I know it’s been a few years since this masterpiece hit the
big screens, but I just recently re-watched it, after paying some of the
beautiful locations it was shot at a visit and I love this movie more than ever…
Ang Lee sets this martial arts epos in ancient China, when
bandits and vagabonds made the roads through the Middle Kingdom dangerous and
not likely to be travelled alone. However, a small group of highly trained
swordsmen and martial artists protect the innocent and keep the streets clean.
One of them is accomplished Wudang fighter Li Mu Bai, who sends his long-time friend and secret soulmate Yu Shu Lien to the Forbidden City to hand his legendary sword to a local friend as a gift, since he wanted to step away from a life on the edge.
Soon after, the sword is stolen by an unknown warrior, and in order to sustain the thief’s honor Yu Shu Lien lets her go.
Soon after, it turns out, that the thief was Jen, the daughter of governor Yu, visiting at the same time and who was promised to be wed to someone she doesn’t even know – but secretly trained by Jade Fox, who killed Li Mu Bai’s former master and retrieved the ancient teaching from Wudang.
The story evolves after Li Mu Bai follows her through the most beautiful areas in China, finally challenging her at a mystic bamboo forest.
The story subtly revolves around Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien’s repressed feelings for each other, mirrored by Jen’s emotional and passionate – but equally forbidden – love to a thief from the desert, both couples trying to find a way to be together.
One of them is accomplished Wudang fighter Li Mu Bai, who sends his long-time friend and secret soulmate Yu Shu Lien to the Forbidden City to hand his legendary sword to a local friend as a gift, since he wanted to step away from a life on the edge.
Soon after, the sword is stolen by an unknown warrior, and in order to sustain the thief’s honor Yu Shu Lien lets her go.
Soon after, it turns out, that the thief was Jen, the daughter of governor Yu, visiting at the same time and who was promised to be wed to someone she doesn’t even know – but secretly trained by Jade Fox, who killed Li Mu Bai’s former master and retrieved the ancient teaching from Wudang.
The story evolves after Li Mu Bai follows her through the most beautiful areas in China, finally challenging her at a mystic bamboo forest.
The story subtly revolves around Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien’s repressed feelings for each other, mirrored by Jen’s emotional and passionate – but equally forbidden – love to a thief from the desert, both couples trying to find a way to be together.
In my opinion, Ang Lee created a masterpiece with this
movie, and its Oscar nominations and wins clearly show, that I am not the only
one who thinks so.
The fantastic fighting sequences are completely non CGI with only the cords, the actors hung from having been removed in preproduction.
The actors all do a wonderful job, though obviously I wasn’t able to watch the film in its original language, Mandarin.
A sequel to the movie was announced a few months ago, but only a few of the original cast will return and I doubt that it will be as successful as the original. Only time will tell.
The fantastic fighting sequences are completely non CGI with only the cords, the actors hung from having been removed in preproduction.
The actors all do a wonderful job, though obviously I wasn’t able to watch the film in its original language, Mandarin.
A sequel to the movie was announced a few months ago, but only a few of the original cast will return and I doubt that it will be as successful as the original. Only time will tell.
During my stay in China I was able to visit some of the
shooting locations from the movie, and if anyone of you is going there anytime
soon, I can highly recommend the beautiful bamboo forest and the gorgeous
Wudang abbey, which actually exists (though I don’t know, if that’s the actual
name). You can easily google all the locations and how to get there exactly –
it’s worth a trip…
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