
I feel like we've had a series of just okay movies, so I was determined to find something above okay. Today's selection is brought to you by a number generator and Parade.com's list of top 100 films of all time. I searched for a list of best movies, used the number generator to choose a random film, and got number 47. Parade.com ranks Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon better than movies like Taxi Driver and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, but they also put Vertigo as number 1. I mean, it's a good movie, but the best movie of all time? I don't know about that.
Regardless, I watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for the first time for this week's Throwback Thursday. I had this weird notion it was going to be a serious movie and was worried I wasn't in the right headspace for it. And it was serious, but not too heavy if that makes sense. And I somehow thought it was 3 hours long, which it's not.
I digress. I finally watched the movie that so many people love and I've got the most unhelpful review ready to go. So let's dive in
Briefly, and Without Spoilers
Set in the Qing Dynasty (1632-1912) in China, the story follows the journey of both fresh and seasoned warriors as they vie for control of an ancient and mystical sword. From a young aristocratic woman seeking freedom to a legendary warrior searching for revenge to a fierce female fighter longing for a man she feels ashamed to have, the characters search for answers and peace.
Based on a novel by Wang Dulu, and directed by Ang Lee, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a proper modern-day epic filled with action, adventure, and romance.
What Makes an Epic? (Spoilers Ahead!!)
Ladies and gentlemen, we've certainly hit the jackpot. I went looking for a better than okay movie and I found it. Which I feel like I shouldn't be surprised. It won several Oscars, including Best Foreign Language Film. And I guess that's what made me think it would be a heavy movie. Which, heavy films aren't bad. I just have to be in the right state of mind to watch them. And this one ended up being not too heavy.
But boy was it good. I feel like this epic in particular explores a unique side of womanhood. Yes there are the mystical elements and there's the hero's journey, but the women and their journey are really at the heart of what drives the odyssey forward. Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) really only acts as a secondary character to the epic that the women take part in, as does Lo (Chang Chen).

Jen's journey is completely encompassed by her desire to be completely free of weakness and fault. To have total control and be completely impervious, often to a fault. And she begins the story believing that Shu Lien's life (Michelle Yeoh) must hold the freedom and power she's looking for. Of course, Shu Lien knows better, but Jen's obsession becomes a focal point of her character, from her quest to retrieve her jade comb from Lo, to the extreme lengths she goes to to retrieve Green Destiny, and ultimately to her resistance to accept the teachings of Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien. And I think it drives her fate. The last several scenes she's in, she seems to be searching for answers that don't exist. Even after arriving in Wudang, I think she recognizes a hunger that Wudang won't satiate. But there is one more place she can find what she wishes for.
Shu Lien's journey is almost the polar opposite of Jen's. She begins the movie extremely reserved and slowly reveals she has lessoned herself in many ways because of what she believes is expected of her as a woman, and because of what she feels is appropriate under the circumstances. But the fight between her and Jen really solidify her superiority in almost every way.
Side note, what an epic fight scene. The buildup and stare-down alone were next level. And she proves to Jen's face just how ignorant and inexperienced she is. But Shu Lien's piety and reservation fall apart too little too late once Li Mu Bai is killed. There's almost this feeling of great waste in thinking that their relationship should have waited for anything and I think they both realize that in the end and admit the regret they feel for having waited so long.
And then there's Jade Fox (Pei-Pei Cheng). I seriously feel like her story, alongside Jen's and Shu Lien's, is the reason this is an epic of womanhood. In another telling of the story, she's the tragic hero. The fact that she can't read, as is discussed between the Jade Fox and Jen, suggests that she comes from modest means, if not poverty, and sought out a better life in Wudang where she was taken advantage of and discarded. She takes her revenge and creates a legend of herself by taking that control that Jen so obsessively seeks. But when she's betrayed again by a woman she trusted, and that once again demeaned her and took advantage of her situation, she only knows one way to settle the score. I know she's set up as the main antagonist, but I feel like hers is such an incredible arc from legendary woman who strikes down the men who take advantage of her to a proper villain is really such an interesting arc to have shadowing the arc of Jen and Shu Lien. I think that's where the dimension really kicks in for the story.
And at the heart of the story is a sword, which is traditionally a very phallic symbol. It's a sword with no weaknesses and also no peace. It's surrounded by violence and constantly being pursued. It's even mentioned that the sword becomes less beautiful in the eye of the wielder once it sheds blood. It also embodies this idea that something can look perfect and beautiful on the outside, but its reality is far more complicated and less romantic.
I'm particularly struck by the circumstances surrounding how the three women first interact and how they last interact. In the beginning, Jen and Jade Fox are playing their roles as aristocrat and servant, and Shu Lien is in full modesty mode. They're all essentially wearing some kind of mask and only presenting the versions of themselves they want people to see or, rather, the versions of themselves that'll keep them out of trouble. But in their final scene together, they've entirely lowered their facades. Jen is at her weakest, fighting for her life, Shu Lien surrenders her reservations to have one final moment of love with Li Mu Bai, and Jade Fox completely lashes out in final, desperate act of revenge. They've journeyed from the versions of themselves that society expects them to be to the versions of themselves they truly are. Even though it's not the end of the movie, it's kind of an incredible way to end the epic of the three women.

Beautiful Story, Beautiful Stage
There are so many other elements that make this movie great. The side characters offer a nice framing, and I appreciated the obligatory clown character who provides humor. I seriously don't mind a good classic theater trope.
And the cinematography was definitely top notch. I don't think it ever took away from what was happening, but every single stage (as it were) provided the perfect backdrop for what was happening.
It's honestly, all around, really well done.
Is it Worth Watching Again?
If you've never seen it, definitely watch it. And yes, I'm sure there are things I would pick up even more during a second and third viewing. It's definitely in the realm of high-brow, but it's also an excellent adventure story that I think people who don't necessarily like serious movies would like. And if you don't like foreign films, you've got to go to therapy and get over whatever that is. Your life will be better for it.
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