Screenplay by Hui-Ling Wang, James Schamus and Kuo Jung Tsai, based on the novel by Du Lu Wang. Starring Chun-Yow Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang. Reviewed on January 28th, 2001.
Some movies exist to make an important statement, or to shed light on a matter of great urgency.
And then there are the movies which exist simply to be watched, that are so visually exhilarating that all other matters fall by the wayside. Director Ang Lee has made a film which is not, in principle, very demanding. It is a legend, taking place in the China of two hundred years ago, when more modern sensibilities had yet to take hold in the country. Being a legend, it weaves a simple, classical tale of love, honour and revenge, although it is been populated with characters of unusual perception. It is rare to encounter a movie which is such a feast for the eyes.