His martial arts period movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon received lavish praise from critics, who are tipping it for worldwide success. The film, adapted from a four-part novel by Wang Du, is set during the last years of China's Qing dynasty at the beginning of the 19th century, shortly before western powers forced the country open for opium trade.
Tomorrow Never Dies.
Lee, whose last three projects were all US-made, combines stunning, digitally assisted fight sequences with costume drama to create a romantic epic with a strong feminist theme. The movie's title refers to an ancient Chinese saying which warns that nothing is as it seems. Taiwanese-born Lee, who has lived in the United States since 1978, grew up with martial arts and embraces the culture in the film.