House of Flying Daggers
Shi mian mai fu
Directed by:
Yimou ZhangCinematography:
Xiaoding ZhaoComposer:
Shigeru UmebayashiCast:
Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Ziyi Zhang, Dandan Song, Armando Hernández, Jun Guo, Qiang Li, Tengyuan Liu, Cecily Li, Jingchuan DongPlots(1)
Hero director Zhang Yimou throws scene after stunning scene at you in House of Flying Daggers, a dazzling epic of true heart-breaking action, passionate romance, OSCAR -nominated cinematography and serene beauty. Hoping she will lead them to her fellow assassins, two captains (Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau) hatch a plan to capture and trick Mei, (Ziyi Zhang), a beautiful dancer suspected of having ties to the House of Flying Daggers, a powerful revolutionary faction. From there begins a lone trail of dangerous encounters, impossible love triangles and plot twists, in which people are rarely as they seem... With some of the most beautiful martial arts scenes ever filmed, this is a visual masterpiece and a feast for the senses. (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (7)
A beautiful love story with breathtaking scenery, perfectly mastered fights and a captivating atmosphere. Story-wise this part is much better than the preceding Hero, but at the end it does get a little too overcomplicated. But what really took my breath away was the perfect harmony of the colors. Maybe even more than in the above mentioned Hero. The fight in the bamboo forest was breathtaking.
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At first I was scared of this film, but unnecessarily so. Without a doubt, Hollywood fell flat with me because this film showed a whole new, novel visual and technical side that took my breath away throughout the entire runtime. Not only is the film beautiful to watch, but it also features three surprising and unpredictable twists. An impressive experience. 80%.
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Over half of the running time is a standard developing love story, intertwined with more (withered meadow) or less (the Peony Pavilion) fascinating scenes, as well as a jaw-dropping fight – the Bamboo Forest. However, there are shocking twists, floods of emotions, and above all, a brilliant snowy ending. But this game with the audience is definitely not for everyone.
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This movie is nothing short of a work of art to me. It doesn't matter that there is almost zero story, or that the plot is easily predictable, because the visuals are absolutely perfect. Romance abounds here, but the fight scenes were still the biggest spectacle for me. For example, the one in the bamboo grove is one I won't soon forget. A feast for the eyes with fantastic music. Beautiful colors. 5 stars.
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After the politically cold Hero, Zhang Yimou focuses on love, feelings, intimacy and poetics along the lines of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Visually and musically, his work is beautiful and emotionally compelling. What is debatable, however, is the theatrical tinge of the dialogue and, mainly, the poor design of the identities of all four characters, in which you lose your bearings after the second plot twist. But the overall impression of the viewer being enthralled by the beauty of the film’s poetry survives. Respectable cinematic relaxation.
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