Excellent but not a martial arts film

Rating: 10/10 (5 April 2001)

You know what I find so appropriate about the title of this film? It has managed to stay hidden in the background from critic eyes and yet it literally crouched up onto the competition and take everyone by surprise at the last minute. If you look at all the films selected for Oscar nominations, every one of them has been playing in the theatres for a long time or has been a major box office hit. The only film that is remotely similar in feel is Chocolat and at best it is a long shot to win Best Picture. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon came onto the seen not too long ago and not with a lot of marketing hype and yet it has managed to garner the second most Oscar nominations next to the goliath film, Gladiator. This alone should say a lot about the film but if you want more, just ask anyone who has seen the film. Chances are they will say they liked it.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is not a martial arts film despite popular belief. There is martial arts in it but it is not a martial arts film. The movie is about love, honor and loyalty. Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) is a legendary warrior and the guardian of a powerful sword. In preparation to retire from military life Bai decides to put the sword in the protection of a governor. Intertwined with this storyline is Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), Bai's long time friend. The audience is allowed a glimpse of the underlying love that exists between the two but an archenemy, Jade Fox (Pei-pei Cheng) complicates life by trying to steal the sword. To help her is her apprentice Jen Yu (Ziyi Zhang) who we find has a history of her own. The film revolves around the sisterly relationship that develops between Lien and Yu but the director (Ang Lee) lets us see the love stories that revolve each of these characters. If it sounds like a complicated storyline, I apologize but Lee has been able to tell it beautifully and has also done what few directors dared to do: make women the strong central characters.
The cinematography is beautifully shot. The audience is given a sense of the magic about the land and the history behind it. The fight scenes are more of dance sequences than pure fights and I have to say they are quite dazzling. Although for many, the wirework will be a little hard to get used to, it is integral to the feel of the film. For those who think that the wirework was a bit far fetched, keep in mind that this is a fable. Nothing about it is meant to be real and don't forget, nothing about Matrix was real either but to use state of the art special effects on a film like this would only take away from the story. I've been watching films like these all my life and I can say wirework has always been a part of films like these.
This is a beautiful film but for you hardcore critics out there, if you look for flaws, you will see them whether they're really there or not. Take this film for what it was meant to bea story about a legend, inner strength and undeniable honor.
Alan