Crouching Tiger, Hidden DragonEnlightenment only comes from accepting that everything you thought you knew was wrong. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a wuxia (stylized martial arts) film and period drama set in China during in the 18th century. When famed folk hero, Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-fat) decides to relinquish his legendary sword--called "Green Destiny"--after a lifetime of fighting, he asks his comrade-in-arms, Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), to take the sword to a mutual friend for safe keeping. But when a skilled thief takes the sword one night, Shu Lien suspects that the unlikely culprit is the young bride-to-be, Jen Yu (Zhang Ziyi), an aristocrat who harbors many secrets.
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One of the first things that the audience of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will notice is how beautiful the film is, in keeping with the tenets of Eastern philosophy being rooted in harmony with nature. The China depicted in it is a lush place in tune with nature; even the more dilapidated areas of the vast Yu family compound have outcroppings of verdant growth. There are many gorgeous vistas and wide shots of the various landscapes, from deserts to forests, to canyons and mountains. The theme of harmony and balance is relevant for Jen Yu, whose soul is in a state of turmoil throughout the film, stemming from her youthful immaturity, her resentment at her pending marriage, and her feelings of being powerlessness in the world, even though--as Mu Bai observes--she is a fighter with astonishing potential. Mu Bai sets the events of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in motion as a result of his difficulty in obtaining "enlightenment", speaking of a "block" he claims his master never told him about; that the barrier has to do with his unresolved feelings for Shu Lien. The two warriors are enamored with one another, but hesitate to act. The irony that these brave fighters act like scared school children is not lost on their friend, Sir Te (Sihung Lung), who teases that even great warriors can be fools when it comes to matters of the heart. After Jen (in disguise) steals the Green Destiny, she is confronted by Shu Lien, and the two fight to a stand still. An experienced warrior like Shu Lien understands that Jen is struggling with her responsibilities and her inner desires, but does not confront her with it outright in order to save face for her and her family. It is revealed that Jen has been tutored in the Wudan school of martial arts--like Mu Bai--by none other than the notorious criminal known as "Jade Fox" (Cheng Pei-pei). Jade Fox identifies Jen's frustrations at being treated as inferior based on her sex, and capitalizes on this to manipulate her to abandon her familial responsibilities and join her as an outlaw. A lengthy flashback of Jen's reveals a prior love affair with a roguish bandit named Lo (Chang Chen), who antagonized her by stealing a valuable comb during a raid on her caravan, which led to her chasing him through the desert and eventually falling in love with him. With all of these desires and the confusion stemming from being unable to resolve them, Jen becomes the antagonist of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; it would be inaccurate to describe her as a "villain", but her naive outbursts and anger drives all instances of conflict in the film. It would also be dismissive to paint Jen as a petulant child; she has yet to achieve the wisdom that comes with age and experience, even if she possesses exceptional martial arts prowess. Along with the purloined Green Destiny, this makes her feel invincible, shouting as much during a sword fight in a tavern, where she describes herself as a "goddess of battle".
Alongside wisdom and enlightenment, one of the key themes in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is family. Jen's own father and mother are rarely in the film, but other people fill in for the "family of her soul". Jade Fox represents a false guardian; she is a cruel woman who is not above poisoning others out of vindictive scorn, and is willing to exploit her "child" (Jen) to achieve her vengeance. Her negative influence is felt in Jen from the moment she is compelled to steal the legendary Green Destiny, which at first she describes as a prank, even though she later becomes obsessed with the blade. Mu Bai and Shu Lien are a more stable "family" for Jen, even if she resists their respective efforts to help her. When Jen and Shu Lien first meet, Jen expresses how she wishes she could live like Shu Lien does as an adventurer, free from her gilded cage. They call each other "sister", a term which becomes more poignant as they find themselves at odds. Shu Lien struggles to reach Jen and bring her back to earth (sometimes literally) when she lets her ego get the better of her, like when she runs away from her pending marriage. Shu Lien challenges Jen to a fight to get her to yield her arrogant grip over Green Destiny--it is like how siblings fight when one knows what's better for the other (albeit with much more swordplay and kung fu). Even though Shu Lien is driven to return Jen home safely, she fights with determination because she cares about what her anger is doing to her, and how it is leading her into dark places. Mu Bai is more like a father figure to Jen; he admires her skillful martial arts, even when she's trying to wield his own sword against him. When Mu Bai faces Jen in combat, it isn't even a contest; Mu Bai is in constant control and reads every move of hers. Mu Bai understands what Jen's going through far better than even she does; his "block" at obtaining enlightenment is a parallel for the internal strife plaguing Jen. Mu Bai knows where Jen's attacks will land because he's been where she has been before, on many levels. His encounters with Jen reveal Mu Bai to be the wise master, trying to help Jen conclude that her aggression is fruitless. He never indulges her with an actual fight, believing that would only reinforce her bitterness toward "adults" like him and Shu Lien. His style of "parenting" is of the best kind--he doesn't condescend to Jen, and even offers to take her on as his disciple, recognizing her talent and understanding of martial arts.
The greatest of the warriors in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are more than kung fu heroes--they are paragons of the martial arts. They move silently and can walk up walls. They leap many feet into the air, twirling all around like a dervish, and float like birds. They engage in fast-paced and protracted martial arts battles with one another, while doing a multitude of flips, kicks, and using various weaponry from the period with ease. Consider when Mu Bai leads Jen into the forest, and they actually do battle atop the smallest of branches on the bamboo trees wafting in the wind. This scene is emblematic of how Mu Bai understands the "balance" one needs to maintain their composure--both physically and mentally--when faced with frustration. Mu Bai balances with nary an effort on the tip of one branch, while the slightest shifting of the winds makes it so that Jen struggles to keep her footing. Another motif in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is of the deadliness and insidiousness of "poison" in destroying something good. Mu Bai comments that Jade Fox assassinated his master with poison, which has proven to be a favored weapon of the cowardly Jade Fox. There is also the "poison" of lies and treachery, and of unresolved desires that eat away at your soul like acid--something all of the characters have within them in varying degrees. With Mu Bai and Shu Lien, it is their unresolved affection for one another, but in Jen it runs deeper. Jade Fox may have fostered her insecurities, but Jen longs to run free with Lo in the desert, and regrets her decision to return home. She resents her real family for caring so little for her desires, regardless of the fact that she keeps them to herself. When she gets a taste of "power" in the form of Green Destiny, she becomes increasingly reliant on it, like a drug which filled her with all of the power and freedom she had longed to obtain. Mu Bai even describes the sword as having a grim destiny, where the blood washes off "too easily". Jen only ignores the real problems in her heart when she takes the sword, and ends up hurting those she cares about to justify her own selfishness. Jen's crisis is one where she must learn to cope with the poison in her heart, or run the risk of becoming a monster and terror like Jade Fox.
Recommended for: Fans of a gorgeous and meditative martial arts film with lots of exciting set pieces, that also deals with important themes like maturity, wisdom, trust, and family. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon creates a vivid portrayal of China from hundreds of years ago--so much so that you might feel like you're actually there.
Alongside wisdom and enlightenment, one of the key themes in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is family. Jen's own father and mother are rarely in the film, but other people fill in for the "family of her soul". Jade Fox represents a false guardian; she is a cruel woman who is not above poisoning others out of vindictive scorn, and is willing to exploit her "child" (Jen) to achieve her vengeance. Her negative influence is felt in Jen from the moment she is compelled to steal the legendary Green Destiny, which at first she describes as a prank, even though she later becomes obsessed with the blade. Mu Bai and Shu Lien are a more stable "family" for Jen, even if she resists their respective efforts to help her. When Jen and Shu Lien first meet, Jen expresses how she wishes she could live like Shu Lien does as an adventurer, free from her gilded cage. They call each other "sister", a term which becomes more poignant as they find themselves at odds. Shu Lien struggles to reach Jen and bring her back to earth (sometimes literally) when she lets her ego get the better of her, like when she runs away from her pending marriage. Shu Lien challenges Jen to a fight to get her to yield her arrogant grip over Green Destiny--it is like how siblings fight when one knows what's better for the other (albeit with much more swordplay and kung fu). Even though Shu Lien is driven to return Jen home safely, she fights with determination because she cares about what her anger is doing to her, and how it is leading her into dark places. Mu Bai is more like a father figure to Jen; he admires her skillful martial arts, even when she's trying to wield his own sword against him. When Mu Bai faces Jen in combat, it isn't even a contest; Mu Bai is in constant control and reads every move of hers. Mu Bai understands what Jen's going through far better than even she does; his "block" at obtaining enlightenment is a parallel for the internal strife plaguing Jen. Mu Bai knows where Jen's attacks will land because he's been where she has been before, on many levels. His encounters with Jen reveal Mu Bai to be the wise master, trying to help Jen conclude that her aggression is fruitless. He never indulges her with an actual fight, believing that would only reinforce her bitterness toward "adults" like him and Shu Lien. His style of "parenting" is of the best kind--he doesn't condescend to Jen, and even offers to take her on as his disciple, recognizing her talent and understanding of martial arts.
The greatest of the warriors in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are more than kung fu heroes--they are paragons of the martial arts. They move silently and can walk up walls. They leap many feet into the air, twirling all around like a dervish, and float like birds. They engage in fast-paced and protracted martial arts battles with one another, while doing a multitude of flips, kicks, and using various weaponry from the period with ease. Consider when Mu Bai leads Jen into the forest, and they actually do battle atop the smallest of branches on the bamboo trees wafting in the wind. This scene is emblematic of how Mu Bai understands the "balance" one needs to maintain their composure--both physically and mentally--when faced with frustration. Mu Bai balances with nary an effort on the tip of one branch, while the slightest shifting of the winds makes it so that Jen struggles to keep her footing. Another motif in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is of the deadliness and insidiousness of "poison" in destroying something good. Mu Bai comments that Jade Fox assassinated his master with poison, which has proven to be a favored weapon of the cowardly Jade Fox. There is also the "poison" of lies and treachery, and of unresolved desires that eat away at your soul like acid--something all of the characters have within them in varying degrees. With Mu Bai and Shu Lien, it is their unresolved affection for one another, but in Jen it runs deeper. Jade Fox may have fostered her insecurities, but Jen longs to run free with Lo in the desert, and regrets her decision to return home. She resents her real family for caring so little for her desires, regardless of the fact that she keeps them to herself. When she gets a taste of "power" in the form of Green Destiny, she becomes increasingly reliant on it, like a drug which filled her with all of the power and freedom she had longed to obtain. Mu Bai even describes the sword as having a grim destiny, where the blood washes off "too easily". Jen only ignores the real problems in her heart when she takes the sword, and ends up hurting those she cares about to justify her own selfishness. Jen's crisis is one where she must learn to cope with the poison in her heart, or run the risk of becoming a monster and terror like Jade Fox.
Recommended for: Fans of a gorgeous and meditative martial arts film with lots of exciting set pieces, that also deals with important themes like maturity, wisdom, trust, and family. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon creates a vivid portrayal of China from hundreds of years ago--so much so that you might feel like you're actually there.