Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a Chinese-language film in the wuxia (chivalric and martial arts) style, released in 2000. A China- Hong Kong-Taiwan- United States co-production, the film was directed by Ang Lee and featured an international cast of ethnic Chinese actors, including Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen. The movie was based on the fourth novel in a pentalogy, known in China as the Crane-Iron Pentalogy, by Wang Dulu. The martial arts and action sequences were choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping well known for his work in The Matrix and other films.
Made on a mere US$15 million budget, with dialogue in Mandarin, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became a surprise international success. It grossed US$128 million in the United States alone,[1] becoming the highest-grossing foreign-language film in American history. It has won over 40 awards. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and three other Academy Awards, and was nominated for six other Academy Awards, including Best Picture.[2] The film also won three BAFTAs and two Golden Globes, one for "Best Foreign Film" as well as additional nominations for ten BAFTAs including "Best Picture".
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[edit] Ziyi Zhang vs. Michelle Yeoh best fight scene ever
[edit] Plot
The fictional story is set in the historic Qing Dynasty in China. The date of the story is during the 43rd year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (i.e. 1778).[3]
The story follows two martial arts warriors, Li Mu-bai ( Chow Yun-Fat) and Yu Shu-lien ( Michelle Yeoh). The two characters are attracted to each other but have abstained from a relationship. Mu-bai, an accomplished Wudan swordsman, asks Shu-lien to take his valuable sword, the Green Destiny, to his friend Sir Te for safekeeping in Beijing. In the meantime, Mu-bai intends to commemorate the death of his master, who was murdered long ago by Jade Fox ( Cheng Pei-pei), a woman who sought to learn Wudan. Also searching for Jade Fox is Tsai ( Da Ming Wang) an undercover police inspector.
In Beijing, Shu-lien delivers the sword and meets Jen ( Zhang Ziyi), the daughter of Governor Yu, a Manchu aristocrat. Jen is destined for an arranged marriage, yet yearns for adventure; she becomes fascinated with the warrior Shu-lien.
One night, a masked thief sneaks onto Sir Te's estate and steals the Green Destiny. Tsai, Shu-lien, and others pursue the thief across rooftops, walls, and other obstacles. Shu-lien discovers that the thief is well-versed in the Wudan school of martial arts. The fight is broken off when a mysterious figure shoots a dart at Shu-lien, which she catches just in time.
Mu-bai and Shu-lien trace the theft to Governor Yu's compound and learn that Jade Fox has been posing as Jen's governess for many years to evade the authorities. Jade Fox challenges Inspector Tsai to a showdown, in which Tsai is killed. Mu-bai arrives and easily defeats Jade Fox, but the masked thief reappears and uses Wudan techniques to prevent him from killing her. The thief and Jade Fox escape, and in a confrontation, Jade Fox realizes that Jen (the "thief") has secretly read her Wudan manual and surpassed her in skill. Mu-bai catches the masked Jen attempting to return the Green Destiny, and after defeating her, suggests that she become his apprentice. She refuses and escapes.
The dart that prevented Shu-Lien from capturing Jen came from a man named Lo ( Chang Chen), who returns and asks Jen to leave with him. A flashback reveals that Lo is a desert bandit called Dark Cloud who had raided Jen's caravan and stolen her comb. Jen chased after him to get it back; Lo defeated and kidnapped her. However, they eventually fell in love. Lo convinced Jen to return to her family, though not before telling her a legend of a man who jumped off a cliff but did not die. Instead, his wishes came true.
Lo has come to Beijing to persuade Jen not to go through with her arranged marriage. However, Jen refuses to leave with him. Soon after, she is married in an elaborate ceremony. Mu-bai and Shu-lien find Lo and tell him to wait for Jen at Wudan Mountain. The day after her wedding, Jen runs away. She is at a crossroads: should she be a court official's wife, the lover of a desert bandit, an outlaw under Jade Fox, or a martial artist under Li Mu-bai? Headstrong, she rejects the path of Shu-lien and Mu-bai, and starts a fight in a restaurant.
Jen finds Shu-lien, who tells her that Lo is at Wudan Mountain. Jen is outraged, thinking that Shu-lien is setting her up. Shu-lien is angry at Jen's lack of gratitude, and says that she always knew Jen was the thief, but covered it up for the sake of Jen's family. The two women fight, and it becomes clear that Shu-lien has better technique but Jen has the better sword (the Green Destiny). Mu-bai arrives and pursues Jen into the forest. He again offers to train her and she says that she will accept him as her master if he can take the Green Destiny from her in three moves. To Jen's surprise, Mu-bai snatches the sword from her hand in a single movement. When Jen still refuses to become Mu-bai's pupil, he throws the Green Destiny over a waterfall. Jen chases after the sword, and Mu-bai is too shocked to pursue her.
Jen retrieves the sword and is rescued by Jade Fox. She puts Jen into a drugged sleep and leaves her in a cavern. Mu-bai and Shu-lien find her there. Jade Fox suddenly reappears and attacks the others with poisoned needles. Mu-bai blocks all but one needle with his sword. He avenges his master's death by mortally wounding Jade Fox, only to realize that he has been hit with a poisoned needle. With his last breaths, Mu-bai confesses his love for Shu-lien. Shu-lien is heartbroken at his death, and furious with Jen for spoiling her chance at happiness. However, Shu-lien spares Jen's life and instructs her always to remain true to herself.
Jen goes to Wudan Mountain and spends one last night with Lo, who is waiting for her. The next morning, Lo finds Jen standing on a balcony overlooking the edge of the mountain. In an echo of the legend that they spoke about in the desert, she asks him to make a wish. He complies, wishing them to be together, back in the desert, and Jen leaps into the clouds.
Although the movie does not reveal whether Jen dies, the next novel in the Crane Iron Pentalogy, Iron Knight, Silver Vase, begins with Jen and Lo as a couple who have one son.
[edit] See also
- A Love Before Time (end-credit title song)
- Cinema of China
- Cinema of Hong Kong
- Cinema of Taiwan
- New Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ "Business Data for Wo hu cang long (2000)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-01-15. “Gross: $128,067,808 (USA) (29 July 2001) (sub-total)”
- ^ Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Academy Award Nominations and Wins URL accessed December 30, 2006.
- ^ casting annonces musicien communication evenementiel at castingforge.com
[edit] External links
Categories: 2000 films | Films whose director won the Best Director Golden Globe | Best Film HKFA | Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award winners | Best Foreign Language Film Golden Globe winners | Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners | BAFTA winners (films) | Films based on novels | Films shot in Super 35 | Films whose art director won the Best Art Direction Academy Award | Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography Academy Award | Hugo Award Winner for Best Dramatic Presentation | Wuxia films | Sony Pictures Classics films | Chinese films | American films | Hong Kong films | Taiwanese films | Nebula Award winning works
