Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Depending on the generation, the title « Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon » immediately evokes a classic from the early 2000s, for others, they have already vaguely heard of this title without knowing what it refers to. For my part, I heard a lot about this film production without ever having seen it. So I remedied this gap in my film library. Head to Asia.

Summary: Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien are both known in the martial arts world for being magnificent fighters. In love without ever giving way to their feelings, they finally plan to travel together when Li Mu Bai separates from a legendary sword, Destiny. We also cross paths with a young noble girl engaged to a man she doesn’t want. To gain her freedom, she decides to steal the sword. Between love, reason, honors, family, the virtues of traditional China put a severe test on the decisions of our characters who must choose the path to follow.

As for me, I watch films in their original versions with subtitles when possible. I appreciated the story of the characters who are not all white or all black. The sets are magnificent and the acting, in my humble opinion, was perfect. Although there are the special effects that characterize most traditional Chinese fantasy films, the stunts really impressed me, especially during a fight in a bamboo forest. If the stories are magnificent, the music bringing a real touch of poetry to the whole, I was left a little unsatisfied because I found that the conclusions for certain characters were botched.

For the little anecdotes, the title comes from a Chinese expression « Lurking tiger, hidden dragon », the meaning of which designates a situation where a person reveals hidden talents. The first choice to interpret Li Mu Bai was Jet Li, the latter wanting to stay to his pregnant wife to refuse the role. It had to be modified to match Chow Yun-Fat’s fighting abilities. The film was the result of the collaboration of four countries: China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States. However, it was filmed in China and in Mandarin, and some actors, including actress Michelle Yeoh, had to learn the language for the sake of production.

The anecdote that surprised me the most was the restriction on viewing “Tiger and Dragon” depending on the country. In several countries, it has been banned for children under 13. However, France has not given any age restrictions for this film.

It’s not a film I would watch often, but I might want to watch it again. Very beautiful and poetic, it is one of those films that we appreciate more for its image and choreographic qualities. It’s a very good film, however, those who aren’t used to Asian films might have a harder time enjoying it.

A little Chinese cookie?