Secondly, it is a movie about the desire to be free - free from the constraints that keep you from being who you want to be and, of course, from loving who you want to love. Their recklessness, however, ends up being calamitous for everyone that crosses their path, including themselves.Ĭrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is first and foremost a movie about love. Unlike the older warriors, the young couple is quick to act on their feelings, defying duty and tradition without caring for consequences. Jen’s love story with bandit leader Lo ( Chang Chen) stands in direct contrast with the muted pining that plagues the lives of Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien. As the impetuous aristocrat Jen Yu, Zhang is at the top of her game, deftly jumping from anger to amusement to desire to guilt in that way that is so characteristic of rebellious youth. The final star of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s main cast is Zhang Ziyi, a true powerhouse that has sadly faded into the background of lesser movies ever since her rise to fame in the early 2000s. Instead of boring and pompous, the movie is a pulpy, delightfully melodramatic tale of love and revenge with a very pointed sense of humor. Even the runtime surprised me: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is merely 120 minutes long, shorter than many superhero movies nowadays. Upon watching the film, however, I was pleased to find something much more dynamic and accessible than I had anticipated. Even those that love Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are quick to remark that the movie can often be slow and even a little boring. There was a certain aura surrounding the film that made me think of it as a stuffy, self-important epic over three hours long, and not even the promise of beautifully shot fight sequences was enough for me to get over my fear. Though I knew Lee’s take on the Wuxia genre was considered a masterpiece and one of the greatest movies of the late 20th century, I just couldn’t bring myself to watch it. Perhaps the most honest way to start this review is to admit that, up until the announcement of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s 4K re-release, I spent years resisting the need to watch this film. In Ang Lee’s case, slow-paced should never be construed as boring, and perhaps none of his movies is a greater example of the difference between one and the other than 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. And, at least as far as his films are concerned, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. However, there is a certain annoyance with how Grace says the dream was slow-paced which suggests that Lee’s movies - or sex dreams - can be a real drag to watch. Likewise, the director isn’t afraid to indulge in long, contemplative shots that allow audiences plenty of time to marvel at what they are seeing and let the events of the movie sink in. Indeed, Lee's movies are more often than not a true wonder to behold. There is an element of truth to this joke. When asked what the dream was like, she responds that it was "a little slow-paced, but visually stunning". There's an episode of defunct NBC sitcom Will and Grace in which Grace ( Debra Messing) tells Will about an erotic dream involving director Ang Lee.
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