Wo hu cang long
Tags: murder, allegory, violence, magical realism, atmospheric, flashback, action, romantic

Plot synopsis:
《臥虎藏龍》Set in a distant time in China, the movie tells the story of Master Li Mu Bai (Yun-Fat Chow), an accomplished swordsman and martial artist. His sword, the Green Destiny, is renowned for its grace and superiority in a fight. However, Mu Bai wishes to leave the ways of the warrior behind him and asks his friend, Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) to take the sword and present it as a gift to their friend, Sir Te (Sihung Lung). Mu Bai explains that the sword holds too many memories of the past and he wishes to retire in peace. Shu Lien is a skilled warrior like Mu Bai and harbors feelings for him which he reciprocates, but does not act on due to the fact that Shu Lien was widowed by Mu Bai's best friend.At his estate, Sir Te accepts the grand gift and places it in a decorative case. Shu Lien also meets Jen (Ziyi Zhang), the daughter of a Manchurian governor, who is set for an arranged marriage. Despite her upbringing, Jen is inquisitive and seems envious of Shu Lien's status as a free warrior. That night, a thief dressed in black sneaks into Sir Te's study and steals the Green Destiny. An alarm is raised and the thief is chased over rooftops, pursued by Shu Lien, both of them demonstrating high skill in Wudang technique. The two engage in combat but the thief manages to escape.Shu Lien has her suspicions about who the thief may have been and tells Mu Bai about the theft when he arrives at Sir Te's estate. Surprised at his arrival, Shu Lien is nonetheless grateful to his help. It is implied that Mu Bai's intentions were to be close to Shu Lien. With the help of Bo (Xian Gao), Sir Te's servant, Mu Bai and Shu Lien silently investigate the theft and discover that it originated within Governor Yu's (Fa Zeng Li) compound and that none other than the infamous bandit, Jade Fox (Pei-Pei Cheng), is hiding out there. Mu Bai knows Fox well; she was the lover of his master who sought to learn Wudang from him. When he refused to teach her because of her status as a woman, she killed him and fled.Bo meets an undercover policeman (De Ming Wang) and his daughter, May (Li Li), who have been tracking Jade Fox. Inspector Tsai explains that his wife was murdered by Fox who now hides in plain sight as Jen Yu's governess. While the three of them are conversing during the day, May and her father sharpening their weapons, a dart is shot into their quarters with a message attached to it. Jade Fox challenges them to a showdown that night. That night, they hide in the shadows of a courtyard, weapons ready, until they see a hobbling old woman crossing the courtyard. They command that she reveal herself and Jade Fox stands straight, insulting them and brandishing her own weapons. The four fight, with Bo often getting in the way as he is not a skilled fighter. Tsai and his daughter seem on the verge of defeat when Mu Bai arrives and engages Jade Fox. His attack is diverted, however, by the thief in black. Fox addresses her as her apprentice, confident now that the battle is won. Mu Bai engages the thief alone while Tsai and the others fight Fox, three to one. The thief fights Mu Bai with his own Green Destiny, but he is impressed with her skills and energy. Tsai, meanwhile, is overpowered by Fox and is killed while Bo is paralyzed with a chi-blocking attack. May mourns the loss of her father as Fox and the thief flee.The next day, Jen is told by Shu Lien that a fight occurred the night before with Jade Fox and that an undercover policeman was killed. Jen is affected by this news and it is revealed that she is the thief in black who stole the Green Destiny. Guilt-ridden, she decides to return the sword that night but is intercepted by Mu Bai who offers to become her teacher in Wudang. Jen angrily rejects his offer and leaves. Back at the governor's compound, Jen confronts Fox about killing the policeman and banishes her from her quarters. A bandit is seen scaling the rooftops and avoiding the guards set out for the governor. He sneaks into Jen's quarters and it is immediately shown that they know each other. Lo (Chen Chang) asks Jen to come away with him to the desert and a flashback reveals how they first met.Crossing the desert in a caravan, Jen watches the unchanging landscape beside her mother, holding a white hair comb. Suddenly, the caravan is attacked by a group of bandits. Jen's mother faints while she watches. A young man on a horse, Lo, appears and snatches the comb from Jens hand. Angered, Jen leaves the safety of her coach and begins to fight the bandits. Lo, impressed with her skill and anger, leads her on horseback into the desert, baiting her with the comb. They stop for water but Jen continues to fight until she knocks Lo out and collapses from the heat. When she wakes up, she finds herself in a large cave where Lo apparently lives. He allows her to bathe herself and tells her that he will sing so she always knows where he is. As he is cooking outside, Jen hits him over the head with a pot before escaping on horseback. But the desert is vast and soon the horse dies and Jen continues on foot until she collapses. She wakes up some time later, tied up and back in the cave. Lo had tracked her down and tied her up so she couldn't hit him again. But over time, they fall in love and Lo takes her to a settlement in the mountains. They notice in the distance that Jen's family is trying to locate her and Lo convinces her to return to them, saying that he would do the same for a missing daughter. He tells her the story of a man who climbed to the top of a mountain where it was rumored that, if you made a wish and then jumped off the mountain, your wish would come true. He wished for his sick family to be well again and jumped off. His wish came true and, because his heart was pure, he didn't die. Jen and Lo share an intimate moment before she leaves, giving him her comb.Back in the present, Jen refuses to leave with Lo. Heartbroken, he gives her back her comb before leaving. It's clear she is upset as well. The next day after the wedding ceremony, Lo interrupts the convoy that is carrying Jen dressed in her wedding outfit. He shouts at her, begging her to go back to the desert with him. He escapes the guards but is cornered by Mu Bai and Shu Lien. Mu Bai thinks, at first, that Lo is with Jade Fox but Shu Lien sees his innocence and takes him with them somewhere else. Lo tells them that Jen belongs to him and Shu Lien responds that getting himself killed will be no way to show his love. He must wait and they will see what they can do. Lo reluctantly agrees.Later on, the Green Destiny is missing again, along with Jen who has apparently run away. She is seen traveling on the road dressed in unassuming clothes. When she grabs the wrist of a waitress, demanding that her cup be cleaned, she draws the attention of a couple of thugs who boast about their strength and fighting abilities. Jen displays a quick and harmless display of her skills with the Green Destiny which incites the thugs to ask if she knows Li Mu Bai. She replies that he is her defeated foe. Word spreads around the inn of Jen's shady character and many of the patrons think it would be best if she left, or they will fight her. Angered, Jen unleashes her fury on the inn leaving most of it in shambles. Mu Bai and Shu Lien arrive soon after and learn of the fight.Shu Lien takes residence at a nearby Wudang temple only to be joined soon after by Jen, who affectionately calls her sister, referencing their friendship. They talk, but issues regarding the wedding and Jen's decision to run away anger her and she begins to fight Shu Lien. The fight ends when Jen wounds Shu Lien and Mu Bai appears, yelling that Jen has no right to wield the Green Destiny. Jen escapes the temple to a bamboo forest, followed by Mu Bai. After a brief chase they stop at the edge of a small waterfall where Mu Bai is able to temporarily break Jens emotional barriers, touching her gingerly on the forehead. He expresses his wish to train her again, sensing that she is confused and stubborn. She agrees to train with him only if he can take the Green Destiny from her in less than a few moves. Mu Bai does so with ease and Jen yells her frustration. Mu Bai does not believe she needs the Green Destiny and tosses it over the falls. Jen leaps off the falls and dives after the sword. Before Mu Bai can react, Jade Fox swoops in and carries Jens unconscious body away.She takes Jen to her hideout in the hills and tells her to rest and secretly places strong, smoking herbs in a jar before leaving. Jen awakens some time later, dazed, and stumbles to a flooded portion of the cave where rainwater is falling. She drinks some of the water before noticing Mu Bai entering the cave; he has followed them. Jen stumbles into his arms and he takes her back to her bed, knocking the herb jar away. He revives her and asks where Jade Fox is. Suddenly, Fox appears, screaming, and shoots a flurry of poisonous barbs towards them. Mu Bai manages to deflect them with his sword. He engages Fox sword-to-sword and eventually shreds her blade, sending the shards through her body, mortally wounding her. In her dying breaths she calls Jen a deceitful whore and tells Mu Bai that he will die just like his master. Mu Bai finds that one of the barbs has hit his neck. Jade Fox dies as Shu Lien arrives. Jen, contrite, says that she knows the antidote to the poison, but that it will take time to prepare. She leaves and Shu Lien stays with Mu Bai as he meditates to slow the effects of the poison. However, before Jen can return, Mu Bai succumbs in Shu Liens arms, professing his love for her.Jen arrives back at the cave with the antidote but discovers she's too late. She kneels before a vengeful Shu Lien who simply tells her to meet with Lo who is waiting for her in the mountains. Jen goes and is reunited with Lo, though she is unhappy. He finds her gone one morning and discovers her looking out over the side of the mountain. She asks him if he remembers the story of the man on the mountain that he told her long ago and tells him to make a wish. He wishes to return to the desert and Jen jumps off, falling gracefully through the mist. Lo cries silently as Jen disappears, a peaceful look on her face.

Review: I'd give kudos to Ang Lee. I've seen Yuen's martial art films before, but they're never done in such an imaginative and artistic way.
The camera rises, we see an almost impossible panorama of Peking, the Forbidden City spreading out before us like an Oz extending to the horizon.What a film this is:  a superb action adventure romance with terrific acting and a much-welcome heart underlying the technical superiority."Crouching Tiger...", I am told, is representative of a specific literary/cinematic genre in China: Wu Xia...the wizard/warrior piece...magic and martial arts blended.
This technique, of course, was not invented by the Wachowski's, but the choreographer of "Crouching Tiger...", Woo-ping Yuen, also staged the wire-fights of "Matrix."  Here, the ability of our warrior heros and villains to climb walls, to leap to the rooftops and soar from building to building -- not to mention engaging each other in aerial combat that soars from the peak of a mountain top to the rocks of a mountain stream in a single take -- or to duel on the very tips of dipping, waving bamboo trees -- looks almost plausible, just over the border of the possible, at least.
When he did, he brought sophistication and strong production values which, while not uncommon in mainstream Chinese cinema, was less common in the martial arts or Wu Xia traditions.Make no mistake; Crouching Tiger is a beautiful, beautiful movie.
He must temporarily put aside his feelings to recover the sword and bring his master's killer to justice Seeming to take a fair chunk from his previously directorial role, Sense and Sensibility, Ang Lee weaves a story which tragically juxtaposes the loving and giving but repressed relationship of Mu Bai and Shu Lien, with the fiery, wilful and destructive passions of Jen Yu (Zhang Ziyi) and Lo (Chang Chen).
The greatest joy of the film is watching great Hong Kong stars like Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh being given characters with depth  and watching them fill the screen with their performances.
This film had lighthearted moments, heartwrenching moments, romantic interludes, inspirational sentiments, wonderful plot twists, superb acting, beautifully done fight scenes, never before seen special effects...it had it all.
Her destiny is entwined with those of Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) and Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), disciples of this enigmatic clan, and of the desert bandit Lo (Chen Chang) by the theft of an arcane sword, Mu Bai's quest for revenge and the fulfilment of a powerful yet unrequited loveChow Yun Fat possesses an hypnotic screen presence in his portrayal of this regal master, who displays an unparalleled heroism untainted by western cliché as the film travels inexorably toward his shuddering death-blow.
It comes then as a great relief that Ang Lee decided to do what he did and put an entirely new slant on the genre.Tacky dubbed dialogue is out of the window and we're back to the films original Chinese language subtitled into English.
While a big thing has been made of Chow Yun Fat and Zhang Ziyi's treetop battle, the one for me is between Michelle Yeoh's Shu Lien and Ziyi's Jen. Both instances, both in the courtyard and the dojo are, quite frankly, the most astounding displays of martial arts I have EVER been lucky enough to witness.
While Bruce Lee can certainly do the real thing, and he is without doubt the original and best, Wo Ping's sequencing of the fight scenes is truly revolutionary.Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is one of the best films I have ever seen and I would recommend anyone, whether or not they are interested in Kung-fu movies..
This year, it would have to be (so far) Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".Being of Asian descent, I've seen my share of wu xia genre movies to last me a life time.
Crouching Tiger, on the other hand realizes these issues, and builds these oh-so entertaining action sequences into an epic with typical asian themes such as true love and honour.Being an epic, one would expect the usual long takes and establishing shots, and boy does it ever look beautiful.
In "Crouching's" case – the title itself refers to "one who has hidden, suppressed talents" - we have a stifled three-way love between characters called Mu Bai, Shu Lien and Jen Yu, all of whom are prohibited from desire by strict moral/social codes, feudal customs and warrior traditions.The rejection of these codes is perhaps why the film was shunned by China (and is so popular with western women).
My hand is real." It's in the third conversation that the film breaks away from your typical martial arts movie mysticism and repudiates Wudan philosophy.
The film's ending suggests that a character called Jen sacrifices her life/love so that Mu Bai and Shu Lien may finally be together.8.5/10 – Worth two viewings..
Only in my wildest dreams (quite literally, this movie has touched me on a personal level) have I visualized such fantastic and precise choreography, so captivating that to take your eyes away during the intense confrontations is to deny yourself the essence of what makes this film so wonderful.With an artistic license unprecedented, the action scenes are entirely unbelievable but purely the work of a fabulous imagination.
Chinese martial arts films had found a market in the West during the Kung Fu boom initiated by Bruce Lee in the early 1970s But "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" represents a new departure, an attempt to produce a sophisticated, big-budget Chinese film that would appeal both to mainstream Western audiences and to audiences in the Far East Through their quest to find the stolen sword of Green Destiny, warriors Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) and Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) explore themes of love, loyalty and sacrifice Ang Lee was an astute choice as director The location shooting was on the Chinese mainland and the actors came from Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as China Instead of the Shaolin school of martial arts favored by Bruce Lee, Ang Lee opted for the more spiritual form of Wudan; brute force is replace by scenes of balletic grace as opponents climb up walls or flit through tree-topsThe widespread success of the film is a firm indication that Chinese culture is making its mark.
What people who aren't Chinese and who don't know much about Chinese culture fail to understand, is that the warrior mythology portrayed in films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero has its roots in a particular genre of fiction that has been around much longer than television or film.Having grown up reading a bunch of these stories of epic fantasy, I remember being surprised when I went to watch CTHD in the theaters, and saw the audience break out in laughter at the flying stunts.
I suppose the concept probably does seem ridiculous to foreigners.The whole deal with the flying is this:In the stories, the world of "Giang Hu" mentioned in CTHD is the unconventional part of society in which the characters that practice high transcendent martial arts exist.
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is one of two Ang Lee movies I've seen.
I have a feeling a lot of people get a similar sensation.Master Li Mu Bai (Yun-Fat Chow) is tired of kicking butt; he only wants peace, and perhaps a new start in life with the woman he loves but keeps a wary, correct distance from, Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh).
Can Bai and Lien save her from becoming "a poison dragon" in the service of her murderous master, the Jade Fox?I never really got into martial-arts movies, probably because of the culture gap but also because until recently they didn't get much respect from critics, at least here in the West.
The best fight is between Jen and Lien, a cinematic centerpiece every bit as great as Rick and Ilsa's last scene on the tarmac in "Casablanca." No doubt it got PC points among Western critics for featuring two women in battle, it also is a nice way of bringing out the central tension in the film's deceptively simple narrative, which is that between cultural obligation as embodied by Lien, and individual happiness as sought by Jen.Earlier in the film, Jen lays her cards out on the table for Lien, with whom she hopes to be friends: "I'm getting married, but I'm not happy about it," Jen says.
Oddly, while this puts her at loggerheads with audience expectations, Lien is also the movie's most empathetic character, more so than the remote Bai or spoiled Jen. As played by Yeoh, Lien offers us a passionate center who both embodies the code she and Bai live by, and betrays that code's limitations.Getting all that on screen is a great triumph for Yeoh, and one I needed to watch the film more than once to pick up on.
She's so remarkable in her fight scenes and running up and down walls (yes, I know wires were involved, but even so the athletic skill necessary to sell such action is impossible to imagine) people miss the consummate acting of her performance, the aware inertness of her eyes, the expression of sad longing that she allows to poke through her bland facade.
Chow is great, too, and Zhang beyond that in a star-making performance of beauty and rage, yet I wouldn't feel the warmth I do for this film without Yeoh inhabiting so much of it, not just body but soul.The DVD which I found for under $10 has not only both the dubbed and subtitled versions of the films (which are radically different, and both worth viewing as they bring out different aspects of this deep film) but a funny commentary track by director Lee and co-writer James Schamus, which is remarkable in and of itself for its tone.
It's so incredibly good, it made me fall in love with Asian cinema.Ang Lee's Oscar-winning magnum opus succeeds where most similar movies failed: to keep the personal, intimate story and the awesome, huge action on the same level, never letting one prevail on the other.
Think Lawrence of Arabia, only with small fights in the forest instead of massive combats in the desert.The locations where the characters fight are a crucial part of the film's greatness: never has a duel looked so beautiful as when two people follow each other jumping from tree to tree, their movements so gracious and the combat itself so elegant and bloodless.
It's like The Matrix in terms of visual delight, but more poetic.The acting is perfect as well: Chow Yun-Fat is excellent in the unusual role of the retired warrior who is reluctantly forced back into action, Michelle Yeoh is of good support as his would-be love interest, and it's no wonder Ziyi Zhang has become one of the most wanted actresses in the world.
When you think of Ang Lee's other films, nothing could really master the beauty and uniqueness of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon..
Some pretty skilful cable and camera work has been employed to create some wholly unsatisfying fight scenes, which each seem to resolve absolutely nothing, and unfortunately there is really not much else to this film.The characters are hovering somewhere between one and two dimensions, their motivations are so blandly stated that its hard to swallow the action that ensues for these paper thin fantasy figurines.
When it is stolen by a mystical warrior of dazzling skill, the quest for its return leads us through a story that contrasts the formal beauty of feudal China with its danger and brutality.The majesty of this film comes from Taiwanese director Ang Lee's masterfully controlled and yet lavish treatment.
CTHD launched a series of cheap imitations, including the sadly inferior Hero and House of Flying Daggers, which are both excellent films in their own right, but practically a television movie of the week remake when judged against the rhapsodic beauty and majesty of CTHD..
To be honest, I wanted to like Crouching Tiger a lot more than I did, and I admit I'm unfamiliar with Chinese mythology and literary works.It could be that in its translation and because of cultural differences, it's the kind of film with a potentially uneven appeal and impact-level..
Though nominally set in the Qing dynasty, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is loosely based in a Chinese martial arts movie tradition that pits outlaws against heroes in a timeless "long ago" analogous to the American cinematic Old West.
As the film opens, Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat), the greatest swordsman in China and famed disciple of the Wudan martial arts system, has realized that the years spent fighting outlaws and striving for enlightenment have left him lonely and unhappy.
I think the greatest impression I have from these two films is a strong and warm feeling of humanity and frailty seen through an epic dimension similar to that of Akiro Kurosawa's last films, with no signs of coyness and no cloying sentimentality - Ang Lee has a straightforward approach to human suffering that can appeal to anyone, anywhere, as well as a sense of humour that gives the audience just the right degree of distance without any feeling of estrangement.Having been a Kurosawa devotee for most of my adult life (I'm in my sixties) I was greatly relieved when, after seeing Crouching Tiger..., I could lean back and know that the Japanese master of the cinema at last had a true and worthy successor.
It was a beautiful film to look at, and the martial arts scenes were well edited and choreographed.
Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is a massive giant over movie landscape of previous attempts to portray the art of martial arts in a meaningful voice.
I do like some of the old-time Hong Kong kung fu movies--in these films with cheesy special effects and over-the-top action, such excesses are to be expected.
Dont listen to the hype, there are many other movies that have much better fight scenes, personally, i'd rather watch a Jackie Chan movie than sit through Crouching Tiger again (and I saw the original subtitled version).This is just not that great a movie, and I just cant see why so many people think it is!.
The sound and music works fine, but are not that noteworthy.The main problems with this movie are these things:1.Uninspiring story2.You never really get to know the characters that good, so I at least couldnt care less about what happened to them.
Each one gets satisfaction and you don't have to be a fan of Asian films or know anything about the history behind zen-movies, although you really need to be open minded.This leads me to, once again, the one thing I think Asian directors are better than any other directors of different nationalities; The cinematography.
I said yes because I assumed that a, "martial arts movie" had a great plot, characters, etc.
Maybe this motion picture is the best movie ever-made (Well, this is not, The lord of the Rings is better).I liked a lot "crouching tiger, hidden dragon" because it is not typical martial arts movie only with spectacular fights, since the movie shows another qualities from Chinese culture as philosophy.
The motion picture shows the talent from Ang Lee before he would make "brokeback mountain".The movie is a banquet with spectacular fights accompanied of a beautiful love story.
I'm not usually one for the subtitled films, but subtitles are not needed to watch this.The body language and expressions of the characters tell a story all on their own, captivating audiences within action driven orientated scenes.
Nowadays, of course, since this film came out, we've seen it in subsequent movies such as "Hero," "House of Flying Daggers," "Kill Bill" and more.THE BAD - On the other side of the sword, you have a story and characters that are just too difficult to get involved over.
2- The acting was rather good, the actors managed to show their emotions very well under the supervision of the master Ang Lee.3- The art direction and the costumes were stunning; I think the best in the year 2000.4- And the musical score, OH MY GOODNESS, it was magical; with the combination of Chinese and Eastern music the composer came up with something unbelievably beautiful.5- Now combine all that with a fantastic adapted screenplay and a brilliant director who did an absolutely great job.The greatness of this film comes from its simplicity, life was simple back then so is the movie, and I don't agree with those who criticized the movie about the flying people, because it is a part of the Chinese culture, and oh my god it is a beautiful culture..
Ang Lee has made the best martial art film I've ever seen!
.I love Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and I applaud Ang Lee for this film as well am very glad to see the Oscars recognized it for 4 awards and several nominations.
These, at least, have some kind of plot twists and intricacies to the story.Everyone I went to see this film with felt ripped off, and it irritates me to hear how much this movie is loved by a lot of people.
A very good movie with a good plot and story, as well as very well done martial arts scenes..
But Ang Lee just made it seen too easy and it could annoy some people (including Chinese).I simply think Zhang Ziyi's screen time is too long and at the end I just don't care too much about her character.
In fact, I don't think it'd be any different watching the English-dubbed version of the movie.Furthermore, CTHD definitely does NOT have the best plot in the genre, nor the best fighting scenes either.
people who say its a fantasy and flying people is OK,think again,the film is portrayed as a martial arts movie and not as a fantasy.