Wu Hu Zang Long (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)

Starring Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang, Chen Chang, Sihung Lung, and Pei-pei Cheng. Written by Hui-Ling Wang, James Schamus and Kuo Jung Tsai, based on the novel by Du Lu Wang. Cinematography by Peter Pau. Music by Tan Dun. Produced by Li-Kong Hsu, William Kong and Ang Lee. Directed by Ang Lee.

I’d only seen one of Ang Lee’s films prior to this one, 1997’s The Ice Storm, which, while I thought it was a fine film, lacked the depth of character and caring that I needed to be affected by the piece. A similar objection is raised here. Again, while this is a fine looking film, and there are a great many facets of it to be praised, there just wasn’t the depth of character that I would have liked. This is fine though, since, no matter what you may have heard, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is nothing more than a large budgeted Kung-Fu movie.

Not that there is anything wrong with that at all.

I like Kung-Fu movies. I really do. And I’ve seen a lot of them over the years. I’ve seen the classics of Bruce Lee, and the early works of Jackie Chan. I’ve seen the Wu-Tang films, and their ilk. I can always find something good in each one, even if they are a tad but formulaic, and have bad translations.

Basically Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a really big budgeted Kung-Fu movie with great actors and even better special effects. The film has the classical setting of Imperial China, the time period is difficult to ascertain, since there is no references as to who the Emperor is, or what year the action takes place in. Doesn’t matter though, because the scenery is gorgeous, and somehow, it doesn’t matter what year it is.

Chow (who gets my vote for baddest Mother-f—ker of the year 2000), stars a Li Mu Bai, a fighter who is weary of the long journeys and the endless battles. He plans to give his mystical sword, the Green Destiny to Sir Te (Sihung Long), and has his long-time friend and cohort Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) take the revered instrument of destruction to Sir Te. Once there, the sword is stolen by a mysterious thief, who gets the better of Yu Shu Lien in a fight that has to be seen to be believed. The thief turns out to be Jen Yu (Ziyi Zheng) the daughter of the visiting Governor of the province, and Yu Shu Lien figures this out as she becomes close friends with the girl. Turns out that Jen’s mentor the Jade Fox (Pei-pei Cheng) is the master criminal who killed Li Mu Bai’s mentor many years previous, and now wants to take care of Li Mu Bai as well.

After all this prologue, we get an extended flashback sequence, where Jen and her ladies in waiting are crossing the desert (I didn’t know there were deserts in China), on their way to their father’s new appointment, when their caravan is attacked by the mysterious Dark Cloud (Chen Chang). Dark Cloud is fairly merciful, only stealing, not killing, but still Jen is pissed that Dark Cloud steals her favorite comb. She chases after Dark Cloud, and is separated from the caravan. After some hysterical fight scenes, Jen is captured, and taken to a cave to be cared for. Of course, Dark Cloud, whose real name is Lo, and Jen fall in love. The flashback ends with Jen going back to her father, after his men start searching the desert and making Dark Cloud’s life miserable.

With me so far? Normally I don’t recap the plot as much, but some of this is pretty hard to follow if you don’t have a guide. So I nominate myself as your Sabu.

Back to the present. There’s much wrangling over the sword. Jen gives it back to Sir Te anonymously, but then steals it again. She challenges Li Mu Bai, but he just wants to train her in the ways of his Kung-Fu. Jade Fox gets all pissy over the fact that her student is actually better at Kung-Fu than she is, and really vows to kill Li Mu Bai after all. Oh, and Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien have this smoldering love affair that is spoken about, but never acted on, since she used to be engaged to one of Li Mu Bai’s comrades in arms, and after he died, well, she couldn’t dishonor his name by taking up with his brother in arms. Or something like that.

It’s all very confusing. And it’s in Mandarin Chinese, so you have to read it all.

So then there’s some really cool fight sequences, with the best wire-flying I’ve ever seen. At one point Li Mu Bai and Jen are fighting IN BAMBOO TREES, balancing themselves on the branches. It has to be seen to be believed.

The ending is typically tragic, in fact, I had figured out the ending ten minutes into the film. Not that you will care, it’s great. Overall, I highly recommend this film, great panoramas and an engaging story make it one of the year’s best.

My rating: ****1/2 out of 5