Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ★★★½ 2000

Two veteran Wudan fighters (Yun-Fat and Yeoh) in 19th-century China recognize their passion for each other while tracking down a vengeful master criminal (Pei-Pei) and her protege (the exciting Ziyi). A martial arts love story that satisfies on both accounts. The emotional impact of the romance is as real and true as the choreographed fight scenes are spectacular and graceful. The film's overt feminism flies (literally) in the face of its patriarchal setting, yet doesn't seem a bit out of place. The extraordinary battle scenes were choreographed by Yuen Wo-Ping, who performed the same duties for “The Matrix.” Mandarin with subtitles. 120m/C VHS, DVD, UMD . Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Cheng Pei-Pei, Sihung Lung; D: Ang Lee; W: James Schamus, Wang Hui Ling, Tsai Kuo Jung; C: Peter Pau; M: Tan Dun. Oscars '00: Art Dir./Set Dec., Cinematog., Foreign Film, Orig. Score; Australian Film Inst. '01: Foreign Film; British Acad. '00: Director (Lee), Foreign Film, Score; Directors Guild '00: Director (Lee); Golden Globes '01: Director (Lee), Foreign Film; Ind. Spirit '01: Director (Lee), Film, Support. Actress (Ziyi); L.A. Film Critics '00: Cinematog., Film, Score; Natl. Bd. of Review '00: Foreign Film; N.Y. Film Critics '00: Cinematog.; Broadcast Film Critics '00: Foreign Film.