Shi mian mai fu "House of Flying Daggers" (2004)

Directed by: Yimou Zhang

Starring: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau and Ziyi Zhang

Yimou Zhang's follow-up to "Hero" is a tighter and more emotionally satisfying film. The story involves Captain's Jin(Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Leo(Andy Lau) trying to infiltrate and destroy the rebel gang "House of Flying Daggers." To do this Jin is sent undercover. In doing so he falls in love with Mei(Ziyi Zhang), the blind daughter of the Flying Daggers' late leader, whom Jin and Leo had assassinated just before the movie starts. Sounds fairly straight forward doesn't it? Only there are about 4 double crosses, and a boat load of ambiguities. Yimou Zhang seems to revel in his character's morally ambiguous situations.

For instance, the Government that Jin and Leo work for is a corrupt and evil establishment. The text piece at film's beginning tells us so. The Flying Daggers are a group of kung-fu crazies sent on destroying the evil and corrupt government. So, naturally we are wanting to route for Mei and hiss and boo at Jin and Leo. However, they aren't such bad dudes. And when the Flying Daggers are finally introduced we aren't given a real sense of WHY we should route FOR them other than the previously mentioned text introduction. The conflict between the Flying Daggers and the Government is all a big Maguffin.

Takeshi Kaneshiro winds up stealing the movie. Jin is charming like Cary Grant and fierce like Russell Crowe. Ziyi Zhang delivers another complex performance. Her dead eyes(remember she is playing a blind girl) contain more emotion and heart ache than most American actresses can muster in an 'Oscar campaigning sobfest.' Andy Lau's Leo is primed to explode the entire film. Thankfully the Third Act lets him.

We spend most of our time watching Jin and Mei fleeing Government soldiers and fighting in a series of meticulously designed action sequences. And then the twists in the Third Act happen and everything you thought you knew about the movie is stabbed in the face. Yimou Zhang knows what the audience wants and then keeps it from them. The Bastard. At first the film seems to be about a power struggle and how certain players can affect this struggle, but then at about an hour in the focus shifts to Mei, Jin and Leo. The final fight sequence is both a gut buster and a contrived head scratcher.

The final question you'll find yourself asking, possibly aloud, is "What happened to the Flying Daggers and the Government? Who won?" Doesn't matter. Never did.

This movie is gorgeous. The use of color contrast between character's costumes and natural backgrounds is itself a triumph. This is the prettiest movie I've seen all year. It ought to win the Best Cinematography Oscar... But then "City of God" should have as well. And we all know how that went. The choice of camera moves and storytelling is reminiscent of a Sergio Leone western. There is a fight scene in a field of flowers. The Camera is tight on Jin and Mei. They have just defeated a group of 8 soldiers. The battle seems to be won, but as the camera tracks backward the frame opens to reveal a larger group of soldiers. Yimou Zhang does this throughout the film giving it a sense that actions relevant to the story are happen off camera as we speak. In my brain the story is still continuing. What is filmed is only a snippet of a grander tapestry.