One of the most beautiful films in years...

Rating: 10/10 (9 March 2001)

"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is one of the most beautiful and most fulfilling movie experiences in years. I love many films but I can count with one hand the movies that have the subtlety and beauty of "Crouching Tiger". What Ang Lee has made is beautiful, wonderful cinema. I'll start with the action and flying scenes, they were absolutely breathtaking, subtle and beautifully coreographed, the flying was like watching ballet in the air, so magical and the fight sequences have to be probably the best fight sequences to be put in film, they are so well done and the movie is so deep that through these fight scenes the characters express their feelings, they're done gracefully and without gore at all. The romance of the characters is beautiful, vivid and full of emotions, the affair between Jen and the bandal Lo was such a breath of fresh air, the flashback scene was wonderful, and the undeclared love of Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien was so honorable and pure. The cinematography is wonderful, the forests, waterfalls, lakes, deserts, all look wonderful and so beautiful, this is a visual feast for the eyes. The acting and the characters are amazing, from the wild, independent and ingenue Jen, who is an aristocrat young girl looking for freedom and an exciting life wonderfully portrayed by the beautiful Zhang Ziyi, to the subtle and deeply moving Shu Lien performed by the talented Michelle Yeoh, to the sublime and wise Li Mu Bai played by the terrific Chow-Yun Fat. The story or stories are handled so well, from the theft of the sword, to the love story between the characters, to the master-alumn relationships, to the love-hate relationships, and the revenge plot as well, they're all given the same importance and are wonderfully juggled through scenes. Overall, one of the best films to come in years with the two greatest cinematic moments of the year: The treetop scene and the jump, breathtaking, exhilarating, phylosophical and poetic, with a high touch of magic and inmense beauty, vivid romance and blowing martial arts, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is an absolute masterpiece and will be remembered for many years to come.
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!! 10/10!!! 5 out of 5!!! A++++!!