... Madame Yu
De Ming Wang… Police Inspector Tsai
Slightly tentatively although with good reason, I decided to buy the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon DVD on the back of several excellent reviews, various Oscars and an excellent offer in the local video shop. With my only previous knowledge ... Read review
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragonis so many things: an historical epic on a grand scale, an ... more
Asian martial-arts flick with both great effectsandfantastic fighting (choreographed byThe Matrix's guru Yuen Wo Ping), a story of magic, revenge and power played w...
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In the most-talked about movie of the year, Director Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility) ... more
brings together a breathtaking combination of high-flying action (choreographed by Yeun Wo Ping - The Matrix) and stunning visual effects, woven around a story of humo...
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragonis so many things: an historical epic on a grand scale, an ... more
Asian martial-arts flick with both great effectsandfantastic fighting (choreographed byThe Matrix's guru Yuen Wo Ping), a story of magic, revenge and power played w...
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Amazing martial arts fighting sequences (choreographed by Yuen wo Ping - The Matrix) ... more
stunning special effects action adventure and romance have made Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon the most talked about movie of the year. Martial arts masters Li Mu B...
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Ang Lee's hugely successful romantic adventure Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has a ... more
high-calibre score by Chinese-American composer Tan Dun worthy of the acclaim which has greeted the film. Dun is reunited with world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma--they collaborated on Dun's Symphony 1997--who provides the melodic and melancholy heart of this music with his lovingly crafted solos. Such passages are hauntingly spare, or filled with a lamenting passion which lingers in the memory, the beautiful central love theme being reworked into the rather incongruous pop ballad "A Love Before Time" which ends the disc with versions in both English and Mandarin. While cues such as "Silk Road" echo the mood of The Last Emperor, this score is off-set by some powerfully understated suspense and action writing, refreshingly different from the bombast of a comparable American feature. Chinese drumming is to the fore, with some enthrallingly intricate work from the Shanghai Percussion Ensemble on cues such as "Night Fight", the fully orchestral "A Wedding Interrupted" positively burning with menace. Anyone captivated by this music would do well to investigate John William's equally excellent score for Seven Years in Tibet, to which Yo-Yo Ma's mastery of the cello is also key. --Gary S. Dalkin
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Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragonis so many things: a historical epic on a grand scale, an ... more
Asian martial-arts flick with both great effectsandfantastic fighting (choreographed byThe Matrix's guru Yuen Woo Ping) and a story of magic, revenge and power played with a posse of star-crossed lovers thrown in for good measure. Set during the Qing dynasty (the late 19th century), the film follows the fortunes of righteous warriors Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien (Asian superstars Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh, respectively) whose love for one another has lain too long unspoken. When Li Mu Bai's legendary sword Green Destiny is stolen by wilful aristocrat's daughter Jen (exquisite newcomer Zhang Ziyi), who has been trained in the way of the gangster by Li Mu Bai's arch-rival Jade Fox, the warriors must fight to recover the mystical blade. The plot takes us all across China from dens of iniquity and sumptuous palaces to the stark plains of the Western desert. Characters chase each other up walls and across roof and treetops to breathtaking effect and to Tan Dun's haunting, Oscar-winning East-West inflected score.Directed by Taiwanese-born Ang Lee and cowritten by his long time collaborator American James Schamus,Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragonjoins the ranks of the team's slate of high-quality, genre-spanning literary adaptations. Although it superficially seems like a return to Ang's Asian roots, there's a clear thread connecting this with their earlier Western films, given the thematic focus on propriety and family honour (Sense and Sensibility), repressed emotions (The Ice Storm) and divided loyalties in a time of war (Ride with the Devil). Nonetheless, a film this good needs no prior acquaintance with the director's oeuvre; it stands on its own. The only people who might be dismissive of it are jaded chop-socky fans who will probably feel bored with all the romance. Everyone elsewill love it. --Leslie Felperin
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Martial Arts - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Bruce Lee, Sho Kosugi, James Ryan, Jim Kelly, Jimmy Wang Yu, Bolo Yeung, Christopher Lee
Production Year: 1994 - Martial Arts - Director: Toby Russell - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Sammo Hung, Bruce Lee, Cynthia Rothrock, Jackie Chan, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chow Yun-Fat
Production Year: 1985 - Martial Arts - Director: Cory Yuen - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Kurt McKinney, J.W. Fails, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kathie Sileno, Peter 'Sugarfoot' Cunningham
Production Year: 2003 - Martial Arts - Director: Paul Hunter - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Seann William Scott, James King, Karel Roden
Advantages: Believable romance, Good action sequences, Breathtaking backdrops Disadvantages: Some won't like the 'flying'
...I decided to buy the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon DVD on the back of several excellent reviews, various Oscars and an excellent offer in the local video shop. With my only previous knowledge being an absurdly drunken affair culminating in the video of ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Penis’ I was right to be somewhat apprehensive this time round. However I’m glad to say now with abject derision that Ang Lee’s masterpiece is clearly nothing to do with crouching ... ...Lien.
In Crouching Tiger, these two characters played by Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh act like good friends but it is obvious that there is something more between them and have been pining for each other for many years. Even Sir Te has a one to one chat with Li Mu Bai and reminds him that he should take his chance rather than not know her feelings but it is the ancient honour that is holding them apart, as Li Mu Bai was once friends ... more
DIRECTED BY: Ang Lee
CAST ---------
Chow Yun-Fat .Master Li Mu Bai Michelle Yeoh .Yu Shu Lien Ziyi Zhang .... Jen Yu Chen Chang .... Lo ('Dark Cloud') Sihung Lung .... Sir Te Pei-pei Cheng Jade Fox Fa Zeng Li .... Gov. Yu Xian Gao .... Bo Yan Hai .... Madame Yu De Ming Wang… Police Inspector Tsai
Slightly tentatively although with good reason, I decided to buy the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon DVD on the back of several excellent reviews, various Oscars and an excellent offer in the local video shop. With my only previous knowledge being an absurdly drunken affair culminating in the video of ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Penis’ I was right to be somewhat apprehensive this time round. However I’m glad to say now with abject derision that Ang Lee’s masterpiece is clearly nothing to do with crouching nakedness or hidden parts of the body. Not one bit. Instead there are several stories featuring love, treachery and revenge lovingly intertwined by Lee to create arguably his magnum opus with full force.
Being a foreign film, the first choice you get is whether to watch it in Mandarin (with English subtitles, or without if your Mandarin isn’t top notch) or with English voice-overs. Personally I prefer watching it with the subtitles, but this method requires more attention than the other one and you tend to miss some of the action on occasions looking at the bottom of the screen. Watching in the original language also means that the movie appears more realistic and believable than with voice-overs that don’t match the actor’s mouths. Very few Western films get a good showing in Hollywood and this is one that slipped through the net with a Best Foreign Picture Oscar in 2000.
BACKGROUND ---------------------
Li Mu Bai, the dashing and famous warrior played by Chow Yun Fat returns home to Wudan mountain after living out his life with his master on the path of enlightenment only to find out it wasn’t for him. He then returns to pass his famous sword, the Green Destiny to his old friend Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) for her keeping. Chow Yun Fat as Li Mu Bai is a masterstroke by Ang Lee as he fits the role of the warrior monk perfectly. Poised and intense, while at the same time calm and all knowing, Fat really delivers and his fights are believable in creating the story of his character.
Yu Shu Lien then visits Sir Te and entrusts the sword to him. While on this visit she meets the young girl Jen Yu, about to be married into a family against her willing. However one night and in spite of the many guards in the camp, the Green Destiny is stolen and it is assumed that Jade Fox is the thief, the old enemy of Li Mu Bai. You find out later that is someone you were not expecting it to be and the tale takes a different twist later on as Li Mu Bai attempts to be the new master and mentor of the thief.
THE MOVIE -----------------
Apart from the many themes running in this film, the main crowd puller in the cinemas was the fighting sequences and the DVD is no exception. In wide-screen they really look stunning and are definitely some of the best I’ve seen for a long time. The scenes are interesting, quickly fought and to a high standard with Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh and Ziyi Zhang excelling here. My favourite scene is probably where Jade Fox is first seen by Li Mu Bai and the audience as she becomes his nemesis again, although not recognising him this time after killing his master many years before. One of my other favourite scenes is the one where Jen Yu, when asked for a lesson proceeds to teach the whole buildings inhabitants that she is the master of the Green Destiny. It was very well structured and gives some comedy afterwards when the aggrieved lesson seekers complain to Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien.
In Crouching Tiger, these two characters played by Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh act like good friends but it is obvious that there is something more between them and have been pining for each other for many years. Even Sir Te has a one to one chat with Li Mu Bai and reminds him that he should take his chance rather than not know her feelings but it is the ancient honour that is holding them apart, as Li Mu Bai was once friends with Yu Shu Lien’s ex-lover who was killed. Michelle Yeoh is particularly good at acting out this honour-bound love between the two and it is clear in the film that she is aching for something more than just being acquaintances.
Probably the most interesting character in the whole film is the characterisation of the young girl Jen Yu by Zhang Ziyi as she is pivotal to the conflict occurring and the running themes in the movie. I won’t spoil the movie too much but Yu is very important to the storylines and the finale that is pretty intense as the main characters interact with each other.
I have to address the ‘flying’ in Crouching Tiger, at some point in this review as it has been considered by many as unrealistic and detracting from this legendary story that has been so well depicted by Lee. In my personal opinion though I think it works perfectly for this film because in essence that is what it is all about, being free. Flying or gliding gracefully therefore; is the idyllic representation of this notion of following your heart and the release from other pressures. A good summation of this backbone of the film comes when Lo ‘Dark Cloud’ (Chen Chang) is talking to Jen Yu (Ziyi Zhang) in the foreground of a striking mountain backdrop:
“A long time ago a mans children were very ill so he jumped. He didn’t die, he wasn’t even hurt. He just floated away happily, never to return. He knew his children were well again. What really makes wishes come true, is the trust in the heart.”
Just like the gorgeous setting described above, Ang Lee has really gone out of his way to find the most breathtaking and magical surroundings to immerse his characters in. From the rolling desert to the gentle swaying trees, the characters fit the surroundings well and give performances that are believable in any of the given situations. It is really worth watching this film just for this.
FINAL WORD --------------------
Crouching Tiger is a tremendous film directed by Ang Lee that successfully combines all of the themes and ingredients needed to bring a Western movie to Hollywood. The romance, scenery and the uplifting feeling of desire to be released from the bonds imposed by society and culture is not to be missed.
DVD EXTRAS --------------------
Full Motion menu with music Scene Access with 28 cues and remote access Subtitles/Captions in English, French with remote access Cast and Crew Biographies Cast and Crew Filmographies 2 Original Trailer(s) Production Notes 1 Documentaries 1 Featurette(s) 1 Feature/Episode commentary by Ang Lee and James Schamus
Advantages: Brilliant five star viewing Disadvantages: Subtitles, but don't be put off by this please
First of all I would like to tell you that even if you aren't a martial arts fan it doesn't mean that you won't like it.
This is a brilliant film from the brilliant director Ang Lee, who funnily enough was also the director of Sense And Sensibility (which by the way if you don't know is a very different film altogether). The choreographer was the total genius Yuen Wo Ping (means nothing I bet). How about if I tell you he also choreographed The Matrix? ... ...a fine blend of love, courage and a strong sense of honour and loyalty beyond anything you could imagine. It is set in the 19th century and is based on two main characters who are martial-arts masters. Li Mu Bai is played brilliantly by Chow Yun Fat, who was in replacement killers I believe.Then you have the other master played by Michelle Yeoh, she also starred in James Bonds Tommorow Never Dies Which I might add She was Really good in.
Yes there ...
KRISPY13 02.04.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (DVD)
Advantages: Fantastic setting and great acting Disadvantages: Flying scenes may be too much for some
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is, in essence, something of a novelty in Holywood circles, but a refreshing change from all the action car chases and gunfights produced by the standard film makers. The film is an attempt to re-invent the martial arts films of old, while at the same time introducing audiences to the fairy-tale style mythology of China. The story itself comes from a famous Chinese set of novels and is based on the 3rd book in a series ... ...film, which is both haunting and dramatic. Also included are a couple of trailers and a nice photo gallery. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is probably the most breathtaking film I have had the pleasure to watch this year and I recommend this should be in everyone’s DVD collection. ...
pbyron 06.02.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (DVD)
Advantages: Great film and equally great DVD Disadvantages: -
There aren't many crouching tigers and the dragon?? Well it was very well hidden I can give you that, but what an epic! The winner of 4 oscars is now available on DVD for those unfortunate enough to have missed it out when it was on the big screen.
The film is directed by Ang Lee and co-written by James Schamus and is a truly epic film of great proportions. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was so good and on so many levels as it serves as an historical ... ...by Yuen Wo Ping of Matrix fame),a story of magic and a story of revenge Set during the Qing dynasty, 19th century, the film follows the warriors Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) and Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh. These two love each other but keep their feelings to themselves and in turn deny their love. However, disaster strikes when Li Mu Bai's legendary sword, Green Destiny, is stolen Jen (Zhang Ziyi, who is in rush hour 2 which is out now, though the roles ...
daredevil852 11.08.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (DVD)
Advantages: Fantastic fighting skills and an epic scenery which takes the breath away Disadvantages: A bit too balletic and dreamy for my tastes
Ok, we all know that this film has been one of the longest awaited with baited breath movies for quite a while. I feel like I'm being a little bit irreverant and blasphemous but I have to say that its all been done before, in some ways better, in some ways worse.
You can't take anything away from the film makers or the actors, the choreography, particularly the women, and the landscapes were absolutely stunning. I have rarely seen female martial ... ...see them as almost an apologetic addition to stop the feminist uprising of the female martial art society. Also the fact that for once whilst following women being strong, the women were not portrayed with the hatred stemming from outrage at sexism (apart from the jade fox, but we can forgive her that because she is not the main character). Instead the emphasis is on a young persons curiosity and defiance that creates setting (and the fact that she ...
marsden 24.07.2001 (26.07.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (DVD)
Advantages: Compelling, intriguing, gorgeous Disadvantages: Questionable depiction of death?
If you've heard anything about this film its the 'better fight scenes than The Matrix' line that rather diminishes the potency of the work. Sure, the wire-work is impressive and the choreography of the combat amongst the best I've seen, but its the combined strengths of the other elements that elevate this work above the crowd. In brief:
Characterisation
Lee can hold the camera so long on his protagonists because he has provided them with a host ... ...driven by unresolved passion, rage and pride and while watching them unfurl you can sense each of these struggling for the upper hand within the combatants.
Narrative
At first I had a problem with the long digression in the desert - the central story seems to go for a 5-fag break - but on reflection I think it works, like Proust being transported by his Madellines. After watching it, try and jot down the plot and you'll find that the straightjacket ...
oedipus 03.02.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (DVD)
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Reviews which might be of interest for "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (DVD)"
Advantages: Great story and martial art moves, acting is superb Disadvantages: Actors don't speak in English, but there are translations
If like me, you are thinking of learning some kind of martial art in the near future, than from this film you can get all the inspiration and motivation you need. Reknown for all the Martial Arts fighting in it, Chinese style, this film is the foreign film that cashed in the most money from the US Box Office ever.
The cast in the film is completely Chinese and thereforeI have never heard of any of them before. However from what I have read on the film, some of the actors are quite well-known in China. Incidentally, although 'CrouchingTiger, HiddenDragon' was a complete success in the US and other western countries, it was a complete flop in China. Probably one of the reasons could be because the four main actors all speak four different dialects of Mandarin, which thankfully doesn't really affect Westerners who can see ...
Advantages: An imaginative and interesting story with very good effects Disadvantages: It's a nice film, makes you want to see it again.
Five years after it's release, I sat down in my home theatre to view the film that was classified as the foreign film that earned most money: CrouchingTiger, HiddenDragon.
STORY
The story is based in China when a sword that belongs to a master of martial arts is stolen. A touch of romance and a lot of action with a nice ending. The story is properly paced and easy going, absorbing the viewer completely.
VIDEO
Exceptional action across the whole movie. Not too much and not too little, just the right amount. Although some of the scenes are incredible and impossible to believe, the way they are inserted in the story line make them gullible and most of all, entertaining.
AUDIO
I like action films with good sound effects. This film is one of them. The Superbits version enhances the sound quality. Many times I felt compelled to ...
Set during the nineteenth century in China, this the tale of Li Mu Bai, a martial arts expert. He entrusts his magic sword called Green Destiny to a wizard named Yu Shu Lien. Whilst in her care the sword is stolen and together they set out to recover it.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Making Of Documentary Unleashing The Dragon, Director And Producer Commentary, Conversation With Michelle Yeoh
Aspect Ratio
2.35 Wide Screen, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English Mandarin
Award information
BAFTA
Best Original Film Music 2000 (Tan Dun)
BAFTA
Best Direction 2000 (Ang Lee)
OSCAR
Best Music Original Score (Dramatic/Musical/Comedy) 2000 (Tan Dun)
Professional reviews
Review
"...A triumph....CROUCHING TIGER envelops you in its exotic universe..." (Movieline, pp.36-38, 01/12/2000)
"...The picture is more fun than it has a right to be....Mr. Lee puts things together artfully and stages this movie like a comedy of manners; it could be SENSE AND SENSIBILITY with a body count....It's an epic that breaks the laws of gravity." (New York Times, p.E16, 08/12/2000)
"....Always entertaining and exhilarating....CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON is most notable for going beyond genre norms..." (Sight and Sound, p.45-6, 01/01/2001)
"...CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON defies pigeon-holing by succeeding as a love story, an action movie and a fantasy....The best acted, best shot and most exciting film of the year..." -- 5 out of 5 stars (Total Film, p.78, 01/02/2001)
"...This Cannes/New York Film Festival favorite has it all, starting with three towering central characters....[Ang Lee's film] offers melodically choreographed action scenes by THE MATRIX's Yuen Wo-Ping, Oscar-caliber photography by Peter Pau and the pleasure of seeing [Chow Yun Fat] in his most appealing performance yet..." -- 4 out of 4 stars (USA Today, p.1E, 08/12/2000)
DVD Description
Known for making films about familial relationships, director Ang Lee surprised everyone with his martial arts epic CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. Based on a novel by Wang Du Lu, CROUCHING TIGER starts with the revenge plot common in the wuxia stories that Lee loved as a child, then adds a feminist twist. Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) is a legendary martial artist who has decided to pass on his sword, the Green Destiny, to a friend. Soon afterward, the sword is stolen by a masked female, setting in motion events that test the bonds of family, love, duty, and sisterhood. Chow appears with three generations of female stars: Cheng Pei Pei, a 1960s action heroine; Michelle Yeoh, the beauty queen turned 1980s action goddess; and newcomer Zhang Ziyi, who smolders as the princess who wants more than domestic tranquillity. Famed action choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping (THE MATRIX) stages jaw-dropping zero-G fights across rooftops, rivers, and bamboo trees, while Yo-Yo Ma punctuates the fisticuffs with dramatic cello solos. Described by Lee as "SENSE AND SENSIBILITY with martial arts," CROUCHING TIGER recalls the best wuxia films of the 1960s and pushes the genre in new directions.
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