House of Flying Daggers
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Movie Reviews of House of Flying Daggers
Movie Review: A Kaleidoscope of Colors in Wonderful Love Story...
Summary: 5 Stars
The House of Flying Daggers is a "cloak and dagger" organization that rejects the current leadership of the country as they struggle to remove the current leader. This organization finds support through the small communities as they rob the rich and give large sums to the needy. These attacks have been rather interruptive for the Tang Dynasty, which has led the Tang Dynasty to set out to kill the leader. However, the House of Flying Daggers has rebounded and found themselves a new leader, and now the Tang's want to eliminate the new leader of the "cloak and dagger" organization.
The police officers, Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Leo (Andy Lau), in a small province of China having found leads that indicate that a new woman in the local brothel works for the House of Flying Daggers. Jin and Leo infiltrate the brothel and quickly draw out the suspected member of the House of Flying Daggers, but to their astonishment she appears to be blind. This happens to be a big break for the two police officers as Jin recalls that the former leader of the House of Flying Daggers had a daughter that was blind. The two officers decide to capitalize on the situation as they find a way to free her, which they hope will lead them to the leader of the House of Flying Daggers.
Jin begins to work undercover as a free spirited traveler that breaks into the prison in order to help free the blind girl, Mei (Zhang Ziyi). Together Jin and Mei escape the jail to begin on their journey north to the House of Daggers. What Jin does not expect is that he would fall in love with the blind Mei, which leads the story into a new adventure as the General has sent out more troops to follow Jin and Mei. This love story becomes more complicated as Jin struggles with his deceit towards Mei as he tries to uncover the identity of the leader of House of the Flying Daggers.
Initially, the story seems to be a clever love story with deceit and war in the backdrop. However, as the story unfolds the audience soon realizes that things are not always as they seem. The political undercurrents play a larger role in the story as one wants to believe and film becomes intentionally more complex. The complexity of the tale lends support the notion that love is not always as simple as falling in love, which is evident in the end of the film. This notion is also supported by the use of the brilliant cinematography, mise-en-scene, and the kaleidoscope of colors. In the end when all the aspects of film making are put together the audience will has experienced a terrific cinematic experience that will provide a little of everything including much to reflect upon.
Movie Review: What is the depth of beauty?
Summary: 5 Stars
What a stunning film this is--House of Flying Daggers. There is a beauty so deep, the viewer is mesmerized: characters/actors who play them, scenery/setting, astonishing martial arts movements unlike what the viewer finds in other movies, costumes, the use of colors and light. Director Zhang Yimou assembles the parts to create a whole, a film so deep in beauty that the viewer's focus is a totality in that frame. My breath was whooshed away!
The two leads, Ziyi Zhang--she with the delicate face in a powerfully controlled yet delicate body, and Takeshi Kaneshiro--he with his masculine beauty and graceful arrogance, play off each other with consummate skill as actors and martial artists. The third in this inevitable fate-must-play-out film is Andy Lau, a man's man who plays his control until the last second when his passion must out. Watching the interplay of these three give-and-take, back-and-forth is so unsettling. The casting is perfect!
The framework for the film is the House of Flying Daggers, a group of female martial artists, who oppose the corrupt Tang government and seek to embarrass it when necessary and opportune. Although this secretive group is the raison d'etre for the story, it is the story of the three characters who absorb our interest. And what is obvious becomes the source of secrets. With the necessity of secret organizations comes the well spring of secrets--one by one, several times, always keeping the viewer a little more off-balance.
In a time of corruption, the unusual becomes the norm. Soldiers walking the trees in battle becomes common rather than a seemingly magical skill exerted by only a special few. Every person is a remarkable handler of martial arts instruments. Everyone fights equally well. Who is to win?
The final conflict is played out across a meadow in a snowstorm. White has been described in literature as representative of "the inscrutable cosmic mystery." Why these people? Why this battle? Why this ending?
I think perhaps I love this film as much as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" for that mystical element that is part of Asian films (in my limited experience), the Taoist belief in accepting things for the way they are and if challenging this, falling subject to one's fate anyway. The film then reflects both the Greek dramatic belief of the inevitability of fate and the Shakespearian technique of mistaken and double identities. "House of Flying Daggers" is a beautiful cinematic experience--mesmerizing, stunning, powerful.
Movie Review: "I warn you, don't fall for her"
Summary: 5 Stars
Set in the ninth century in China, this film brings to life a fascinating culture through its impeccable presentation of settings, customs and a storyline that will be hard to forget. At the time in question, the Tang dynasty is in decline due to an incompetent emperor and a corrupt government. This has led to several alliances being formed, with one of them leading the pack. The House of Flying Daggers is a group that acts as a kind of Robin Hood, stealing for the corrupt and powerful to give to the poor; as a result, people love them. Of course, the "police" are being pressed hard to bring their leader to justice, dead or alive, event which is likely to damage the House beyond repair.
After quickly presenting the basic premise, the movie jumps right into the action, and we see a young police officer trying to infiltrate the House of Flying Daggers by establishing a bond of trust with a showgirl that is suspected to be part of the group. This young woman, Mei, is blind but shows unbelievable powers for perceiving what happens around her. Jin is the man in charge of seducing her and earning her trust in order to uncover the organization, but right from the start we get a clear sense that his poise and determination are going to be seriously tested. The question then becomes: Will Jin be able to follow his mission without detours or is he going to fall in love with Mei and desist from his goal?
The way in which Jin gained Mei's trust was by helping her escape from the police, so their journey is filled with dangers as they are being chased by skilled and deadly men. Therefore, we get to see numerous exciting fight scenes, much in the style of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", but with improved special effects, where the movement of the characters is a lot smoother. In between the action scenes we have time for romance and pretty good acting from both Kaneshiro and Zhang. I especially liked the way in which Yimou Zhang (director) paced the film in these romantic scenes, allowing us a glimpse into the characters' souls. When you throw on top of this the beautiful settings, and the turns and twists of the plot that will give you guessing all the way to the end, the rating for this movie cannot be other than excellent. Even if you don't like the story or other aspects of this movie, the scene showing the echo game makes this movie worth watching. My recommendation is that if you are only going to watch one action film this year, this should be it!
Movie Review: Splendid Chinese romance one of year's best films
Summary: 5 Stars
Zhang Yimou's "House of Flying Daggers" is among the esteemed Chinese director's best films, though artistically not quite reaching the high standards he set for "Raise the Red Lantern" and "Sorghum" (but to his credit, Zhang Yimou comes quite close), which featured his then favorite leading lady Gong Li. Now he's found yet another in the brilliant young actress Zhang Ziyi, whose exceptional performance lies at the heart of this film. Fellow cast members Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro are also superb in their roles, even if they are overshadowed occasionally by Zhang Ziyi. Stylistically, "House of Flying Daggers" is most reminiscent of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (which included Zhang Ziyi in its cast), with its ample doses of martial arts, but lacks the latter's spiritual side, while offering instead an ill-fated lovers saga worthy of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". The cinematography is absolutely first-rate, replete with exquisitely beautiful scenes of the Chinese countryside (but photographed primarily elsewhere, thousands of miles away from China, in the heart of Eurasia).
In A. D. 869, the corrupt Tang Dynasty is near its end, having lost the "Mandate of Heaven" to rule effectively the Chinese empire because of widespread corruption and dismal imperial leadership. Numerous plots and rebellions are being organized against it, of which one of the most notable is led by the House of Flying Daggers, a secret martial art society dedicated to robbing the rich and giving their wealth to the poor. In a remote central Chinese province, two police officers, Leo (Andy Lau) and Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) suspect the blind daughter of the late leader of the House of Flying Daggars is living now at a nearby brothel, the Peony Pavillion. Jin investigates and finds Mei, the blind girl (Zhang Ziyi), performing as a dancer and martial arts expert. In a richly woven texture of plot turns and twists, the film remains focused on Mei and her budding relationship with Jin, as the two would-be lovers flee across the countryside towards the House of Flying Daggers.
This was one of the most enjoyable films I have seen so far this year. To his credit Zhang Yimou deftly fuses romance with some of the finest martial arts sequences I have seen. "House of Flying Daggers" ranks highly amongst my top ten list for the best films of 2004. Fans of Zhang Yimou, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, and especially, Zhang Ziyi, will not be disappointed with this film.
Movie Review: A Breathtaking Knockout of a Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Yimou Zhang loves to indulge color and hues in his films but in "Daggers" his indulgence at first hampers him. The gears of the plot start off sluggish as Yimou seems more interested in indulging color than character, though one can hardly complain at Zhao Xioding's jaw-dropping cinematography. But if you are patient, "House of Flying Dagger" pays off sweet and satisfying dividends.
Though the title insinuates a series dazzling fight sequences, "House of Flying Daggers," Zhang's enthralling follow-up to "Hero," is in fact a love story. A triangle between two brothers-in-arms who do not the truth behind one another and a woman equal parts cold cunning and passionate heart. Their faux-tragic tale is the emotional core of the film, giving it narrative drive and earthy dramatics. The film opens as two army captains (asian superstars Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro) learn that the blind daughter of a slain insurgent leader (Ziyi Zhang) is hiding out at a local brothel. Quickly concocting a plan, the two decide to let the woman lead them the new lead of the Flying Daggers and give them a chance to kill him. But nothing is certain between these three warriors, and Yimou Zhang and his screenwriting team send the surprises coming in the film's final third and to give away anymore would be to spoil the emotional gravitas.
And the actors do Yimou proud. Andy Lau packs his role with a muscular soulfulness, wheather he is wielding a mean sword or gazing longingly into the camera. Takeshi Kaneshiro peels back the layers of his playboy captain, revealing a heart yearning for meaning and love. But the real star of the film is Ziyi Zhang, a radiant force of nature that ignites the screen with charisma and soulful feeling. And all three prove their mettle in the film's eye-popping martial arts action.
Yimou, already known for staging breath-taking action sequences, pulls out some truly show-stopping numbers throughout "Daggers." Be it a martial arts marvel in an open field, a skirmish in the woods or an elevated battle in a bamboo forest, Yimou consistenly finds a balance between beauty and kinetic punch in one intensely choreographed battle after another. In modern film, it's hard to find a film that deftly balances action, drama and visual theatrics with a earnest heart. But Zhang Yimou and his gifted cast and crew do it, and do it spectacularly. You may not see another film like this one for a very long time.