Beautiful, Majestic, Powerful Martial Arts Saga!

Rating: 10/10 (12 December 2000)

Yes, this film is indeed a saga. Ang Lee has described it as Jane Austen meets Bruce Lee, and he is obviously right on the money!

The design elements are majestic and the visuals linger in your memory long after you are finished watching this wonderful film. I'm sure this movie is way above most audience member's heads. First and foremost, it's in Chinese, which must scare away about 99.9 percent of U.S. audiences. Too bad, for they are missing the best film so far this year!

I loved the way the script handled so many characters and subplots without once losing control or interest. The acting was uniformly good, but it is the beauty of the shots and the powerful wizardry of the martial arts scenes that really transcend the medium. This film completely elevates you along with the magically endowed characters flights above the rooftops. It is amazing how Lee manages to balance the supernatural elements with the period drama.
I'm sure this film will not please everyone. It belongs in the pantheon with such beautiful works as Metropolis, 2001: A Space Odyssey, or even The Wizard of Oz. It is pure FILM MAGIC! It surpasses the genre of Kung Fu Flicks, practically rewriting the genre. You have to be a true cinephile to enjoy work this beautiful, and this rich in film imagery.
The ending is truly beautiful, and perfectly closes the chapter on the many subplots involved in the film.
Ang Lee is truly a film genius. He is the descendant of Howard Hawks and William Wellmann, who managed to direct many different genres of film and succeed admirably well in all of them. I can't imagine any other director alive today who could excel in the films Mr. Lee has chosen to direct.

If you love movies, truly love them for their visual poetry and storytelling, GO SEE THIS MOVIE!