Ang Lee’s latest film, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” starring Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh, and Zhang Ziyi, is one of his best. If you don’t recognize his name, Ang Lee has directed such films as “The Wedding Banquet,” “Eat Drink Man Woman,” “Sense and Sensibility,” “Ride With the Devil,” and most recently “The Ice Storm.” The screenplay of “Crouching Tiger” is by James Schamus, Wang Hui Ling, and Tsai Kuo Jung, based on a novel by Wang Du Lu.
“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is a tale set in 19th Century Imperial China that begins with a 400 year old sword named “The Green Destiny.” Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) is the original owner of the sword but gives it to Sir Te (Lung Sihung) after he decides the warrior life isn’t for him anymore.
The sword is mysteriously taken from Sir Te while at the same time an old nemesis of Li Mu Bai, named Jade Fox is wreaking havoc. A curious sidekick to Jade Fox is a black -clothed warrior, later found to be Jen Yu.
Longtime friend of Li Mu Bai, Lu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) goes in search of the sword and meets the Governor’s daughter, Jen Yu (Zhang Ziyi).
Jen Yu befriends Lu Shu Lien and confesses of her longing for more adventure in her life as a warrior like Lu Shu Lien and Li Mu Bai.
Two love stories are also entwined into the plot. One is between Li Mu Bai and Lu Shu Lien which has never been acknowledged, and one is between Jen Yu and Lo (Chang Chen), a desert hun.
The martial arts battles are breathtaking, with girl on girl fighting and even battle in the trees. There is running on vertical walls and flying over rooftops. Did I forget to mention that this is all done by females? Crouching Tiger shows that women can be bad asses too. The amazing choreography is done by Yuen Wo-Ping.
The ending combines human beliefs with a little fantasy, and it works.
The cinematography is magnificent, and it seems to capture the simple beauty of China’s forests, desert, and villages. The city streets of Peking are mesmerizing, with little child acrobats performing on their hands. Ang Lee shows how charming China can be.
For people who love spending an hour and a half at the movies actually watching something worth watching, this is a fabulous movie.
For people with subtitle phobia, you can at least watch the scenery because it is in Mandarin with English subtitles.
This is an excellent movie worth all the hoopla.