Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Synopsis:
Li Mu Bai is ready to give up his quest of revenge for his master and settle down to a life of peaceful meditation, perhaps even consider a relationship with the woman he’s been in love with for years.  But when his powerful sword is stolen from a friend’s safekeeping, China again requires his help to keep it safe.  With the wise and skilled Yu Shu Lien at his side, they must find the sword, confront the villainous Jade Fox, try to help young Jiaolong find purpose and balance in her life, reunite lovers, and last, but not least; determine if their long friendship will become something more.


Review:
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon had been on my To Be Watched list for a long time before I saw it several weeks ago.  It was a typical wuxia in a lot of ways: the fate of the world hanging on a legendary sword and an expertly trained hero, hidden love, forbidden love, old love, young love, enigmatic sayings, blood, poison, and fighting.  This movie had one of the most interesting wuxia fight scenes I have ever seen - both intriguing and ethereal, required a hefty suspension of disbelief and displayed impressive stunt skills.  (I believe all of the actors did as many of their own stunts as possible.)

The characterization was excellent and the actors managed to convey much about their characters in few words and eloquent body language.

The cinematography was good.  Many of the scenes were darkly lit, and I liked how that symbolized the plot progression.

It also has great costuming.  I would happily wear any of Yu Shu Lien's or Jiaolong's costumes.

Scenery is one of my favorite parts of Chinese movies and CTHD did not disappoint in that regard; from the starkly rugged beauty of the desert to the lush forest in the mountains.

Black hats worn in the drama: 4-5, between monks, Jiaolong's travel cap, and Jade Fox.

Favorite Characters:
Yu Shu Lien - highly trained swordswoman, honorable, calm, smart.  She only fought when she needed to, she deduced things quickly, and she had a wisdom that outmatched everyone else in the movie.  She was also very forgiving, despite legitimate reasons to hate those whom she forgave. 

Dark Cloud - the striking, lonely, orphan bandit chief with a heart of gold for his men and their families and a silver code of honor toward women.  I would watch the entire movie just for him.

Quotes:
~ When it comes to emotions, even great heroes can be idiots.

~ Fighters have rules too.  Friendship, trust, integrity.  Always keep your promise.  Without rules, we wouldn’t survive long.

~ A sword by itself rules nothing.  It comes alive only through skillful manipulation.

~ The best way to trap a fox is through her cubs.

~ Crouching tigers and hidden dragons are in the underworld, but so are human feelings.  Swords and knives harbor unknown perils, but so do human relationships.

Warnings:
There were two scenes of characters sleeping together and one of a couple bathing together, none of which were graphic. They were well handled, and made sense within the flow of the story. 

Conclusion:
I would rate it 9 stars out of 10 for enjoying it a lot but not adoring it to the point of incoherent squealing.  I do not recommend it for anyone under sixteen due to violence and sexual content. 

All in all, it was easy to see why this is the most well known Chinese movie in the Western Hemisphere.  If you’re looking for classic wuxia with good acting, fighting and cinematography, I recommend Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.