Shown in the “Swordsmen, Gangsters and Ghosts” section of the “A Century of Chinese Cinema” at the BFI: British Film Institute, this film for me was a complete film.

Director Ang Lee directing Chow Yun-Fat

Very rarely do I come across a film that is, alteast for me, a complete film and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is definitely one of them. It consists of all fighting techniques used in movies from swordfights to Kung Fu, fantasy, romance, revenge and adventure. Director Ang Lee has given a tribute to all swordfight and kung fu films which were once made back in the very early 1900s till when the famous Shaw Brothers came. This art of film making had waned down in the Chinese film industry, but Ang Lee brought it back to life.

Chow Yun-Fat with Zhang Zhiyi

Michelle Yeoh along with Zhiyi Zhang gave performances that none other can be equalled with theirs. The strenuous task of fighting with swords and doing kung fu would have been very exhausting for them, but the end result was something that people watch over and over again and not even get tired. The fight in the training hall between the two female leads is my most favourite. Chow Yun-Fat gets a much tougher role in the film as a master who is extremely well trained in every form of fighting. He gives a very satisfying performance in the film which is both hard and soft.

Michelle Yeoh with Zhang Zhiyi

The story revolves around a sword which is stolen which leads two warriors to a long forgotten fugitive but also come across a nobleman’s daughter who turns out to be their equal.

Zhang Zhiyi

This film has pocketed itself a whole bag of awards including four Oscar Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Music (original score), Best Art Direction (Set Decoration) and Best Foreign Film. Watch this film on the big screen if you want to, I will guarantee you, you will come out satisfied.

Director: Ang Lee

Producer:   Ang Lee

Writer: Du Lu Wang (book), Hui-Ling Wang, James Schamus, Kuo Jung Tsai

Cinematographer:Peter Pau

Starring: Yun-Fat Chow, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang, Chen Chang, Pei-pei Cheng

Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy

Country: Hong Kong,Taiwan, China

Lanuage: Mandarin

Release Date:  16 May 2000

Run Time: 120 Min