Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - (film)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an Academy Award winning Chinese-language film in the wuxia (chivalric and martial arts) style, released in 2000. A China-Hong Kong-Taiwan-United States co-production, the film was directed by Ang Lee and featured an international cast of ethnic Chinese actors, including Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen. The movie was based on the fourth novel in a pentalogy, known in China as the Crane-Iron Pentalogy, by Wang Dulu. The martial arts and action sequences were choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping.
The title Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon derives from a Chinese idiom that describes a location where everyone conceals their strengths from the others to preserve the element of surprise. It also references two of the characters: Jen's Mandarin name, Jiao Lóng, means "pampered dragon", and Lo's name Xiao Hu means "little tiger".
Made on a mere US$15 million budget, with dialogue in Mandarin, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became a surprise international success. It grossed US$128 million in the United States alone, becoming the highest-grossing foreign-language film in American history. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and three other Academy Awards, and was nominated for six other Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Cast
Yun-Fat Chow - Master Li Mu Bai (as
Chow Yun Fat)
Michelle Yeoh - Yu Shu Lien
Ziyi Zhang - Jen Yu (Mandarin version) / Jiao Long (English dubbed version) (as
Zhang Ziyi)
Chen Chang - Lo 'Dark Cloud' / Luo Xiao Hu
Sihung Lung -
Sir Te
Pei-pei Cheng - Jade Fox
Fa Zeng Li - Governor Yu
Xian Gao
- Bo
Yan Hai - Madame Yu
De Ming Wang - Police Inspector Tsai / Prefect
Cai Qiu
Li Li - May (as Li Li)
Su Ying Huang - Auntie Wu
Jin Ting
Zhang - De Lu
Rei Yang - Maid
Kai Li - Gou Jun Pei
Jian Hua Feng
- Gou Jun Sinung
Zhen Xi Du - Shop Owner
Cheng Lin Xu - Captain
Feng Lin - Captain
Wen Sheng Wang - Gangster A
Dong Song - Gangster
B
Zhong Xuan Ma - Mi Biao
Bao Cheng Li - Fung Machete Chang
Yong
De Yang - Monk Jing
Shao Jun Zhang - Male Performer
Ning Ma - Female
Performer
Jian Min Zhu - Waiter
Chang Cheng Don - Homeless Man
Yi Shih - Waitress
Bin Chen - Servant
Sao Chen Chang - Nightman
Awards
Won
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards: Top Box Office Films (Tan Dun)
Academy Awards:
Best Foreign Language Film (Taiwan)
Best Cinematography
(Peter Pau)
Best Music, Original Score (Tan Dun)
Best Art Direction-Set
Decoration (Timmy Yip [art director])
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy
& Horror Films ("Saturn Award"): Best Action/Adventure/Thriller
Film
Australian Film Institute: Best Foreign Film
BAFTA Awards:
David
Lean Award for Direction (Ang Lee)
Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music (Tan
Dun)
Best Costume Design (Timmy Yip)
Bergen International Film Festival:
Audience Award (Ang Lee)
Bodil Awards: Best Non-American Film
Bogey Awards
(Germany): Bogey Award
Boston Society of Film Critics: Best Foreign Language
Film, Best Cinematography (Peter Pau)
Broadcast Film Critics Association:
Best Foreign Language Film
Chicago Film Critics Association: Best Foreign
Language Film, Best Cinematography (Peter Pau), Best Original Score (Tan Dun)
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association: Best Foreign Film, Best Cinematography
(Peter Pau)
Directors Guild of America: Outstanding Directorial Achievement
in Motion Pictures (Ang Lee)
Film Critics Circle of Australia: Best Foreign
Language Film
Flanders International Film Festival (Belgium): Georges Delerue
Prize (Tan Dun)
Florida Film Critics Circle: Best Foreign Language Film, Best
Cinematography (Peter Pau)
Golden Bauhinia Awards (Hong Kong): Best Picture,
Best Supporting Actress (Ziyi Zhang), Golden Bauhinia - Best Director (Ang Lee)
Golden Globe Awards:
Best Foreign Language Film (Taiwan)
Best Director
- Motion Picture (Ang Lee)
Golden Horse Film Festival (Taiwan): Best Picture
(Ang Lee), Best Action Direction (Woo-ping Yuen), Best Editing (Tim Squyres),
Best Sound Effects (Eugene Gearty), Best Visual Effects (Leo Lo and Rob Hodgson)
Golden Trailer Awards: Best Art and Commerce (for the trailer), Best Romance
(for the trailer)
Grammy Awards:
Best Score Soundtrack Album For A Motion
Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media (Tan Dun)
Hong Kong Film Awards:
Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Pei-pei Cheng), Best Director (Ang Lee),
Best Cinematography (Peter Pau), Best Original Film Score (Tan Dun), Best Original
Film Song (CoCo Lee [performer]), Best Action Choreography (Woo-ping Yuen), Best
Sound Design (Eugene Gearty)
Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards: Special
Achievement Award (Woo-ping Yuen)
Hugo Awards: Best Dramatic Presentation
Independent Spirit Awards: Best Feature, Best Supporting Female (Ziyi Zhang),
Best Director (Ang Lee)
Kansas City Film Critics Circle: Best Foreign Language
Film
London Film Critics Circle: Best Foreign Language Film
Los Angeles
Film Critics Association: Best Picture, Best Cinematography (Peter Pau), Best
Music Score (Tan Dun), Best Production Design (Timmy Yip)
MTV Movie Awards:
Best Fight (Ziyi Zhang vs. entire bar)
Motion Picture Sound Editors ("Golden
Reel Award"): Best Sound Editing - Dialogue & ADR, Domestic Feature Film
National Board of Review: Best Foreign Language Film
New York Film Critics
Circle: Best Cinematographer (Peter Pau)
Online Film Critics Society: Best
Foreign Language Film, Best Cinematography (Peter Pau)
Robert Festival (Denmark):
Best Non-American Film
Satellite Awards: Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America: Best Script
Southeastern
Film Critics Association: Best Foreign Language Film
Toronto Film Critics
Association: Best Picture, Best Supporting Performance - Female (Ziyi Zhang)
Toronto
International Film Festival: People's Choice Award (Ang Lee)
Young Artist
Awards: Best Young Actress in an International Film (Ziyi Zhang)
[edit]
Nominations
Academy Awards:[3]
Best Picture (Murphy)
Best Director
(Ang Lee)
Best Adapted Screenplay (Hui-Ling Wang, James Schamus and Kuo Jung
Tsai)
Best Costume Design (Timmy Yip)
Best Editing (Tim Squyres)
Best
Original Song (Jorge Calandrelli, Tan Dun [composers] and James Schamus [lyricist])
- for the song "A Love Before Time"
Academy of Science Fiction,
Fantasy & Horror Films ("Saturn Award"): Best Actor (Yun-Fat Chow),
Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh), Best Supporting Actress (Ziyi Zhang), Best Director
(Ang Lee), Best Writing (Hui-Ling Wang, James Schamus and Kuo Jung Tsai), Best
Music (Tan Dun and Yo-Yo Ma), Best Costumes (Timmy Yip)
Amanda Awards (Norway):
Best Foreign Feature Film
American Cinema Editors ("Eddie Award"):
Best Edited Feature Film - Dramatic (Tim Squyres)
American Society of Cinematographers:
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases
Art Directors
Guild: Excellence in Production Design Award Feature Film - Period or Fantasy
Films
BAFTA Awards:
Best Film
Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh)
Best
Supporting Actress (Ziyi Zhang)
Best Screenplay - Adapted (James Schamus,
Hui-Ling Wang and Kuo Jung Tsai)
Best Cinematography (Peter Pau)
Best
Editing (Tim Squyres)
Best Sound (Drew Kunin, Reilly Steele, Eugene Gearty
and Robert Fernandez)
Best Production Design (Timmy Yip)
Best Make Up/Hair
(Yun-Ling Man and Siu-Mui Chau)
Best Special Visual Effects (Rob Hodgson,
Leo Lo, Jonathan F. Styrlund, Bessie Cheuk and Travis Baumann)
Blockbuster
Entertainment Awards: Favorite Action Team [Internet Only] (Yun-Fat Chow and Michelle
Yeoh)
British Society of Cinematographers: Best Cinematography Award (Peter
Pau)
Broadcast Film Critics Association: Best Picture
Plot
The fictional story is set in the historic Qing Dynasty in China. The date of the story is during the 43rd year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (i.e. 1778).
The story follows two martial arts warriors, Li Mu-bai (Chow Yun-Fat) and Yu Shu-lien (Michelle Yeoh), the former now an accomplished swordsman for the Wudan school. Li surprises Yu with the revelation that he intends to give up Green Destiny, a legendary sword that has been in his keeping for many years. He explains that a revelation during a period of deep meditation has caused him to rethink his life. He requests Yu (A Master in Martial Arts), who has inherited a retinue of armed escorts from her father, to take Green Destiny to Sir Te, a long-time friend, for safekeeping in Beijing. In the meantime, Mu-bai intends to commemorate the death of his master, who was murdered long ago by Jade Fox, a woman seeking to learn the secrets of Wudan.
Mu-bai and Shu-lien are attracted to each another but have abstained from a relationship. They are constrained by commonplace propriety because Shu-lien was betrothed years ago to Mu-bai's "Brother in Oath", who was killed in battle. In their opening conversation of the film, Mu-bai's demeanor suggests that he is also rethinking his relationship with Shu-lien.
Once in Beijing, Shu-lien delivers the sword to Sir Te and meets Jen (Zhang Ziyi), who is the daughter of Governor Yu, a Manchu aristocrat visiting Sir Te on official business. Jen is destined for an arranged marriage, yet yearns for adventure instead of a life as a court wife. Jen is fascinated by Shu-lien's background as a fighter and develops an attachment to her.
One night, a masked thief sneaks onto Sir Te's property and steals the Green Destiny. The thief is pursued by guards and by Shu-lien, across rooftops, alleys, walls, houses, and various obstacles within and outside of Sir Te's enclosed estate . Amidst combat, and much to Shu-lien's surprise, she discovers that the thief is well-versed in martial arts and has apparently studied the Wudang school of martial arts, like Mu-bai. The thief and Shu-lien seem evenly matched, and the fight is only broken off when a mysterious figure shoots a dart at Shu-lien, which she catches just in time. Also in pursuit of the thief are Tsai (played by De Ming Wang, an undercover police inspector from Shaanxi province, and his daughter May, who are looking for Jade Fox.
Many of the clues from the theft point Mu-bai and Shu-lien in the direction of Governor Yu's compound. It transpires that Jen has been under the influence of Jade Fox, who has been hiding out for many years as her governess, while the Shaanxi authorities searched for her. Jade Fox challenges Inspector Tsai and May to a showdown, which ends with the death of Tsai and the arrival of Mu-bai. Mu-bai easily defeats Jade Fox, but is prevented from killing her by the masked thief, who displays a skill far greater than her mentor, with influence from Wudang. The thief and Jade Fox escape, and in a confrontation, Jade Fox realizes that the secrets of a Wudang manual that she stole have been hidden from her -- only Jen has understood their true meaning and has surpassed her in skill. Mu-bai catches the masked Jen attempting to return the Green Destiny, and after defeating her is moved to suggest that she become his apprentice. She refuses and escapes.
The dart that prevented Shu-Lien from capturing the masked Jen came from a man named Lo (played by Chang Chen), who returns one night and asks Jen to leave with him. In a flashback it is revealed that Lo is a desert bandit called Dark Cloud who long ago raided Jen's company of travelers in Xinjiang province. Lo stole Jen's comb. She raced after him and fought him to get it back, but Lo won. He kidnapped Jen and eventually they fell in love. When soldiers looked for them, Lo told Jen she should return to her family, but expressed his love for her. He concluded with the legend of a man who jumped off a cliff, but did not die. Instead, his wishes came true. Lo followed her to Beijing in an attempt to persuade her not to go through with her family's political marriage. Back in the present, Jen cannot bring herself to leave and tells him to go away and never return. Devastated, Lo complies, giving Jen's comb back before he goes. Next, Jen goes in a big procession to her wedding to her arranged husband, which is an elaborate ceremony. Lo reappears and tries to reach her but cannot get through her escort. Mu-bai and Shu-lien find him and tell him to wait at Wudang Shan, where they will tell Jen to go. The next day, it is found that Jen has run away.
Jen, headstrong in her skills and emboldened by her forbidden love for the desert bandit Lo, consequently does not accept Mu-bai as master, nor Shu-lien as a friend. Jen stands at a crossroads - she must choose either life as a court official's wife or a dangerous, hunted life with Lo. She also considers a rebellious (and romantic in her eyes) existence as either an outlaw under Jade Fox, or a somewhat more assured, but nonetheless unconventional, martial path with Mu-bai as a teacher.
After a violent and reckless fight in a local restaurant, Jen finds Shu-lie. They have a friendly conversation until Shu-lien tells her about her meeting with Lo. Jen is outraged, thinking Shu-Lien is setting her up. Shu-Lien, angry at the lack of gratitude, states that she already knew Jen was the thief, but covered it up for the sake of Jen's family. Subsequently the two of them fight and they seem to be an even match for each other; however Shu-lien later reveals that she "didn't had the heart" to kill Jen during that fight, suggesting that Shu-lien seemed to hold back much of her skill and experience in fighting when dealing with Jen. Mu-bai arrives at the scene, and pursues Jen into the forest. When Mu-bai reasserts that he wants to train Jen, she tells him that she will accept him as her master if he can take the Green Destiny sword from her in three moves. To Jen's surprise, Mu-bai moves swiftly and snatches the sword from her hand in a single movement. When Jen still refuses to become Mu-bai's pupil, he throws Green Destiny into a stream at a waterfall. Jen chases after the sword, but the temporarily shocked Mu-bai does not immediately pursue her, and when he does, arrives too late to prevent her rescue by a person later revealed to be Jade Fox.
Jade Fox brings Jen, who got the sword back, into a cavern where she is working on a weapon with poisoned needles. She drugs Jen into sleep, then leaves. Mu-bai finds Jen, and soon after Shu-Lien finds them both there. Jade Fox suddenly reappears, sending a barrage of poisoned needles at Jen, but Mu-bai blocks them all but one (which strikes him in the neck) with his sword. He avenges his master's death by mortally wounding Jade Fox, only to realize that he has been hit with a poisoned needle. Before dying, Jade Fox says Jen was her only family and also her only enemy for not telling her the secrets of the Wudang manual. Mu-bai realizes his death from the poison will come soon.
Jen knows that the poison is Purple Yin, the same poison that killed Li Mu-bai's master, a poison that spreads directly to the heart. Although Jen knows of a cure, it takes too long to prepare, and Mu-bai begins to take his last few breaths. Just before his death, Mu-bai professes his true feelings for Shu-lien. Shu-lien is heartbroken, and furious at Jen for spoiling her chance of happiness, but spares her and tells her that, no matter what path she chooses, she must always remain true to herself. Jen goes to Wudang mountain and spends one last night with Lo, who is waiting for her. The next morning, he wakes to see she is not with him and has left him her comb. He finds her standing on a balcony overlooking the edge of the mountain. In an echo of the legend that they spoke about in the desert, she asks him to make a wish. He complies, wishing them to be together back in the desert, and Jen leaps into the clouds below, leaving Lo behind.
Although the movie does not reveal whether Jen dies, the next novel in the Crane Iron Pentalogy, Iron Knight, Silver Vase, begins with Jen and Lo as a couple who have one son.
Animation
- Comedy - Crime
- Documentary
-
Family - Foreign
Language - Historical
- Horror - Musical
- Political
Recommended- Romance- Science Fiction and Fantasy - Sport Movies -- Thriller - War - Western - Wildlife
A map of where different US films & TV programmes blanket across the USA are
ZANADU - A FUN BASED SITE, WITH SOME FILM RELATED SECTIONS
Flight Las Vegas Nevada - Find a flight to Las Vegas
Cheap flights Beijing - Get your tickets here Fly to Beijing
Bank Interest Rates - A Website on Bank Interest Rates
Car Cheap Insurance - Get Cheap Car Insurance from here
Flights London - Want to fly to or Visit London get your Flight and Hotel place here
Get
your fave music here for your IPOD
Buy DVD Rent DVD Get your DVDs from here