“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is one of the most highly revered foreign films of all time. Its 97% on Rotten Tomatoes speaks volumes but that is nothing compared to its ten Oscar nominations including wins for Best Foreign Film, Art Direction, Score, and Cinematography. These nominations are justified through its epic proportions and stunningly beautiful martial arts sequences. This film went toe-to-toe with “Gladiator” and, while “Gladiator” took home Best Picture, you can’t help but note that the scenery and artistry of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is on the same level (if not higher). I don’t make these comparisons lightly, as I consider “Gladiator” to be one of the finest films of all time and Hans Zimmer’s beautiful scoring of the epic to be perfection. Not that there is anything wrong with Tan Dun's incredible ethnic score, but I do have an issue with it film winning in this particular category. This "Bruce Lee meets The Matrix" martial arts film is unlike anything that you have ever seen. The strong combined performance of leads Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, and Zhang Ziyi energize the plot and the martial arts skills of the latter two are a true spectacle. These women can really fight! I found myself awestruck at the speed and agility of these women, especially once it was combined with Matrix-like special effects. The fight sequences are reason enough to watch this film and the gripping story is an added bonus. Even though the editors made Ziyi’s flashback too large of a percentage of this film, she expertly shows every moment of her transformation from innocent aristocrat to deceitful criminal. I also enjoyed the development of the other characters and the unexpected direction of the story. This is the complete package when you combine its stunning locations to its beautiful soundtrack and the very cool Wudang martial arts sequences. This is a film that can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of your interest in/tolerance for foreign films. From “Sense and Sensibility” to “Life of Pi” to “Brokeback Mountain,” director Ang Lee always delivers a critically acclaimed product but even amongst his masterpieces, few can compare to “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
[Pictured: The martial arts sequences are out of this world]
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