An achingly beautiful love story

Rating: 10/10 (28 April 2010)

How can one express their thoughts of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in words? The emotions in this film are so complex and deep that words really can't do them justice. But that won't stop me from trying.
In a word, this film is beautiful. This is a grand and powerfully emotive film that must be experienced to truly understand. Lovingly crafted and jaw-droppingly beautiful, this is a film where emotions take center stage.
Two aging warriors, Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) and Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) are looking to retire from a life of adventuring and fighting. But the theft of a legendary sword, the Green Destiny, sets in motion events that will unearth buried secrets in them and a young princess, Jiao Long (Zhang ZiYi).
The film is famous for its fight scenes, which are as beautiful as they say. This isn't a particularly violent film, at least not in the way of say, Jet Li. Or even Jackie Chan. The action sequences are almost completely bloodless (a wise concession from reality), and they are performed with such grace and beauty that they are far closer to dancing than violence.
While there is plenty of swordplay, calling "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" an action movie is an inept and unfair description. Above all, this is a romance; the fight scenes are just an extension of the character's feelings. In their own way, each of the central characters is trapped between their emotions and their lives, and the times where their feelings are brought to the surface, we can see the intensity reflected in their movements.
For a film that depends so much on the abilities of the actors, the performances were completely ignored by the major awards. This blunder was tremendous oversight. The actors playing the three central characters deserved Oscar attention, which none of them received.
Chow Yun Fat became famous as an action star in John Woo's films, but the Hong Kong star has tremendous acting ability. Li Mu Bai is a weary but wise man who is bound by his sense of duty, but the skill of this new opponent intrigues him, and instead of punishing the criminal, he wants to train her and give her direction. Michelle Yeoh also has a background in action films, but her performance equals that of Chow Yun Fat. She's his lifelong companion, tied by their past. But their duties deny them the ability to really say how they feel about each other. Zhang ZiYi is outstanding in her second screen performance. She's a young girl who has learned the ways of the Wudan martial arts (which Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien are trained in), but as Li Mu Bai puts it, she knows the moves, but not the meaning. Trapped in an impending forced marriage, she is seduced by the freedoms that, she thinks, warriors like Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien have, and runs away. But by the time she learns the hard truth, it may already be too late. Supporting roles by Chen Chang, as Jiao Long's true love, and Cheng Pei Pei, as her governess supplement the material well.
Ang Lee is a masterful filmmaker. Even his films that aren't quite perfect are still well made. Lee has made a number of brilliant films, like "Eat Drink Man Woman" and the slightly overrated but still wonderful "Brokeback Mountain" (for which he finally won a much deserved Best Director Oscar), this is his best film. This is a film about romance and philosophy more than action, and Lee understands this. It's gorgeously filmed, and he place character and emotion above action. Character, not plot, drives the film.
This film was denied the Best Picture Oscar at the 2001 Academy Awards. This was a grave injustice, and the fact that it lost to the bloated and hilariously self-important "Gladiator" is insulting. Nevertheless, those who see the film will understand that its best defense its itself.