The House of Flying Daggers (Shi mian mai fu), directed by Yimou Zhang, is pure cinematographic eye candy, featuring lavish costumes, spectacular scenery, magnificent choreography, and handsome people. The story operates at two levels. When the film begins, the year is 859, and the Tang dynasty is in disrepute because of corruption. A rebel group, the House of Flying Daggers is out for revenge, since government forces recently killed their leader after a three-month pursuit. At the end of the film, the royal army is approaching the enemy headquarters in a bamboo forest, but the outcome of the battle is not revealed in the movie. Instead, the heart of the story is a love triangle involving Mei (played by Ziya Zhang), who is masquerading as the blind daughter of the former rebel leader in the role of the newest acquisition in the Peony Pavilion, an upscale brothel. Her suitors include Captain Leo (played by Andy Lau), a police official who (also undercover) arrests her and threatens to torture her if she will not reveal secrets about the conspiracy, and Captain Jin (played by Takeshi Kaneshiro), another government official who goes to the brothel for entertainment and then rescues Mei from detention after an incredible martial arts display. Both have been ordered to kill the successor rebel leader within ten days, though Jin's undercover assignment is far more enjoyable. After her escape, Jin and Mei flee toward the rebel headquarters, with Leo not far behind, and more martial arts down the road. The love triangle plays out, with unexpected revelations about the real identities of the characters, but all overshadowed by the sensuality of almost everything on the screen. Those enchanted by the scenery will be surprised to learn that much outdoor filming took place in the Ukraine, not China. MH
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