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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
The General Story:
China, 18th Century of the Qing Dynasty. A wise warrior, Li Mu Bai
is returning a sword to his benefactor, after
many years of carrying it. This particular sword is called The Green Destiny;
the most powerful weapon of its type, able to cut other swords in half and
strike a man down in one swoop. Once word travels that the sword is in the
city, a mysterious warrior appears out of the night to steal it, aided by a
master assassin known as Jade Fox. Li Mu Bai and his long-time friend Yu Shu Lien try to track down the sword and the culprit, while rekindling old
feelings for each other. Meanwhile, the daughter of a Governor with a
conflicted sense of loyalty to her family and an outlaw she once fell in love
with, takes her own interest in the sword, bringing all these characters
together in a series of violent confrontations, and sealing the destinies of
all involved.
What influenced the
movie: It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where the influence for “Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon” comes from, as it’s a joint venture in many regards.
Directed by Ang Lee, who prior to this had tackled sweet and sensitive dramatic
films like “Sense and Sensibility”, cast well-known Chinese actors speaking
Mandarin, however, the film was co-produced and co-written by American
filmmakers, to help bring the movie to an international audience. The film is certainly
a martial arts epic in every sense of the word, mixed with a love story, a
sweeping epic and tale of revenge and redemption. It is a well-crafted
concoction of all these things, which manifests into a multi-layered and deep
movie with various themes and ideas running through it. The influence the movie
would go on to have was perhaps more notable.
How the movie
influenced the 00's: The movie was a global sensation, garnering worldwide
acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Nothing like this had been seen
before by the average movie-going audience, and even though much of the
fighting scenes involve our characters seamlessly flying through the air and
given the fact this came out in the year 2000, most of us initially thought it
was similar to the fighting styles of “The Matrix” released the year before. But
keep in mind, Crouching Tiger was being filmed before The Matrix was released, however
the comparisons between the two films surely didn’t hurt this one’s box office results.
After it’s strong presence at multiple awards shows, where it cleaned up at the
2001 Oscars, a slew of Martial Arts
Epics starring Asian movie stars were greenlit, and we were treated to many fine entries into the genre, including “House
of Flying Daggers”, “Hero” and “Fearless”, just to name a few.
What makes it stand
out as a film of the 00's: 1999/2000 were landmark years for martial arts
movies with this movie and The Matrix as already mentioned. And as the special effects
and fight scenes appeared flawless in every respect, galvanizing audiences with
their realism and escapism combined, it didn’t take long before every action
movie to be made following, would try to emulate its style and success. Actors began
doing all their own fight scenes and stunts, and as special effects improved, the
ability for any movie star to punch, kick, fight and fly their way through a
scene became easily achievable. Just look at movies like “Charlies Angels”, “The
Musketeer” and “Kill Bill” for their
clear attempt at replicating the Hong Kong style of martial arts now so in
demand for the movies. We the audience lapped it up and went back for more.
Impact of the movie
still felt today: Although Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has its flaws, it
is a stellar movie. It did wonders for the careers of Michelle Yeoh and Chow
Yun Fat in America, as they would go on to headline many Hollywood action films
from here. It cemented Ang Lee as one of the most talented and versatile
directors working in movies today, as each film he made following this broke
new ground, and eventually earned him two Academy Awards for Best Director. The
sumptuous cinematography, incredible fight scenes, beautiful scenery and
costume designs, and perfectly scored soundtrack, helped to create a place for
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in movie history. It had its lovers and haters
equally, some saying it was the greatest martial arts film of all time, and
others finding it tedious and boring, especially in the second act which is
essentially a thirty-minute flashback scene. However, it’s a movie that is meaningful,
moving and spiritual in every regard, and you will be left thinking about it quietly
after each viewing. It takes you to a world that is familiar historically, but
shown in a way that is strangely fictional, and abandons you with a sense of melancholy
and closure at the same time, as certain characters meet their demise, and
others meet themselves, for better or worse.
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