Lores and little miracles

Rating: Null/10 (4 March 2003)

It's been more than a year since our family returned from our time living in Taiwan where Crouching Tiger was filmed and where we all (and myself more than any of us) was deeply struck forever by TIANG XIA that is china and its people. While I cannot agree with the comments of one commentator that this movie is more lush and beautiful in its imagery than CROUCHING TIGER, it certainly belongs in the same strata and was far from disappointing. I also have to disagree with criticisms about the story -- it is not only epic and brilliant -- something only somoene with little degree of literacy and/or understanding of Chinese culture would miss -- but in many regards as good and rivalrous to CROUCHING TIGER which I still think is a far better movie. Both of these movies offer a very delicate and gracious eye into both Chinese history and current spiritual barometers of the post-modern Republic.
Western culture -- while I still embrace it is largely superior pales by comparison when it comes to the art of storytelling and one can see this no better than in such cinema as Hero and Crouching Tiger offer. The spiritual facets of the story and plights in these movies reflect a yearning and longing that aches out of the east and reaches out to the future for emancipation. The music and images are beyond mythic and deliciously iconic not only for the east but for mankind and I commend Hero most of all for rekindling what Crouching Tiger first introduced to us -- the beauty of sacrifice as a means to true peace and fulfillment.
This movie -- like it's sibling predecessor Crouching Tiger -- attempts to touch every heart with a simple truth -- peace within and without often comes at the cost of much suffering and sacrifice and real love and real work lines the path to heaven.
Watch and learn from this movie...these people. They still possess something western culture has lost sight of. Thank God for such lores and little miracles.