It is hard to remember the last time that a foreign film made such a tremendous impression on American moviegoers like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has. A combination of stellar martial arts/special effects and the absence of Hollywood hits can be attributed to its success, despite having very little plot and distracting subtitles. Still, Ang Lee’s critical acclaim as a director has been so positive since Crouching Tiger was released and the film’s two stars, Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh, have been reaping the benefits of stardom as well.

Yun-Fat’s skill was known before Crouching Tiger came across the Pacific, but this role solidifies his place in Hollywood for any future roles. The same could be said for Yeoh, who starred in Tomorrow Never Dies three years ago with Pierce Brosnan.

The pair play Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien, two skilled warriors who become entangled with an old enemy over a sword, revenge, and a nobleman’s teenage daughter. Together, Yun-Fat and Yeoh burn the screen, from their incredible awareness as actors in the quiet scenes (sorry, it’s not just fighting), to the amazingly choreographed martial art battles.

Their main nemesis is an old rival of Li Mu Bai, a woman known as Jade Fox (Pei-Pei Cheng). Li is beckoned by Jade into battle once again, this time for the revenge of his master, whom she murdered years earlier. Li is obviously more skilled than his foe, but his interest in other matters, Shu for example, keeps him from finding vengeance.

Jade Fox has an apprentice, a young girl named Jiao Long Yu (Ziyi Zhang), who secretly trained and managed to actually become a better fighter than her master. The duality of this character, and the source of her problems, is that she is the daughter of a Chinese governor destined to marry a man of power. Not only does she love another, a saga within itself, she wishes to remain independent, at least in the life she must lead in public.

Jiao, referred to as Jen, intrigues Li to the point of obsession. He has long looked for an apprentice of his own and his trusty sword, simply known as The Green Destiny, is their common bond. A love affair, a quest for justice, a search for the mystic sword, and the identity and origin of a young thief are the mingled story lines that make Crouching Tiger, and Ang Lee’s vision captures it all beautifully.

This vision is a spectacle and tribute to modern filmmaking. Lee combines proper use of CGI, martial arts, special effects, and beautiful scenery shot in Western China. When describing his action scenes, there is one word that comes to mind: smooth. There exists a fluidity of movement in any of the film’s many confrontations, all of which leave the viewer to watch and to love. His love story is also told well by utilizing close-ups of the actors, which also complement the amazing acting that went into the film. Finally, Lee should also be commended for always giving more to a scene, particularly when two characters are sparring, but not so much as for it to be in excess. In other words, there’s plenty to watch, but not more than a viewer would be willing to handle.

Lee’s work is to be praised, but there are, like any movie, a few problems. In Crouching Tiger’s case, however, many of them are not obstacles that can be solved, at least from a producer’s standpoint. With the subtitles comes distraction, making the audience miss the fantastic work of the director. This means you should see the film more than once to appreciate it. Secondly, the plot is a little thin. Most of the time it goes unnoticed, as a viewer becomes lost in wondrous visuals, both in sparring action or relaxed scenery.

These problems are small ones at best. The final product is cinematically beautiful, action packed, and continues to pick up millions at the box office. Two years in the making and armed with ten Oscar nominations, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is definitely a must-see.


Recommended:
Yes