a note about advertising and marketing

Rating: 10/10 (21 February 2001)

One thing: films that are marketed everywhere and advertised everywhere are not always great films. I can remember a particular 'The Matrix' being advertised a couple of years ago, but think about it people!
Here's a classic example:
The only reason why car company Ford advertises its cars with such frequency is because they are ****! They are bog standard and are nothing special. It's the same way with a film...a great film doesn't need advertising to lure people to see it, it should do it by its strength and power alone. (Hannibal, anyone?)
I also see no point in drawing comparisons with 'The Matrix' as this and CTHD are two entirely different films. I found 'The Matrix' to be a cheap, quick, hi-octane kind of tomato ride, with an impenetrable plot and some good 'wow' kung fu - good for your couple of hours but not worth a repeat viewing, you know what I mean? There is so much more depth and intrinsical beauty to CTHD that it deserves to beat all other contenders for the Oscars this year... Gladiator was good but it was hardly spectacular, CGI effects abound as normal, as we have lately come to expect from Hollywood, and of course Traffic...well, both Gladiator and Traffic aren't bad films in their own right but I'm afraid I'll be rooting for CTHD come Oscar night.
I give CTHD these marks out of 10 for each category:
Performances from Leads: (Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun Fat) 10/10 I have never, in living memory, seen such a subtle love exist on the screen.
Performances from Supports: (Chang Chen, Zhang ZiYi) 10/10 These performances are enough to put the best Hollywood performances of late out of their misery...quite literally, expect some slack-jaw moments as every trick in the book is utilised to add 'line' to the overall visceral shape.
Artistic Impression: 10/10 Possibly some of the most beautiful locations you will ever see in a film, the night chase, the city, and the desert, this is one rollercoaster of a film that never lets up. And of course the level of detail - the costumes, the ruts in the road for the carriage in the city, and interior design. Effects are used appropriately and yes, it is true that in the documentary with Ang Lee, he said he didn't want to use CGI effects for the wind in the tree-top scene because he felt that computers couldn't duplicate the effect of swaying tree tops in the dense forest. It's the strength of statements like that alone that are true testaments to the sheer power of CTHD, but anyway, we're digressing :)
Sound: 10/10 Not a hair out of place, metaphorically speaking, in this category. Sound effects are always appropriate and have just the right amount of weight to this to make it seem authentic, which is as it should be.
Music: 10/10 Always used in appropriate places, this film features some haunting cello solos from Yo-Yo Mah. If you are into beautiful 'a capella' (unaccompanied) music, you will definitely love this. Texture is rich and always has the right pitch, volume, and tone.
Cinematography: 8/10 Almost full marks in this category, but I felt that the cinematography fell down as the film goes on and on. Is there a logical progression of images that are utilised in the film? I felt it was conjured up in a somewhat haphazard fashion. Peter Pau certainly knows how to control the pace of a film, though; some quick, arousing battle scenes contrasted against the desert, dragging on and on for seemingly infinite length.
Direction: 10/10 You couldn't really ask more from a director, and Ang Lee gives it his best shot, and boy, what a shot that is. Camera angles are graceful and filled with splendour, so that even in the most basic of conversations at Sir Te's home, you will see all the detail that Ang Lee intended you to see. Top marks - absolutely brilliant.
TOTAL MARKS: 68 / 70 Summary: One of the best films I have seen in the past 6 years of my life. Consistently outclasses others when I make comparisons to other works such as 'Clockwork Orange', 'American Beauty', etc. and all the other films that think they have something to say about society. My only wish is that (1) there is a global re-release in cinemas everywhere and (2) there should be more films like this. This is film-making of the very highest order.
Jaz