CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGONDIRECTED BY: ANG LEE
WRITTEN BY: HUI-LING WANG, JAMES SCHAMUS, & KUO JUNG TSAI
OVERALL SCORE: 10/10
TOP 100 FILMS: #62
WRITTEN BY: HUI-LING WANG, JAMES SCHAMUS, & KUO JUNG TSAI
OVERALL SCORE: 10/10
TOP 100 FILMS: #62
When the sword of a legendary warrior (Chow-Yun Fat) is stolen, the fates of him, his life's one love, a thief, and a young up and coming swords woman from a noble family are suddenly intertwined.
When I was 13 and this film was released I have to admit I made plenty of jokes about the title. Giggled at the thought of the movie and "flying" swordsmen. It wouldn't be until many years later that I would realize the truly beautiful film that I was missing. Crouching Tiger is by all accounts an art piece on battle, love, and the struggles of warriors to find their place in the world, even when they don't appear as such on the outside. With such amazing fight scenes, Crouching Tiger elevates beyond the realm of just a fight movie and into the realm of art piece cinema, utilizing subtext and visuals in favor of high octane violence.
It doesn't hurt that the success of Crouching Tiger has spawned almost a new genre in and of itself. Surrounded by captivating visuals and trials of love, these films really center on the moments outside of the action. The quiet conversations, the reflections of these characters dreams, and how their attempts at different aspects of life end without the greatest of results. In that sense having such a talented cast of Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun Fat, and Ziyi Zhang really allows Lee to work his magic behind the camera without interfering worrying about how the cast will handle different situations.
As a director there's no denying Ang Lee will likely go down as one of the most influential of our generation (despite what you think of some of his films). Much like the movement of its characters Lee allows Crouching Tiger to flow along from scene to scene effortlessly. There's no stopping for random moments of discussion/thought, no overbearing sense of wait for this amazing ending we have coming! It's all just so great you never wait for something to happen, because something is always happening. Beyond the conversations lies a world as engrossing as they came, elevating our sense of enjoyment and beauty to the next level. There's no denying when it comes to film experiences, Crouching Tiger is one worth embracing.
A beautiful and truly amazing work of cinema, Crouching Tiger is really one of those films you just have to watch as a film fan on any level.
When I was 13 and this film was released I have to admit I made plenty of jokes about the title. Giggled at the thought of the movie and "flying" swordsmen. It wouldn't be until many years later that I would realize the truly beautiful film that I was missing. Crouching Tiger is by all accounts an art piece on battle, love, and the struggles of warriors to find their place in the world, even when they don't appear as such on the outside. With such amazing fight scenes, Crouching Tiger elevates beyond the realm of just a fight movie and into the realm of art piece cinema, utilizing subtext and visuals in favor of high octane violence.
It doesn't hurt that the success of Crouching Tiger has spawned almost a new genre in and of itself. Surrounded by captivating visuals and trials of love, these films really center on the moments outside of the action. The quiet conversations, the reflections of these characters dreams, and how their attempts at different aspects of life end without the greatest of results. In that sense having such a talented cast of Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun Fat, and Ziyi Zhang really allows Lee to work his magic behind the camera without interfering worrying about how the cast will handle different situations.
As a director there's no denying Ang Lee will likely go down as one of the most influential of our generation (despite what you think of some of his films). Much like the movement of its characters Lee allows Crouching Tiger to flow along from scene to scene effortlessly. There's no stopping for random moments of discussion/thought, no overbearing sense of wait for this amazing ending we have coming! It's all just so great you never wait for something to happen, because something is always happening. Beyond the conversations lies a world as engrossing as they came, elevating our sense of enjoyment and beauty to the next level. There's no denying when it comes to film experiences, Crouching Tiger is one worth embracing.
A beautiful and truly amazing work of cinema, Crouching Tiger is really one of those films you just have to watch as a film fan on any level.
3 better thoughts:
One thing that no one can take from Lee is that guy's diversity. It's mind boggling how diverse his films are. All he has to do next is the musical.
My second favorite movie of all time, after Zhang Yimou's Hero. CTHD is absolutely perfect and Ang Lee's an incredible director!
Its one of my favorite top ten movies. Ang Lee has proved his efficiency by making this movie. He is a perfectionist.
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