Based on Chinese myths that bear many similarities to the lore of the American Wild West, Crouching Tiger is decidedly Chinese in many respects -- for example, the shen gong "superpowers" that allow men and women to fly through the air, and oh yeah, it's in Mandarin with subtitles -- yet also incorporates some of the touchstones of Westerns, from a "saloon" fight to the "gunslinger" who wants to retire but gets pulled back into his old life (parts of the Chinese desert even look like South Dakota's Badlands). The fight scenes are indescribable -- exhilarating, gravity-defying displays of martial arts (a pale version of which was seen in The Matrix, which had the same fight choreographer, Wo Ping Yuen). People soar in a fabulous way that caused much of the audience to giggle, but which has a long tradition in Chinese literature (December's Premiere magazine has a terrific article on the movie that explains much of the mythology). If you let it, it will amaze, not just amuse, you. Even the earthbound fighting is superlative, a dizzying ballet of whirling arms, legs, and weapons. I love that the women fight the men on equal terms; in fact, the best fights are the ones between the two main female characters.
Lee has a marvelous sense of framing a shot and using the wide screen to its fullest potential. This is definitely a movie you will want to see in the theater, not panned-and-scanned on video. It's got an epic feel, despite being a rather intimate story about two couples. The scenery is stunning, from the vast empty spaces of the desert to a dense, waving bamboo forest. Equally gorgeous are the actors. Michelle Yeoh is not only beautiful; she's also one hell of a fighter. She's matched here by Zhang Zi Yi as a delicate-looking girl who turns out to be an accomplished martial artist. Chow Yun Fat, elegant and dignified, is Yeoh's love interest in a relationship quietly tinged with melancholy and regret. The younger couple, Zhang and the roguishly charming, funny Chang Chen, are boisterous and fiery.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an art film that will make you cheer and an action film that will make you weep. It reminds me of the heights to which cinema can aspire. It's one of the few movies that demands repeat viewings. And it's the best movie I've seen this year.
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