Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

 

No one saw it coming that director Ang Lee would create a wuxia film. Lee has always been known for his more intimate work, focusing on human relationships and struggles and if you think about it, martial arts, swordfights and the like don't really seem to fit into that category. 

And then he delivered this gem. Well played, sir. Well played.

The almost legendary warrior Li Mu Bai decides to finally hang up his sword after many years of fighting. He places it in the hands of Yu Shu Lien, a formidable warrior in her own right. Both have quite a history together, as it is obvious they have strong feelings for one another yet they have never given in to them. 

When Shu Lien gives the sword to master Sir Te in Bejing, it soon is stolen by a very nimble thief, who also happens to be expertly trained in martial arts. This leads our protagonists on the trail of Jade Fox, a well known criminal who was also responsible for the death of Li Mu Bai's master years ago. 

But the plot thickens even more, as slowly it becomes clear that a young woman by the name of Jen is actually a disciple of Jade Fox and she doesn't want to be married to some stuffy burocrat, as she already has a lover: Lo. But because Lo is genuinely a bandit out in the desert, this would disgrace the family if they ever found out. Jen also happens to be the thief who stole the mythical sword. 

Things don't get any easier for any of our three main players as emotions run high, promises are broken and lives are forever changed. 

So yes, not your typical wuxia, but nobody really expected it to be. The surprising thing is how well Ang Lee manages to integrate dazzling feats of martial arts into a story that is about people conflicted with themselves and their emotions. But of course, this wouldn't work if the actors weren't any good at actual acting, so Ang Lee picked a couple of heavy hitters for this. There's Chow Yun Fat, who is always a blast to watch, even if here he is extremely subdued as his battle weary character would be. Then there's Michelle Yeoh, who never disappoints and she is probably the heart and soul of the entire story, the one who always puts other people first and in the end never gets the peace and love she so desperately deserves. And to cap it off, we've got Zang Zhiyi as the upstart Jen. Well, who perfectly plays the dual part she is required to play: a demure girl for society and a fierce warrior who is her true nature but who needs guidance or she'll do stupid things (and she does). 

But does that mean that this is almost all talk and emotions? No. The fights here are gracefully shot, with a minimum of editing and lots and lots of wirework, making it all feel otherworldy and quite like an ethereal dance at times. Most people remember the fight amidst the bamboo forest, where Jen and Li Mu Bai square off in the tops of the stalks, but I would argue the more up close and personal battle between Jen and Yu Shu Lien in the house right before is actually the better fight. There's more at stake and it is way more intense and, well, close. And as you realise our actors do nearly all of their stuff themselves, it becomes even more impressive. They all have this natural grace and it just looks stunning. 

But at the heart of it all are the people and the ending hits home. It is all tragic, but never in that schmalzy way. It is more a testament to missed opportunities and regret, coupled with unfortunate decisions along the way and then the realization that sets in. It's heavy stuff, yet at the same time it is beautiful.

And you get some excellent martial arts thrown in for good measure along the way. Good stuff.