Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
This latest film from director Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility)
strives to combine the Hong Kong martial arts genre with introspective
characterization (more typical of "art" films), placed
in a mythic/historic setting. One might describe it as a "martial
art-house" movie. In the attempt however, Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon merely proves that these opposing genres are
completely irreconcilable, and the result is a stilted, tedious
film which never comes together. Set in China, in an undetermined
period, the story concerns a young, spoiled noblewoman named
Jen (Zhang Zi Yi). Facing a life in a stifling, pre-arranged
marriage, Jen rebels against her family and society. Having secretly
studied martial arts for years, she steals an ancient, magic
sword and runs away, picking fights and getting into all sorts
of mischief along the way. In pursuit of her are two warriors,
Yui Hsui Lien (Michele Yeoh) and the sword's owner, Li Mu Bai
(Chow Yun Fat).
The film alternately offers up moments of poetic beauty and outright
idiocy. The forbidden love shared by Yeoh and Yun Fat's characters
(who are barred from marriage due to custom and societal codes)
forms a bittersweet and touching subplot. Although it is an attempt
to be a cut above the average martial arts flick, Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon retains some of the genre's most idiotic
attributes. The fight scenes, while impressively complex feats
of choreography, are preposterous and hokey-looking. The characters
actually levitate as they do battle, floating to and fro like
Peter Pan, in some of the most unintentionally funny combat footage
ever filmed (I, and much of the audience, were in stitches during
these scenes). Of course, such ridiculous acrobatics are commonplace
in the average trashy martial arts movie, but in the context
of this film (which presumably strives to be taken more seriously),
some plausible explanation for these abilities is required. How
and why are the characters able to float in the air? Do they
possess some type of magic? Are they from the planet Krypton?
The film never says.
The storyline, while not without compelling moments, is often
convoluted. A pointless subplot slows the story down, when the
film suddenly shifts into an extended flashback where Jen is
kidnapped and subsequently falls in love with a desert bandit.
While appealing in a "romance novel" sort of way, this
subplot is a complete tangent which arrests the story and has
little relevance to the film at large. Jen's prowess at martial
arts is also to say the least, implausible. Aristocratic Chinese
women of antiquity had bound feet. It was a major effort for
them to walk, let alone run around kicking people!
On the plus side, the film is well acted and Tan Dun's score
featuring the cello playing of Yo Yo Ma is exotic and colorful.
Ultimately however, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon never
really adds up. The film is unrelentingly tedious, owing to an
awkward, poorly developed
script, and the fight scenes are so kitschy and ridiculous they
make it impossible to take anything else in the film seriously.
Paul Andrew MacLean
© 2001 
Shelton CT 06484 USA
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LadyJanet@RenaissanceMagazine.com