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No one uses color like Chinese director Zhang Yimou--movies likeRaise the Red LanternorHero, though different in tone and subject matter, are drenched in rich, luscious shades of red, blue, yellow, and green.House of Flying Daggersis no exception; if they weren't choreographed with such vigorous imagination, the spectacular action sequences would seem little more than an excuse for vivid hues rippling across the screen. Government officers Leo and Jin (Asian superstars Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro) set out to destroy an underground rebellion called the House of Flying Daggers (named for their weapon of choice, a curved blade that swoops through the air like a boomerang). Their only chance to find the rebels is a blind women named Mei (Ziyi Zhang,Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) who has some lethal kung fu moves of her own. In the guise of an aspiring rebel, Jin escorts Mei through gorgeous forests and fields that become bloody battlegrounds as soldiers try to kill them both. While arrows and spears of bamboo fly through the air, Mei, Jin, and Leo turn against each other in surprising ways, driven by passion and honor. Zhang's previous action/art film,Hero, sometimes sacrificed momentum for sheer visual beauty;House of Flying Daggersfinds a more muscular balance of aesthetic splendor and dazzling swordplay.--Bret Fetzer
Like Crouching dragon this movie is another Greek tragedy Crouching dragon set the tone for all of the new films filmed in China. Beautiful, sensitive, visual, stunning and the martial arts incorporated in the film, it is like a ballet. This story is simple but wonderfully told and every frame is like a painting. I really loved this movie.
Martial "Arts" are now better known as Martial "Effects" Another Asian film that's concentrating more on its beauty and the art and colors of its surroundings. Which is fine. I love films that look really good. But, like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", the martial arts is not true to the discriminating eye of visual common sense. And it's not just these two films. Most movies nowadays, are depending on special effects more than the actual performance of the actor.
Martial arts films have changed. The authenticity of the art of "karate" is now lost to the art of "special effects". When we use to watch a Bruce Lee or a Jackie Chan film, we were watching true martial arts. Not fake performances embellished with special effects. Here, we are watching these people running on air, and even simulating taking flight as they fight, and it just looks embarrassingly silly.
This film doesn't really mention that the people from the "House of Flying Daggers" are magicians, or godly warriors, or some kind of otherworldly spirits, but you would think that they are since their actions are unrealistic, flying about and the such. Take the simple rule of "inertia" for example. When they throw a knife, or spear, an article of clothing, or even peanuts, it seems strange than not only does a simple toss cause these "thrown" things to travel great distances, but they also seem to gain speed and even ascend as it gets further away. This defies the common laws of simple inertia. This is where the authenticity of the film is greatly reduced of any realistic probabilities that such warriors could ever exist.
I guess I'm just living in the past. Martial Arts films use to be so much more special when the actors were actually world acclaimed martial arts experts, performing with no camera tricks or special effects. It use to be something very "real".
The art of the actual performance is gone.Awesome cinematography! I absolutely LOVED this movie and watched it several times before buying. This is a fave in my house!
