Although the movie generated a large amount of hype and moviegoers who have not seen the film yet may be skeptical of whether or not the film lives up to its name, no Hong Kong action film fan will want to miss Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon . Directed by Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility, The Ice Storm), the movie features some of the most stunning choreography ever committed to film, which is because Yuen Wo Ping (The Matrix, The Tai-Chi Master) was responsible for the gravity-defying fight sequences.
The movie’s plot focuses on several primary characters. Chow Yun-Fat plays Li Mu Bai, a warrior and master martial artist who leaves his training to pursue a more peaceful existence. He also gives up his sword, the powerful Green Destiny, and leaves it with a trusted friend. He regrets, however, that he will be unable to avenge his master’s death at the hands of Jade Fox (Pei-pei Cheng). Meanwhile, Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) befriends Jen (Ziyi Zhang), who is scheduled to marry a guy she barely knows, but envies Lien for her freedom. Revealing any more of the movie, which boasts many plot twists, would spoil the surprises for anyone who has not seen it.
The story is primarily about two separate love stories, a master’s desire for a disciple, and his desire for revenge against an old foe. The film is beautifully shot, thus its Best Cinematography award, and features scenes from desert landscapes, bamboo forests, mountains, and waterfalls. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon takes place in mythological times and also asks that viewers suspend their disbelief. For instance, the characters who are trained in martial arts are capable of virtually flying and can jump effortlessly from building to building, or even directly on top of water. The movie is almost dream-like, though, and the superhuman jumping and flying will not irritate most viewers.
While the movie has a very engaging plot and complicated characters, especially compared to many action films, the fight sequences make Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon truly a masterpiece. Fans of action involving weapons and swords will especially love the movie, which boasts an action sequence in a dojo towards the end of the movie that is quite possibly the most impressive in history. The fight involves not just swords, but an arsenal of other weapons, too. The pure grace and beauty of the fight is stunning, further showing why Ping is the greatest martial arts director in the world. The movie contains more than just one great fight scene, though. It is practically loaded with them, and even smaller sequences are impressive and satisfying.
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