Rashomon as History Lesson? Mild Spoilers

Rating: 10/10 (17 October 2004)

Color coded versions of what seems to be the truth, and each layer as another aspect of an onion that makes you nearly weep at its simple beauty, fantastic effects and fight scenes interwoven with philosophy and love in all of its forms...
Jet Li as the Nameless was magnificent in his native tongue, people complained of it in English Sub-Titles but for once it was good to hear everyone in their own voices!
Sky was the most powerful "villain" as in when he bent the swords of the palace guards and fought/danced psychically with Jet Li to the tune of the blind musician!
Broken Sword seemed the most brutal yet was actually the most intellectual and Flying Snow his ex-lover was the one who remained locked in her passions in and out of bed...
The Emperor too was good in his own way, like Broken Sword he appeared to be a dictator until he spoke of unifying even the written language of what was to be China (BTW: a quick e.g. "ma" has five meanings... Rope, horse, shrimp, mother and placing oneself in a fighting stance - especially in Oriental chess that is called "go" in Japan)!
This was a fascinating study of what is truth, and also the complications of unifying a whole kingdom - for a long time Chung Kuo / Middle Kingdom was China's nickname (I used to confuse it with Tolkien's Middle Earth), but I never knew about "Our Land" until now...
Fly, skip running, to see this masterpiece that must've inspired "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"!!