“We have a legend. Anyone who dares to jump from the mountain, God will grant his wish. Long ago, a young man's parents were ill, so he jumped. He didn't die. He wasn't even hurt. He floated away, far away, never to return. He knew his wish had come true. If you believe, it will happen. The elders say, 'A faithful heart makes wishes come true.'”
2025 was the 44th edition of the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF), and as part of a retrospective for the career of the legendary Oscar winning director Ang Lee (who also directed 2005’s “Brokeback Mountain” and 2012’s “Life of Pi”) they screened a 4K digital restoration of his Academy Award winning masterpiece “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” from 2000. I consider this to be among the greatest films ever made, and I am excited to bring it to the attention of even more people.
The plot follows two master warriors named Yú Shu Lien (played by the legendary Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, star of 2022’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and Lǐ Mù Bái (played by Chow Yun-Fat, star of 1989’s “The Killer”). They both harbour feelings for each other, but circumstances have prevented them from ever confessing their love. Mù Bái, seeking to retire, gives his legendary sword “Green Destiny” to a mutual acquaintance in Běijīng, Sir Te (played by Lang Sihung, the star of what Ang Lee recently referred to as his “father don't know what to do” trilogy of films).
Shu Lien also meets the Governor's daughter named Jen Yù (played by Zhāng Zǐyí, star of 2005’s “Memoirs of a Geisha”), who resents her upcoming marriage. But soon after, the Green Destiny is stolen from Sir Te’s compound, and it is revealed that the thief was Jen. She was secretly trained by Mù Bái’s rival, the evil Jade Fox (played by Chèng Pèi-pèi) in the Wǔdāng school, and runs away with the Green Destiny.
Jen also has to deal with her past love for the bandit Ló Xiǎohǔ (played by Chāng Chèn, star of 2021’s Dune”) while fending off everyone else trying to hunt her down.
The film fits into a genre of Chinese films known as “wǔxiá.” While they feature martial arts and action, it is decidedly its own thing, with an added focus on chivalry and tragic romance. The most visually distinct part of wǔxiá films is the use of wirework to give the characters the ability to perform superhuman feats of physical ability with stunning results. The popularity of this movie directly led to a resurgence in the genre, with the most notable successor being 2002’s “Hero.”
The Oscar-winning score by composer Tán Dùn is also incredible. The use of a grand orchestra and traditional Chinese instrumentation gives the soundtrack an otherworldly feel. The noted cellist Yo-Yo Ma is also featured heavily in the score,
Peter Pau’s cinematography is also breathtaking to behold. The landscapes and wide shots of ancient China are captured beautifully, and the fight scenes are captured up close and personal with a lot of kinetic movement. The blending of these two styles results in some of the movie's most memorable scenes, such as the rooftop chase. His Oscar for the film was well-deserved.
The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards in 2000, the most for any foreign language film at the time, including Best Picture and Ang Lee’s first nomination for Best Director. It won four Oscars, including Best International Feature Film for Táiwān and Best Production Design for Tim Yip.
The story was adapted from a popular Chinese book series, the “Crane Iron Pentalogy” by author Wáng Dùlú. The movie is actually based on the fourth book, and a sequel to this film was released in 2016, covering the fifth and final installment, but it is sadly not as good.
The MSPIFF also had a panel discussion with Lee as part of the festival, and they brought out a surprise guest who previously worked with Lee on his 2000 film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” as a bond collector. Donna Smith, who was one of the first female studio executives for a major Hollywood studio and headed Universal Pictures for eight years, came with a humorous story from pre-production.
“I went to Běijīng to meet with them, and we were in a restaurant, one of those high-up restaurants, and I was still saying, 'No, it isn't gonna work.’ Then Ang just did a very quiet little nod across the restaurant room, and this gentleman who's about this tall, Mr. Píng is his name. He just stood up, he ran across the restaurant, He hit the wall and came down in two flips and I said, ‘Is that the choreographer?’ and he said ‘Yes, that's him.’ I said we're doing it,” Smith said.
Later on, Lee asked Smith about her time on the film, and he shared this response during his panel at the festival.
“A couple of years later, [Smith] visited me on the set of "Hulk." I was a big shot at it. A big thing in the universe. So I asked her, ‘Why did you help us? We were kind of falling apart. We must be sounding like bullshit to you. It's China.’ Back then, there was no rule; now, we just don't know. I didn't know. How do you know we can finish this movie? She said, ‘I just look at your eyes, I know,’" Lee said.
For Lee to follow up his 1995 Best Picture nominee “Sense and Sensibility” with this masterpiece was a sign of his mastery of the cinematic art form. He took the drama and romantic heartache from that film and blended it with the stylings of traditional Chinese wǔxiá movies to create a film that I believe will never be fully replicated. I implore anyone who is reading this review to check this film out immediately. My final rating for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is a perfect 10/10.