martial artists flying. The people who criticize this aspect of the film simply don't get it. No one seems to have trouble accepting the fact that Superman flies, or that other super-heroes have amazing powers and abilities, so why should there be a problem here? Movies of all genres are full of completely preposterous notions of superhuman abilities. The westerns and Rambo-style action movies have the amazingly fast (and accurate) gunfighters who can shoot up a whole town in minutes while the bad guys always seem to miss, modern car chase films have guys driving cars at high speeds and eluding hundreds of police, and musicals support the notion that absolutely ordinary people break out in song and dance in the middle of the street (with full orchestral accompaniment, no less). The fact is that Chinese and Japanese mythology is full of all kinds of crazy legends of superhuman ability, just as our own western culture has comic books and the like, and, like the Ninja, there is an element of truth to them. To really enjoy this film, I think this blind acceptance, so easy for Superman, et al., must be achieved before the full beauty of this film can be absorbed. I pity the poor souls who refuse to open their eyes to this.
Secondly, I think the film does an amazing thing; it parodies (quite successfully) the genre from which it came, and at the same time it pays great homage to it. Anyone who has seen a bad martial arts film can see the same sorts of action sequences, beautifully choreographed but shabbily done. This film, obviously of higher budget, takes the time to do it right. The sequence where Jen terrorizes the saloon while touting her invincibility is hilarious and is a brilliant exercise in exploiting the bad martial arts films. Yet, at the same time, the scene fondly tips its cap to the genre. The concept that people fight each other for the pure joy of fighting and for one-upmanship is not at all unlike the great duels in westerns, or the song and dance pieces in musicals, and this aspect is exploited fully both here and in the bad martial arts films which spawned it. Also, notice that no one dies in this film other than three people who die for subtle reasons necessary to the plot. I think that's a nice touch.
Finally, one must acknowledge that the subtleties of the story follow oriental traditions quite closely. While inconsistencies exist, such as Shu Lien possessing such high rank for a woman, and doing such things as riding on horseback, other subtleties, such as her desire to resolve the stolen sword situation without embarrassing anyone involved is a nice touch. Michelle Yeoh's scenes with Chow Yun Fat have this odd chemistry of oriental reservation and tradition, and the feistiness of Jen is ruthlessly hilarious as she goes about her business just because she's bored and wants to have "fun" like any other spoiled little rich girl. A tip of the hat must also go to Ang Lee. This film clearly looks as good as any Kurosawa film in the way he captures nature, and that aspect is one that closely follows the traditions of oriental art.
All in all, this film has distressed me greatly because I must now go to the trouble of expanding my top-ten favorite movies to a top-eleven. I can't understand those folks who don't feel the same.