Before Ang Lee brought the Hulk to the cinema, he unleashed a stunning fantasy masterpiece on the big screen. Tonight you can watch it on TV.
What is Ang Lee’s best film? With a director who has given us masterpieces like Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi and The Ice Storm, it’s not so easy to decide. But one film in particular stands out from Lee’s oeuvre: the beautiful wuxia epic Tiger & Dragon from 2000.
Tiger and Dragon: Ang Lee’s fantasy masterpiece about the Green Sword of the underworld
Tiger and Dragon tells of the warrior Li Mu Bai (Yun-Fat Chow), who was a big name in the Quing Dynasty. But now he wants to distance himself from bloodshed and retire. He therefore gives his precious sword to his loyal companion Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) to keep it safe.
It is not long before a thief breaks into the chambers in the night and steals the sword, which appears in the legends as the Green Sword of the Underworld. As it turns out, the supposed thief is the young politician’s daughter Jen (Ziyi Zhang), who is struggling for a life of freedom.
Here you can watch the trailer for Tiger and Dragon:
Tiger and Dragon was a huge success. The Chinese-Taiwanese co-production was nominated for ten Oscars and won four of them, most notably the Oscar for Best International Film. 16 years after the cinema release, Netflix released a sequel to the fantasy masterpiece. Based on the English title of the original, it is called Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2: Sword of Destiny.
Michaelle Yeoh returned in her familiar role, while action legend Donnie Yen was a big new addition to the cast. Martial arts legend Woo-ping Yuen, who was involved in Kill Bill and the Matrix films, among others, could be won as director. Despite big names in front of and behind the camera, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2: Sword of Destiny turned out to be a bitter disappointment.
The sequel lacks the poetic imagery of the original, the mysterious atmosphere and the tragic story about unrequited love and the honour of those who fight. Lee’s production amazes with elegance and feels almost weightless. As we glide with the characters over rooftops and forests, Tiger and Dragon is pure cinema defined by movement and emotion. The Netflix sequel lacks all that.
