Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

5/15/2016

Easily my favourite of Lee's films, plus this was a no-brainer for me to watch, since I love martial arts films and the three stars. Peter Pau's cinematography and Dun Tan's soundtrack deservedly won two of the four Oscars, amidst its ten nominations, but even though the production values and story were the reason that this, rather than more significant martial arts classics, such as 'The 36th Chamber of Shaolin' and other Shaw Brothers' masterpieces of the genre is that it stepped outside the box and became mandatory viewing for both genders and all cultures with its love story, in the same way that 'Rocky' isn't simply a boxing movie. Still fascinating watching today, and the scene in which the restaurant is destroyed is one of the most fascinating set-pieces I have yet seen.

4/13/2023

"Master Li" (Chow Yun-Fat) asks his lifelong friend "Yu Shu Lien" (Michelle Yeoh) to take his legendary sword "Green Destiny" and deliver it to "Sir Te" (Sihung Lung) at the Imperial court. Turns out, though, that security there isn't so hot and the sword is stolen by a very able and nimble thief who only just escapes the pursuit of "Shu Lien" - who reckons she really knows whom the thief is. A visit to "Jen" (Ziyi Zhang) and the swift return of the sword seem to confirm her suspicions but then the sword is stolen again and aside from narking "Sir Te" this sets up a series of adventures for "Li", "Shu Lien" and "Jen" as we discover there may be a connection to the former man's nemesis "Jade Fox" (Pei-Pei Cheng). There is room, gradually, for a little romance but for the most part this is a