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Ang Lee’s gorgeous 2000 masterpiece has awe-inspiring martial arts stunts and a tragic love story for the ages.
Credit: Sony Pictures Classics
It’s Valentine’s Day, and while there are plenty of classic and current rom-coms out there for those wishing to immerse themselves in warm and fuzzy feelings, we’re opting to celebrate in a different way: honoring Ang Lee’s 2000 masterpiece Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, a wuxia tragic fairy tale featuring one of the most beautifully heartbreaking love stories in film at its center. It’s also got stunning cinematography and tons of awe-inspiring martial arts sequences, which makes it my personal perfect date night movie.
(Spoilers below, but we will give you a heads up before the major reveals.)
The film is adapted from a 1940s novel by Wang Dulu and is set sometime during the Qing dynasty, which lasted from 1644 through 1912. (No specific date is given.) The title is a direct translation of a line from a 6th century Chinese poem: “behind the rock in the dark probably hides a tiger, and the coiling giant root resembles a crouching dragon.” It’s generally interpreted as a description of legendary martial arts masters living un-noticed and/or hiding in plain sight—until someone picks a fight, that is. And some of those hidden masters are women.
Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) is a master Wudang swordsman who has long loved his warrior friend Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), and vice versa. But they hide their true feelings out of respect for Shu Lien’s long-deceased former fiance—who just happened to be Mu Bai’s best friend. It’s an honor code thing and warriors are serious about their honor. Mu Bai has retired as a swordsman and gifts his fabled jian sword (“Green Destiny”) to his patron, Sir Te (Lang Sihung). Also visiting Sir Te that day are Governor Yu (Li Fazeng) and his recently engaged daughter Yu Jiaolong (Zhang Ziiyi), aka Jen.
Then a masked thief sneaks onto the estate and steals Green Destiny. Shu Lien, who heads her own private security company, gives chase across the compound’s rooftops, but the thief escapes. Shu Lien figures out that the thief is linked to Governor Yu’s household and believes Jen’s governess (Cheng Pei-pei) is actually the infamous Jade Fox, a female warrior who poisoned Mu Bai’s beloved teacher years before. During a nighttime showdown, Mu Bai defeats Jade Fox—until the masked thief reappears to defend her.
That thief turns out to be Jen, who has secretly been studying martial arts. And Jen’s really not keen on her upcoming arranged marriage because she has fallen in love with a bandit named Lo “Dark Cloud” Xiao Hou (Chang Chen). They are the symbolic tiger and dragon, with Lo as the unchanging yin (tiger) and Jen as the dynamic yang (the hidden dragon).
(WARNING: Major spoilers below. Stop reading now if you haven’t seen the entire film.)
Longtime friends Mu Bai (Chow Yan-Fat) and Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) have refrained from declaring their love out of respect for Shu Lien’s late fiancé. Sony Pictures Classics
Young lovers Lo (Chang Chen) and Jen (Zhang Ziyi) Sony Pictures Classics
Jen is revealed as a hidden martial arts master Sony Pictures Classics
Young lovers Lo (Chang Chen) and Jen (Zhang Ziyi) Sony Pictures Classics
Jen is revealed as a hidden martial arts master Sony Pictures Classics
There are multiple clashes between our main characters, most notably Jen battling Shu Lien, and a famous sequence where Mu Bai pursues Jen across the treetops of a bamboo forest, deftly balancing on the swaying branches and easily evading Jen’s increasingly undisciplined sword thrusts. It’s truly impressive wire work (all the actors performed their own stunts), in fine wuxia tradition. Jen is gifted, but arrogant and defiant, refusing Mu Bai’s offer of mentorship; she thinks with Green Destiny she will be invincible and has nothing more to learn. Ah, the arrogance of youth.
Eventually, Jen is betrayed by her former teacher, Jade Fox, who is bitter because Jen has surpassed her skills—mostly because Jade Fox is illiterate and had to rely on a stolen manual’s diagrams, while the literate Jen could read the text yet did not share those insights with her teacher. Jade Fox is keeping her drugged in a cave, intending to poison her, when Mu Bai and Shu Lien come to the rescue. In the ensuing battle, Mu Bai is struck by one of Jade Fox’s poison darts. Jen rushes off to bring back the antidote, but arrives too late. Mu Bai dies in Shu Lien’s arms, as the two finally confess how much they love each other.
(sniff) Sorry, something in my eye. Anyway, the ever-gracious Shu Lien forgives the young woman and tells her to be true to herself, and to join Lo on Mount Wudang. But things don’t end well for our young lovers either. After spending the night together, Lo finds Jen standing on a bridge at the edge of the mountain. Legend has it that a man once made a wish and jumped off the mountain. His heart was pure so his wish was granted and he flew away unharmed, never to be seen again. Jen asks Lo to make a wish before swan-diving into the mist-filled chasm. Was her heart pure? Did Lo get his wish for them to back in the desert, happily living as renegades? Or did she plunge to her death? We will never know. Jen is now part of the legend.
There are thematic layers upon layers in Lee’s film, but front and center are the three female characters and their individual struggles to reconcile their true selves with traditionally rigid Chinese gender roles. Jade Fox chose bitterness and dishonorable revenge: poison is deemed a coward’s weapon, and she herself is spiritually poisoned because of her choice. Jen is heading in a similar direction, with Mu Bai warning against her becoming a “poison dragon.” Guilt-ridden by her role in Mu Bai’s death, she chooses sacrificial oblivion instead. Only Shu Lien has made her peace and found a way to thrive within her cultural tradition—but choosing that path deprives her of the loving husband and family she might have had with Mu Bai.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is pretty much flawless, striking a delicate balance between the aesthetics of the East and the West. It’s one of those rare films to enjoy box office success—it’s the highest grossing foreign produced film in US history—and widespread critical acclaim, receiving ten Oscar nominations and winning four. There was a 2016 sequel with a largely new cast, Sword of Destiny, directed by Yuen Wo-ping, who choreographed the action sequences for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But without Lee’s singular vision, the sequel never reached the aesthetic heights of its predecessor. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is now justly considered among the greatest films of the 21st century. If you haven’t seen it, it’s well worth your time.
Credit: Sony Pictures Classics
It’s Valentine’s Day, and while there are plenty of classic and current rom-coms out there for those wishing to immerse themselves in warm and fuzzy feelings, we’re opting to celebrate in a different way: honoring Ang Lee’s 2000 masterpiece Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, a wuxia tragic fairy tale featuring one of the most beautifully heartbreaking love stories in film at its center. It’s also got stunning cinematography and tons of awe-inspiring martial arts sequences, which makes it my personal perfect date night movie.
(Spoilers below, but we will give you a heads up before the major reveals.)
The film is adapted from a 1940s novel by Wang Dulu and is set sometime during the Qing dynasty, which lasted from 1644 through 1912. (No specific date is given.) The title is a direct translation of a line from a 6th century Chinese poem: “behind the rock in the dark probably hides a tiger, and the coiling giant root resembles a crouching dragon.” It’s generally interpreted as a description of legendary martial arts masters living un-noticed and/or hiding in plain sight—until someone picks a fight, that is. And some of those hidden masters are women.
Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) is a master Wudang swordsman who has long loved his warrior friend Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), and vice versa. But they hide their true feelings out of respect for Shu Lien’s long-deceased former fiance—who just happened to be Mu Bai’s best friend. It’s an honor code thing and warriors are serious about their honor. Mu Bai has retired as a swordsman and gifts his fabled jian sword (“Green Destiny”) to his patron, Sir Te (Lang Sihung). Also visiting Sir Te that day are Governor Yu (Li Fazeng) and his recently engaged daughter Yu Jiaolong (Zhang Ziiyi), aka Jen.
Then a masked thief sneaks onto the estate and steals Green Destiny. Shu Lien, who heads her own private security company, gives chase across the compound’s rooftops, but the thief escapes. Shu Lien figures out that the thief is linked to Governor Yu’s household and believes Jen’s governess (Cheng Pei-pei) is actually the infamous Jade Fox, a female warrior who poisoned Mu Bai’s beloved teacher years before. During a nighttime showdown, Mu Bai defeats Jade Fox—until the masked thief reappears to defend her.
That thief turns out to be Jen, who has secretly been studying martial arts. And Jen’s really not keen on her upcoming arranged marriage because she has fallen in love with a bandit named Lo “Dark Cloud” Xiao Hou (Chang Chen). They are the symbolic tiger and dragon, with Lo as the unchanging yin (tiger) and Jen as the dynamic yang (the hidden dragon).
(WARNING: Major spoilers below. Stop reading now if you haven’t seen the entire film.)
Longtime friends Mu Bai (Chow Yan-Fat) and Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) have refrained from declaring their love out of respect for Shu Lien’s late fiancé. Sony Pictures Classics
Young lovers Lo (Chang Chen) and Jen (Zhang Ziyi) Sony Pictures Classics
Jen is revealed as a hidden martial arts master Sony Pictures Classics
Young lovers Lo (Chang Chen) and Jen (Zhang Ziyi) Sony Pictures Classics
Jen is revealed as a hidden martial arts master Sony Pictures Classics
There are multiple clashes between our main characters, most notably Jen battling Shu Lien, and a famous sequence where Mu Bai pursues Jen across the treetops of a bamboo forest, deftly balancing on the swaying branches and easily evading Jen’s increasingly undisciplined sword thrusts. It’s truly impressive wire work (all the actors performed their own stunts), in fine wuxia tradition. Jen is gifted, but arrogant and defiant, refusing Mu Bai’s offer of mentorship; she thinks with Green Destiny she will be invincible and has nothing more to learn. Ah, the arrogance of youth.
Eventually, Jen is betrayed by her former teacher, Jade Fox, who is bitter because Jen has surpassed her skills—mostly because Jade Fox is illiterate and had to rely on a stolen manual’s diagrams, while the literate Jen could read the text yet did not share those insights with her teacher. Jade Fox is keeping her drugged in a cave, intending to poison her, when Mu Bai and Shu Lien come to the rescue. In the ensuing battle, Mu Bai is struck by one of Jade Fox’s poison darts. Jen rushes off to bring back the antidote, but arrives too late. Mu Bai dies in Shu Lien’s arms, as the two finally confess how much they love each other.
(sniff) Sorry, something in my eye. Anyway, the ever-gracious Shu Lien forgives the young woman and tells her to be true to herself, and to join Lo on Mount Wudang. But things don’t end well for our young lovers either. After spending the night together, Lo finds Jen standing on a bridge at the edge of the mountain. Legend has it that a man once made a wish and jumped off the mountain. His heart was pure so his wish was granted and he flew away unharmed, never to be seen again. Jen asks Lo to make a wish before swan-diving into the mist-filled chasm. Was her heart pure? Did Lo get his wish for them to back in the desert, happily living as renegades? Or did she plunge to her death? We will never know. Jen is now part of the legend.
There are thematic layers upon layers in Lee’s film, but front and center are the three female characters and their individual struggles to reconcile their true selves with traditionally rigid Chinese gender roles. Jade Fox chose bitterness and dishonorable revenge: poison is deemed a coward’s weapon, and she herself is spiritually poisoned because of her choice. Jen is heading in a similar direction, with Mu Bai warning against her becoming a “poison dragon.” Guilt-ridden by her role in Mu Bai’s death, she chooses sacrificial oblivion instead. Only Shu Lien has made her peace and found a way to thrive within her cultural tradition—but choosing that path deprives her of the loving husband and family she might have had with Mu Bai.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is pretty much flawless, striking a delicate balance between the aesthetics of the East and the West. It’s one of those rare films to enjoy box office success—it’s the highest grossing foreign produced film in US history—and widespread critical acclaim, receiving ten Oscar nominations and winning four. There was a 2016 sequel with a largely new cast, Sword of Destiny, directed by Yuen Wo-ping, who choreographed the action sequences for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But without Lee’s singular vision, the sequel never reached the aesthetic heights of its predecessor. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is now justly considered among the greatest films of the 21st century. If you haven’t seen it, it’s well worth your time.
