Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

It's an incredibly beautiful film, but you'll only like it if you accept its unrealistic game and don't make a big deal out of the fact that the characters fly. But that's the beauty of this artistic action ballet, which also has wonderful characters and a very strong story, and it's not just action or art for its own sake. (04/07/2016)

A technically captivating and visually impressive romance that for me lacks the right attributes. The Asian setting and strongly non-standard elements are, admittedly, stunning in their unusualness, but on the other hand, they sometimes appear overly poetic in an effort to show the direction that applause and Oscars should take. An exceptional work, but certainly not among the elite company of the best. (05/07/2005)

I don't quite know what to make of this movie. It’s evident that the Chinese, not only in their films but also in their overall lifestyle, care a lot about their history and traditions, so different and separate from everyone else’s. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a wonderfully refined spectacle, in which that particular historical flavour is perfectly reflected, and together with a great cast, a beautiful setting and an engaging soundtrack, we are presented with an absolutely hypnotic saga into the souls of determined and wise warriors, the impact of which, despite some reservations, I cannot deny. And as for the reservations, it was the rather slower orientation towards the sublime and for me quite unusual Asian style that prevents me from giving it a full rating. But I will gladly watch it again and who knows what will happen then, but at the moment the 80% seems a perfectly appropriate and deserved number... (10/10/2012)

“No growth without assistance. No action without reaction. No desire without restraint. The world is full of tigers and dragons.” The first viewing was for acclimatization, full of wonder and slight uncertainty. The second was for accepting the rules that formed the foundation of the previously unseen world of the film. And the third through fifth viewings comprised the most spiritual and moving emotional experience that I have ever had in front of a movie screen. But rather than a film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an epic cinematic poem that I can watch again and again, and that, like good music, never loses any of its impact. Ang Lee took the motifs of unrequited love, betrayal and responsibility and set them in a socially neutral, spiritually pure environment in which he could give them previously unseen dimensions. The “I’ve already wasted my whole life...” scene will resonate with me forever. (05/27/2002)

Incredible fight scenes, fantastic performances, impressive story, and touching ending. However, upon further viewings, the first half becomes excessively drawn out, and the dialogues lack the same power and the long-awaited action seems to never arrive. But all the more surprising is the realization that the second half, where it turns into a ballet-like style, is even more impressive the second time around, and the ending becomes fatally charged with a stronger sense of fate. For me, though, the highlight will forever be the memory of the ambush in the desert and the subsequent honest romance. It's one of those films that everyone should see. (02/04/2006)