HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
Directed by: Zhang Yimou.
Produced by: Bill Kong & Zhang Yimou.
Written by: Wang Bin, Li Feng & Zhang Yimou.
Director of Photography: Zhao Xiaoding.
Edited by: Cheng Long.
Music by: Shigeru Umebayashi.
Released by: Sony Pictures Classics.
Language: Mandarin with English subtitles.
Country of Origin: China/Hong Kong. 119 min. Rated: PG-13.
With: Ziyi Zhang, Takeshi Kaneshiro & Andy Lau.
DVD Features: Commentary by Zhang Yimou & Ziyi Zhang. Making-of featurette (45 min.) Making of the special effects featurette. "Lovers" music video. Storyboard comparisons. Photo galleries. English & French audio & subtitles.

The new film from director Zhang Yimou (Hero) is so alive in every way that one can't help but smile in appreciation as countless foot soldiers are killed with such extravagant skill during its many fight sequences. House of Flying Daggers is a holiday present for the eyes and stimulation for the ears. Fueled by color, propelled by a titillating score, and penetrated by one astonishing backdrop after another, this is a visually astonishing work.

Police captains Leo (Andy Lau) and Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) have 10 days to capture the new leader of the House of Flying Daggers, an ever-growing rebel alliance. Jin is sent undercover to gain the trust of a blind prisoner believed to be a member of the group (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's Ziyi Zhang). After breaking her out of jail, Jin and Mei embark on a journey in search of the outlaws. They are constantly bombarded by the police along the way (some aware of Jin's mission, some not). When the pair finally collides with the House of Flying Daggers, character motivations are reversed and then turned upside-down in what ultimately mutates into a deeply compelling love triangle. The narrative, while at times convoluted, is tighter and more focused than that of Yimou's Hero. The linear storytelling and the absence of flashbacks gratefully serve the director in the way Hero's twisted story does not. With House of Flying Daggers, Yimou allows the story to equate itself with the effects and not surpass them.

From Mei's beautifully choreographed opening dance to a fight amongst bamboo trees that is far more graceful and stylish than anything in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, this is a film that will burn itself into your mind well after having seen it. Most impressive of all is a sequence where a group of horses tumble to the ground in a sickening moment of realism in what is otherwise a fairy tale. Least impressive is the much-feared daggers themselves, whose computer-generated effects pale in comparison to the hand-to-hand combat. And the final showdown, pitting one suitor against another, is a powerful climax. In the spirit of the Chinese fable, it is a battle which literally spans the seasons.

After Hero and Infernal Affairs, this is the third knockout performance this year from Asian superstar Andy Lau. He, like Ziyi Zhang, is on the brink of crossover fame. But it is Takeshi Kaneshiro who, as innocent victim Jin, gives the best performance. His evolution from smug womanizer to devoted hero is nothing short of perfect. It is, however, only one of many fierce executions in one of the most entertaining movies of the year. Michael Belkewitch
December 3, 2004

DVD Extras: Martial arts enthusiasts who wish to find deleted scenes and humorous outtakes normally featured in, say, Jackie Chan movies will be disappointed; there are neither. But for film buffs, the commentary is worth hearing as Zhang Yimou and Ziyi Zhang discuss each scene and provide production notes and trivia; in the final battle scene, it apparently snowed by accident, creating a stronger visual affect. The director does most of the talking while Zhang provides company and assurance. The music video "Lovers" provides both an amazing montage of the film and the powerful voice of Kathleen Battle, but because of overexposure, she almost seems ghost-like. The visual effects featurette, which dissects certain fight scenes, is informative, but at the same time ruins the magic of the special effects. Michael Wong
August 22, 2005