Review of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) by Kacper W — 27 Jul 2018

This film is enchanting. Inspiring. Heart-wrenching. Beautiful.

First things first - the visuals. The cinematography is amazing. Every scene is gorgeous and vivid and full of history and fantasy. I found the outdoor scenes to be especially beautiful.

The fight choreography is also spectacular. The fights are seamless and exciting and you can almost feel the exertion of each strike through the screen. The battle between Yu Shu Lien and Jen Yu was my definitely my favorite.

The film score is also phenomenal. Every fight was punctuated, every meaningful moment accentuated.

The plot.

What a fantastic, multi-layered plot with many themes and ideas that can be applied in so many ways.

Li Mu Bai's struggle with feeling that everything he devoted his life to was meaningless. Jen Yu's yearning to be free, to follow her own path and her scorn of being tied down. Dark Cloud's search for meaning in a vast world. Yu Shu Lien's battle with love and duty.

Memorable characters portrayed by incredible actors and actresses.

Films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon do not come along often.