Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

This is the first Chinese film that we saw during this semester, directed by Ang Lee, a very famous ‘Chinese’ director. Regarding this Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (in Chinese, ‘卧虎藏龙’), although I have heard about for quite a long time, I didn’t go to see this on my own. Martial arts film isn’t my favourite dish, only some of that I prefer such as Ip Man. Even Ang Lee, I only know that he is a Chinese, and famous director rewarded The Oscar. This Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is the first film, directed by Ang Lee, which I saw.

Overall, when I sited out this film, I don’t know the feeling that I got from this film. I don’t feel surprised and amazing, or cheering for the rewarded film. Confused, jumbled for me to understand that why this film can be rewarded by the Academy Award? I don’t understand the tittle Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon means what? Simply speaking, this story is about an adolescent rebellious girl, who was born in a traditional and wealthy family, studied Kungfu since she was a child. She is very looking forward to escape from her traditional family, having a free life. But for the free life that she expects, she lost many things.

Saying something that I did enjoy and prefer, the screen of the fighting in bamboo grove is very excellent, plus the music of this film. These two are fame follows merit. For others, like the storyline or the deeper emotion/ideology, the only reason that I can figure out for the question I asked before that why this film can be rewarded by The Oscar, is this film is totally western film audiences’ dish. A western soul covered by Chinese shuck, a little bit like Ang Lee.

reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXIJv1NoXmo

We know that Ang Lee was born in Taiwan, but he lived overseas, in U.S., for quite a long time. In other words, he is been already influenced by western culture, or educated in western ways. Ang Lee himself is a product of globalization, he is very transnational and international. Whereas the director is very transnational and international, it’s no doubt that the film is very international and transnational. Moreover, it’s no doubt that I can’t completely and totally understand the theme and content that Ang Lee added in the film.

For example, in lecture and class, we talked about that this film is about two pairs of lovers, and these two pairs of lovers are totally different. One more important content, feminist, which I really didn’t get from this film by myself until we talked it in lecture. Oh there is one content that I miss, the teacher – student relationship. Firstly, regrading to lovers this content, just my personal comment, Ang Lee puts too much time to describe Jen Yu (玉娇龙) and Lo “Dark Cloud” (罗小虎), especially the period that they were in the deserts. I think Ang Lee probably wants to describe their romantic and unusual love story, but what’s about the other pair of lover, Li Mu Bai (李慕白) and Yu Shu Lien (俞秀莲). The way that Ang Lee used to express love, as a Chinese, personally think that it’s not the general and common in mainly Chinese group.

All in All, I can’t totally understand and analyse the deeper theme that comes out in this film, forgive me.

In week five, we saw the film ‘Hero’, directed by Zhang Yimou, a story about a swordsman assassinate the king of Qin Empire. This story, and the theme that director Zhang yimou puts in the film, are very clear to be understood by me. Also I have to say, I like ‘Hero’ more than ‘Couching Tiger Hidden Dragon’.

Some common and general theme in ‘Hero’, I don’t want to talk anymore. There are two aspects I’d like to say, one is the feminist theme, the other one is colour. To be honest, I actually didn’t notice the feminist theme, just like the moment I saw the ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’. I don’t think this is a very clear theme, at least I can’t see.

On the other hand, how to use colour in this film, to affect atmosphere and express meanings, is a very worthy and interesting aspects. Black, white, red, green, and kohlrabi. For example, the army of King Empire attack the Zhao Kingdom by millions and millions arrows, those people of Zhao Kingdom, the room, are all in red. Here, red means not only the deadly blood, also the unyielding soul.

Colour is a global languages, almost all the audiences can understand it. Although there are possible existing more uncommon understanding of colour.

Simply speaking, personally believe that the ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’ is more transnational on the theme and intension, while the ‘Hero’ is more transnational on expression of film.