Breathtaking martial arts saga

Rating: 9/10 (12 June 2003)

Zhang Yimou, who has always been expert in managing complex
production details, directs a film that shows how Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon should have been done. Both films have many of
the same elements -- including extensive use of wires to levitate
the heroes; but everything seems more distinguished here, from
the photography to the great martial arts sequences.
It has been noted that the film narrative is set up like Rashomon, a
point that's well taken. But instead of Kurosawa's extreme realism,
Yimou fuses Chinese pre-dynastic history and fantasy in a manner
much more similar to classic HK martial arts films. While the
events leading up to the first Chinese emperor has been done
more credibly elsewhere, it's never been presented more vividly.
Jet Li (who would have been a welcome replacement to Chow
Yun-Fat in Crouching Tiger...) is one of only a few actors who could
pulled off both the athletic and acting demands here. Donnie Yen,
Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, and Tony Leung round out a fine cast.

The action is spectacular, often shown in medium slow motion to
capture the grace of the martial arts. But the visuals are equally
impressive; whether fighting on the surface of a serene lake, or in
a forest filled with autumn leaves, the look of the film is frequently
mesmerizing.
While the film has not been released in the U.S. yet, inexpensive
import DVDs are widely available online, so there's no excuse for
passing this one up.