Not your typical kungfu flick

Rating: 10/10 (20 February 2001)

Being an Asian American, I've had my share of kungfu flicks. Many Asian friends of mine have complained to me, after watching Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, that it was merely another one of those martial arts films. To explain for its wild success they've offered me two reasons: 1) the director, Ang Lee, has a respectable reputation in the film world, and thus Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was expected to be good, and 2) It is one of the few kungfu flicks that has had a lot of public exposure. I, however, thought very differently from my peers. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, is not, by far, your typical kungfu flick. It transcends the amateur standards set by other movies in the genre. Its a shame that it must even be considered to be in the same category as those movies.
First of all, Ang Lee has put the focus of Crouching Tiger on the characters and their relationships to each other, contrary to the popular genre standard of concentrating on the clan or group the character belongs to. More attention is given to the particular martial art style, the bloodline, or the clan that one character belongs to. However, in Crouching Tiger, Ang Lee zeroes in on the characters of Li Mu Bai, Shu Lien, the Jade Fox, Jen, and Lo, beyond the extraneous details such as clan. Yes, the characters do often refer to the "Wudan" discipline; however, it never goes so far as to define the character of Li Mu Bai. Because of this focus on character, and not on bloodline, Ang Lee is able to portray emotions, such as love, loyalty, and hate with full effect. Many have also claimed that the wire play in Crouching Tiger makes the movie silly and deters the seriousness of the action sequences. I COULD NOT DISAGREE MORE. The problem with many other kungfu flicks is that while they use wires while trying to cover it up to make it seem more realistic. That, however, usually backfires, and the action sequences feel stunted and immature. However, Ang Lee and Woo-ping Yuen makes full use of the wires and almost goes to the point of flaunting it (well not quite). That results in giving the sequences a graceful feeling. After all, martial arts is... well... art. Ang Lee has given us a gem. He has a created a world where gravity-defying leaps are possible, where one can move faster than one can see with his eyes. Perhaps that is the lost craft of filmmaking that many seem to have forgotten, that film is, among other things, a creation. However, amidst these fantastic action sequences, there is a realistic array of emotions presented throughout the movie. My favorite scene is the movie is not a fighting sequence; rather it is when Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien are in the mountains in search of Jen. They stop by a small lodge where they have tea and enjoy conversation with each other. Li Mu Bai, during the scene, says that this is what he wants in his life, the peace and solitude that reign over them right now. The scene could have ended there but instead, the shot stays in the same scene for another several seconds, so that the viewers can truly see and appreciate the kind of peace that Li Mu Bai is talking about.
I truly enjoyed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and it has to be considered as one of my favorites ever (although I'm only 16). If you have not seen this movie yet, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE you to see it. Don't pay attention to those who say that its just another typical kungfu flick. It's more than that, a lot more. It's less about martial arts than the emotions that the characters go through, and the relationships they have with each other. So, I don't care what time it is that you're reading this, if you haven't seen it yet, grab your coat, take a night out in the city, and see this excellent piece of mastery.