Nothing like you've ever seen before

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2000)

Let's all be honest here, not so many people are into foreign films.
They have their own little niche, their own little fans and pretty much
their own little market. In most smaller areas (not cities), you're
lucky if you have two art house theaters (I only have one). It's sort of
like independent films, films from other countries are very unique and
are usually in their native language with subtitles. The only really
mainstream foreign film ever was the good but overrated "Life Is
Beautiful", which garnered many, many awards and spread to a few hundred
theaters and became the top grossing foreign film in the U.S., grossing
around sixty million dollars.
So here comes "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". Released in China last
July to much critical acclaim, Sony Pictures Classics snapped up the
rights to bring it to the U.S., where the film has been playing for the
past few months in various film festivals, gaining a lot of buzz. Sony
has even released two trailers. One for the casual moviegoer with the
action it features, the other for art house audiences with more of the
story side and critical acclaim. Sony is also releasing it in a few
theaters for a consecutive weeks, so by mid February, it'll be all over
the United States. After hearing about the movie it did sound like it
could be like a mainstream film, and that Sony may be having a surprise
smash hit on their hands, but after seeing the film itself, this film is
defiantly not mainstream for a sole reason: it is too arty.
Mu Bai (the excellent Chow Yun-Fat) has an reputation for being a deadly
and soulful warrior, yet has a lot of wisdom and heart. The film opens
with him arriving at the headquarters of Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), that
being one of his oldest and most loyal friends. Mu Bai is settling down
to retire, so he is giving away his infamous sword, the Green Destiny,
(which is 400 years old and looks really light and somewhat weak, yet it
is incredibly powerful and heavy) to Sir Te, a man who has supported and
encouraged him throughout his life. However, after the sword is at the
home of Sir Te, it is stolen by a mysterious masked stranger known as
the Jade Fox. Lien assumes that Te's beautiful daughter, Jen (Zhang
Ziyi) stole it, but we learn that Jen isn't like any other girl, as she
is controlled by the Jade Fox herself and is a deadly warrior. Jen is
also downright nasty, who wants to be free of the male dominated
society.
I really don't know what more I can add to what already has been said,
but I'll do my best. This film has gotten raves all over, and pretty
much it's all been covered. But here it is anyway. I guess I'll start
what has gotten the movie a lot of buzz: the action sequences. The
action sequences don't outrank the plot or story (thankfully), but I
wish there were more of them. Still, what is presented is a real treat.
There are about seven or eight of them throughout the film, and they are
really like nothing you've ever seen before. These stunts and fights are
really, really intense. Many people are going to draw comparisons to
"The Matrix" with them. For one thing, they were choreographed by
Yuen-Wo Ping, the same guy who was responsible for the sequences in
"The Matrix". Anyhow, these parts defy the laws of gravity and balance.
Characters fly and duke it out with swords and their punches and kicks.
I'm glad these don't last a minute or two, and with the exception with
the final battle with Jade Fox and the Green Destiny (which was
disappointing in length but still cool), these last a good amount of
time and will cause your jaw to drop. Characters jump so gracefully and
run sideways on walls, it's all really well done and such a joy to
watch. This is what I think is the mainstream part of the film, and if
you're going in for these stunts, you'll be amazed, but ultimately
disappointed at the lack of them.
Next is what I think won't appeal to the mainstream audiences: the
story. The story is excellent, but what I really like about is how deep
it is. Based on an early 20th century novel about the Wuxia, a group of
loyal Chinese warriors, the film was written by James Schamus, Hui-Ling
Wang and Kuo Jung Sai. For you Ang Lee fans, you know Schamus has been
his right hand man, adapting the screenplay for "The Ice Storm" and
writing "Ride With The Devil". The script is really good, as the plot is
laced with some deep themes of love and the old days of China when it
was ruled by males. The characters are well developed, each with their
own strengths and weaknesses, as well as their own emotional core. Jen
yearns for freedom, Lien wants to express her love despite what's going
on and Bai is a man who is tired of fighting and simply wants to settle
down and live in solitude. What I didn't like about the script though is
how things shifted, it felt a bit uneven. There was not so much of a
focus on Jade Fox and the sword itself, but rather what Jen was going
through. This really gives the film depth, but it would have been great
if they made it more even. Yes, I realized things have to be
established, but I felt it was a bit much.
The production values of the film are first rate. I think Ang Lee is an
extraordinary director, bringing such films as "Sense and Sensibility",
"The Ice Storm" and "Ride With The Devil" to life. Here he really shows
his stuff here, as he blends the action and themes into one. His vision
for this film is superb, and I think without him it wouldn't have been
so good. The sets and costumes are really unique, I actually thought I
was there back in Imperial China watching all of this unfold before my
eyes. You really feel like you're there, and it looks really nice, so
good art direction on that part. In part of feeling like you are there,
the performances are great. Chow Yun Fat (people will recognize him from
"Anna and the King" and "The Replacement Killers", but he's a huge Asian
action star) and Michelle Yeoh (who was in the James Bond film "Tomorrow
Never Dies") has deeply affecting performances, bringing a lot of life
into their characters. The same thing for Zhang Ziyi and Cheng Pei Pei.
The musical score is really well timed and is sweet yet haunting,
perfectly fitting the film, it does bring a lot to it. The cello solos
are performed by Yo Yo Ma, which is really cool (I like Yo Yo Ma). One
aspect of the film which I really liked was the sound effects and sound
design, they are just booming to death. The fists flying, guns firing
kicks rising and swords clasing... they sound so good and are edited so
well, it's like music to your ears. It makes it all the more alive, so
my kudos to the sound designers. Finally, the editing and
cinematography. Each is can be summed up in one word: flawless. The
movie is so well filmed with great camera movements and angles. There
are so many lovely shots, just like the action sequences, they will
amaze you. The editing is great too. As I said, I felt like I was there
watching all of this, thanks to the cuts the film has. It's all done
appropriately and with much thought. The editing is superb in the action
sequences. It's not shaky or quick or anything, like some movies where
you get so confused and can't tell what's going on. Here you have a real
easy time following the action, setting up good shots.
This film is nearly perfect, and not perfect as everyone is going on to
be. What brings it down is how the story arc is presented (see earlier
in the review), but it's still all good. What is going to be interesting
is how all of this does with mainstream audiences. As I said, the story
is deep, and I don't think so many casual moviegoers are going to really
understand be enthralled by it. Yes, they'll love the action, but
there's so much beauty to the story, which I feel they'll find boring.
Also, so many people mind subtitles. If it's not in English, it is a big
turn off (they re-released "Life Is Beautiful" into a lousy dub which
quickly bombed). But I am a big advocate of films being presented in
their original languages, so they can be presented they way they were
originally supposed too.
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is a revolutionary film, there is
simply nothing like it to ever grace the film before. While I felt some
parts were a bit slow and dragged on, and the story was not as even as
it could have been, this is one damn good film and is an instant
classic. Even if you hate subtitles, but love a great plot with
interwoven themes, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is a film for you.
Be on the lookout for when it hits your area, Sony is putting it out
gradually so it catches steam. You will not see a finer film in the year
2000 (some of you will have to wait until 2001) than this, and is the
first time in a long time where I have really, really loved a film so
dearly as this. It's incredible. Sure to win the Best Foreign Film
Oscar, and possibly be nominated for Best Picture, but I doubt it will
win it. I hope the Academy doesn't over look the editing, music,
cinematography, performances and art direction.