Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

I’m really excited about this month because I will be looking at a genre of film that I have yet to look at: Martial Arts films. For this month, I will be dedicating this to the gorgeous Zhang Ziyi, so let’s take a look at the first film I saw her in, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” released in 2000.

The best martial arts movies don’t focus at all with the fighting and instead focuses on personal excellence. Their heroes surpass the laws of space, gravity, the limitations of the body and what the mind is scared of. When you look at Western movies, you think that the two dueling are sworn enemies. In a martial arts movie, it feels like the fighters are testing how powerful one another are.

Just to note, people get murdered, but they are either characters who didn’t probably use their skills or unknown assistants of the villain. Roger Ebert noted in his review, “When the hero stands in the center of a ring of interchangeable opponents and destroys them one after another, it's like a victory for the individual over collectivism--a message not lost in the Asian nations where these movies are most loved. The popularity of strong heroines is also interesting in those patriarchal societies.”

Ebert admitted, “Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is the most exhilarating martial arts movie I have seen. It stirred even the hardened audience at the 8:30 a.m. press screening at Cannes last May. There is a sequence near the beginning of the film involving a chase over rooftops, and as the characters run up the sides of walls and leap impossibly from one house to another, the critics applauded, something they rarely do during a film, and I think they were relating to the sheer physical grace of the scene. It is done so lightly, quickly, easily.”

Ebert goes on to say, “Fight scenes in a martial arts movie are like song-and-dance numbers in a musical: After a certain amount of dialogue, you're ready for one.” The choreography of the action scenes in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” was done by Yuen Wo-Ping, who also did “The Matrix,” and understands to focus more on form than function. It’s not who will win that’s important (except to the story, obviously). What matters is who looks more skilled.

There’s also a contest to look for unlikely settings for martial arts scenes. In the classic Jackie Chan movie, “The Legend of Drunken Master,” a bed of fiery coals is flying in the air next to an important factory railway. Why? So Chan can fall on them. In “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” Lee and Wo-Pin create a scene of complete awe and beauty, when the two heroes hang on the tops of tall, flying trees and swing back and forth during a sword fight.

Ebert mentioned, “Watching this scene, I assumed it was being done with some kind of computer trickery. I "knew" this because I "knew" the actors were not really 40 feet in the air holding onto those trees. I was wrong. Everything we see is real, Lee told me. Computers were used only to remove the safety wires that held the actors. "So those were stunt people up there?" I asked, trying to hold onto some reserve of skepticism. "Not for the most part," he said. "Maybe a little stunt work, but most of the time you can see their faces. That's really them in the trees." And on the rooftops, too, he told me.”

The film stars Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh, expert martial arts actors who have amazing athletic skills (as Jackie Chan and many other actors in this genre). Two other essential characters are played by Zhang Ziyi (as Jen Yu) and Cheng Pei Pei (as Jade Fox). Ebert said, “Long rehearsal and training went into their scenes, but what's unusual about "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is the depth and poetry of the connecting story, which is not just a clothesline for action scenes, but has a moody, romantic and even spiritual nature.”

The story is about Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) as a warrior who is out for vengeance for the murder of his master. He has been in love with Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) for a long time, and she has as well, but their main focus are on revenge and on them trying to get back Green Destiny, a sword that once belonged to Li Mu Bai’s master and has recently been sold to the rich district governor (Sihung Lung). Ebert said, “That brings Yu Shu Lien into contact with the governor's sheltered daughter, Jen Yu (Zhang Ziyi), who leads a rigidly proscribed life, although she has a secret I will leave you to discover.” The other villain, Jade Fox, is a barrier between the heroes and what they want.

This story, like every martial arts story, has some sort of silly amount, but Ang Lee and his longtime collaborator James Schamus are surprisingly successful in showcasing the human elements, especially the hidden love between Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien. There are times when they’re together that you forget about the swords, and are just watching the two lovers, caringly valuing the unspoken love between them. Jen Yu, the governor’s daughter, is also interesting because she scratches at the rules that limit her and discloses a past loving life.

Ebert said, “There are those, I know, who will never go to a martial arts movie, just as some people hate Westerns; Jack Warner once told his producers, "Don't make me any more movies where the people write with feathers."” Like every ambitious movie, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” exceeds its origins and becomes unique. It’s beautiful, bold escapism and surprisingly touching at the same time. Also, the actors are really up on those trees.

If you haven’t seen this film and are a fan of martial arts movies, definitely don’t skip this one. It’s a masterpiece like any other, and one of the best in the genre. I had only seen parts of the movie growing up after it was released, but now I have officially gone back and have seen the entire movie.

I know that there is a sequel that came out, but I have never seen it. I might check it out, especially since one of my friends said it was ok. Give me some time to watch it, but don’t expect a review soon since it’s not high on my priority list of films I really need to see.

Stay tuned next week for another amazing movie in “Zhang Ziyi Month.”