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Special
Report
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Asia Source
March 09, 2001
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is the most successful foreign
language film ever to reach America’s shores, grossing over
$60 million in U.S. theaters. Nominated for ten Academy
Awards, including Best Picture, Best Foreign Language Film
and Best Art Direction, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon might
mark the first time that an Asian film sweeps the Academy
Awards.
A poetic martial arts masterpiece, the film draws together
a star-studded cast from all over Asia, including Hong Kong
heartthrob Chow Yun-Fat, Malaysian martial arts veteran
Michelle Yeoh, and Chinese newcomer Zhang Ziyi. Centered
around a mystical sword called the Green Destiny, the film
is an artsy rendering of the classic battle between good
and evil, complete with steamy romantic interludes, threatening
desert bandits, and riveting fight scenes in which flying
warriors dance across treetops. Choreographed by Yuen Wo
Ping of Matrix fame, the fight scenes are notable not only
for their grace and ferociousness, but for the strength
and agility they grant the female characters, making them
some of the strongest female leads ever to grace the screen.
Director Ang Lee, previously known for sensitive dramas
like Sense and Sensibility and The Ice Storm, had always
dreamt about making a martial arts film and was intrigued
by the idea of using “this pop genre as a kind of research
instrument to explore the legacy of classical Chinese culture.”
Bringing together the romance of novels from the ninetenth
century and the action of martial arts film from the 1970s,
Lee’s main inspiration for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
was “a dream of… a China that probably never existed, except
in my boyhood fantasies in Taiwan.” The result is simply
exquisite.
Access a comprehensive collection of reviews
and articles, multimedia
resources, resources
on Taiwanese film, and links
including information on the March 25, 2001 Academy Awards
show.
Reviews and Articles
"Crouching
Tiger and the Chinese Way”
Christian Science Monitor China correspondent Robert Marquand
investigates why the film hasn’t been immensely popular
in China and places the film in the context of other martial
arts films.
"A
Gripping. Poetic Tale"
In this review, Paul Tatara of CNN.com writes, “this sweeping,
dream-like fable is a near-masterpiece, replete with marvelously
fanciful images and a touching love story.”
"Los
Angeles Critics Honor Crouching Tiger”
This China Daily article reports on Crouching Tiger winning
the Los Angeles Film Critics’ Award for Best Picture 2000.
"I
Thought I Was Going to Have a Stroke”
This exclusive TimeAsia.com interview with Ang Lee reveals
Lee’s greatest fears in making this movie. Also links to
interviews with stars Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, and Zhang
Ziyi.
"Martial
Masterpiece”
This Time Asia cover story follows the making of the movie
from the most difficult moment in filming to its highest
peak of critical acclaim.
"Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Salon Review”
The Salon review by Stephanie Zacharek calls the film “the
most kick-ass martial arts movie in years.”
"Fear
of Flying"
In this review Village Voice columnist Amy Taubin discusses
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s ability to cross genres
and audiences.
Multimedia Resources
Yahoo
Showtimes
Yahoo's search engine allows you to search for showtimes
at a theater near you.
E-cards
Official Crouching Tiger e-cards are beautifully animated
and communicate the mood of the film.
View
a clip
In this clip, newcomer Zhang Ziyi proves her fighting capablities
by walking on walls, flying through the air, and beating
up several men.
Photo
essay on the making of the film
This Time Asia behind-the-scenes photo essay documents the
massive effort that went into making this film, including
shots from the Gobi desert.
Production
notes
These insightful production notes include a statement by
Ang Lee in which he discusses his motivation for making
the film as well as the influence of Taoism in his work.
Resources on Taiwanese
film
Zine
on Fire
Zine on Fire offers in depth information on Asian action
films, including profiles and video clips of Crouching Tiger
stars Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-Fat.
Asian
Film Connections: Taiwan
The Taiwan page of Asian Film Connections lists every film
made in Taiwan in the past four years, links to reviews,
and a featured profile of Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao Hsien.
Chinese
Cinema
Here you can find thorough and extensive reviews and previews
on new releases and feature films from Hong Kong, Taiwan
and People's Republic of China, archived from 1995 to the
present.
Dianying.com
A very handy searchable database of movies made in mainland
China, Hong Kong and Taiwan dating back to the first Chinese
movie made in 1905. Database is also searchable by actors
and directors.
Links
CrouchingTiger.com
The official film site is as well produced as the movie,
featuring behind-the-scenes information on the film, video
clips of the choreography of the fight scenes, and fantastic
e-cards.
The
Academy Awards
The official website of the Academy Awards offers a complete
list of nominees, information on past winners, and a complete
video index of last year’s show.
Yahoo
movies
Yahoo’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon homepage includes
press clippings, film stills, and actors’ biographies.
About.com
The About.com page for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon includes
links, reviews, and a bulletin board.
CableJump.com
This kids’ culture site, written by kids, for kids, has
a special feature on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, including
interviews with Director Ang Lee and soundtrack composer
Yo-Yo Ma.
MagicLantern.com
This detailed page includes a list of all of the awards
the film has won and an in-depth interview with Director
Ang Lee and Producer James Schamus.
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