“House of Flying Daggers” Chinese Theatrical Poster
AKA: Lovers
Director: Zhang Yimou
Cast: Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau, Song Dandan, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Song Dandan
Running Time: 119 min.
By Owlman
Let me start off by saying that House of Flying Daggers is a very beautiful film. The cinematography, the colorful costumes, the action scenes – all very well done and hypnotic during the first viewing of the film.
However, like Zhang Yimou’s previous wuxia creation, Hero, House of Flying Daggers turns out to be a beautiful film with no real substance. The introductory text sets up the premise – a secretive group known as the House of Flying Daggers roams the country attempting to begin a revolution against the corruption of government officials during the Tang dynasty. Jin and Leo are two deputies who hatch a plan for Jin to convince Mei, a blind dancer who is rumored to be a spy for the rebellious group, that he is out to help her return to her comrades. As they run from battles with government soldiers sent to hunt them, the two begin to fall in love.
The real problem lies with the romance part of the film. The chemistry between Zhang and Kaneshiro is so unconvincing that I could not help but feel cold at the blossoming romance. This does not actually pose a problem for the first 3/4 of the movie as the romance is only hinted upon in bits and pieces. In fact, the first 3/4 of the film is quite well done. Leo’s challenge with Mei at the Peony Pavillion is a marvel to witness. In addition, the battle with soldiers in a bamboo forest is superb. Finally, the scenery shots are spectacular – setting the movie against a backdrop of fields of tall grass, grand mountain passes, and thick forests makes for great eye candy (along with the cast). Plus, the meeting with the House of Flying Daggers who come to the rescue of Jin and Mei makes for an interesting introduction to a cool concept.
The movie falls apart after the introduction of members within the revolutionary group. At this point, twists and turns in the story are revealed. It is here that the film could have taken an interesting turn in the concept of the Daggers – who are they and why do they do what they do? Instead, it chooses to focus on a love story that is already hard to swallow.
The epic battle at the end between two main characters is well done but I sat there thinking about the ultimate reason for the battle and laughed – because it was all about a girl. Nothing more than that. While it may seem romantic to some, it would have worked if the romance wasn’t so queasy and melodramatic to begin with. It’s like watching Titanic with swordplay – cool to look at but the only memorable thing you come out of it with is a numb ass.
Bottom line: beautiful to look at but ultimately unsatisfying – like supermodels.
Owlman’s Rating: 6/10
By Alexander
(To the music of the Barenaked Ladies’ “It’s All Been Done.”)
Flying Daggers was a modest hit
Like Hero, a Yimou film before it
Smokin’ hot Zhang, Ziyi
Gorgeous cinematography
It’s all been said
It’s all been said
It’s all been said before
Nary a flaw save for that one scene:
Not the white one, but the green
Scratching my head
At this unexplained plot twist
Do they live? Or perish?
It’s all been said
It’s all been said
It’s all been said before
Ebert, Roeper, Owlman, critics they may be
Two words: Zi. Yi.
And if I say this shit again,
Will you just yawn and plea
It’s all been said
It’s all been said
It’s all been said before
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon this may not be
But I will say it again, “Zhang, Ziyi”
Is it good? Is it bad?
Boring? Fun? Maybe sad?
It’s all been said
It’s all been said
It’s all been said before
Alexander’s Rating: 9/10
By Iuxion
Hot on the heels of the critically acclaimed Hero, comes House of Flying Daggers, a much smaller martial arts piece from director Zhang Yimou. Right from the get go, I felt there was something different about this movie: it starts abruptly, moves through a few scenes quickly, and from then on it’s just Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Ziyi, and the forest that they’re running through. Basically, throughout the whole movie, there are really only four characters that you’ll ever have to keep track of — the rest are just disposable kung fu minions, contributing to a sense of small scale. The scenery is nice, the music is beautiful, and action is well done, minus the slow motion follow-the-arrow shots that Zhang Yimou seems to love (it looked out of place in Hero too).
Besides the arrows, House of Flying Daggers has some other problems. The script, in short, is really lacking. The end feels tacked on, just an excuse to get Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro fighting each other, and the real conflict (at least, what had been the main conflict up until the end) is left unresolved. That shouldn’t really matter with a movie like this, but from Zhang Yimou, and after Hero, I just expected a little more. The whole thing is basically just an excuse for some fight sequences and pretty flowers. In the end, it’s quite a visual and aural treat, but it’s not something you’re going to be left thinking about after you’ve left your seat.
Iuxion’s Rating: 7/10
