A Modern Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (11 May 2006)

Lets quickly pardon the dreadful American/English/Irish/unknown-origin voice dubbing, and strangely unrelated subtitles on the DVD, and cut straight to the chase. This is perhaps the most visually beautiful film I have ever seen. Almost every single frame is perfectly composed and lit. The story really is incidental - as is the acting, although the latter is still first-class. Ziyi Zhang is an absolute delight, stunningly beautiful as well as incredibly skilled in her art. Yun-Fat Chow and Michelle Yeoh give highly accomplished performances.
However the real stars of this show are the cameramen and lighting directors, etc etc, who have created a masterpiece - pick a frame and hang it in any gallery in the world. So much craftsmanship is evident here it makes you realise just how bad most movies are. And the martial arts and wire-work on display here are second-to-none, in places quite breath-taking. One can only sit back and admire the skills and the beautiful back-drops. For anyone with an appreciation of film-making this is absolutely essential viewing. Keep a copy handy and admire it at will - and be grateful to the artists who created this modern masterpiece.