Pure cinematic magic and genius.

Rating: 10/10 (17 February 2001)

In this commentators opinion, there are a handful of films that transcend the "ten " ranking and reach a supreme level of art-Citizen Kane, Touch Of Evil, Andrei Roublev, El Gattopardo, Barry Lyndon, Raging Bull, the first two Godfathers, Pickpocket, The Red Shoes, The Searchers, Vertigo, Les Infants du Paradis, Les Regles de Jeu, Otto e Mezzo, Trois Coleurs:Rouge, Treasure Of The Sierra Madre, The Life Of Colonel Blimp, L'Atalante, Singin in The Rain, Lawrence of Arabia, Rio Bravo, Bringing Up Baby, Tokyo Story, Seven Samurai, Tthe Third Man, Joan of Arc at The Stake, Sunrise, and perhaps a dozen more.Now, this film has joined their august company.If the Academy award selectors have taste and intelligence, ( That was meant as a JOKE)this film should rout the competition at Oscar time..the only film that comes even within shouting distance of it is Gladiator. Everything about this film was superb- the costumes, the cinematography, the acting, and the exciting, well-told story. This was a genuine, magical epic, -the kind Hollywood virtually forgot how to make YEARS ago. As with the really great films, it is full of exquisite, painterly scenes, that remain in the memory. Bravo Ang Lee!