House of Flying
Daggers is a visually
ravishing film revolving around Mei (Ziyi Zhang), a beautiful
blind showgirl at a local brothel, who is, in fact, a member of a
secret, dangerous revolutionary gang known as the House of Flying
Daggers, which threatens the current Tang Dynasty of China circa
859 AD.
Jin (Takeshi
Kaneshiro), a Tang Dynasty police officer, is sent undercover to the
brothel to locate and arrest this outlaw. After Mei’s arrest, Jin’s
partner Lao (Andy Lau) decides that the only way to infiltrate the
Daggers hideout is to have Mei believe she is being rescued out of
prison and hopefully she would then lead them to the hideout. Since
Jin’s cover was never broken with Mei, he is the one who breaks her
out and pretends to be her rescuer. In hot pursuit of Mei and Jin are
Lao and his team of officers.
In order to attain
her trust and not blow the cover, Lao decides it best not to let
anyone know that Jin is actually an undercover officer. This plan
begins to backfire as Jin and Mei are attacked at every corner by the
police and Jin is forced to fight back. It’s not long before Mei and
Jin start to fall for each other and Jin is put into a very
compromising situation. But all is not as it seems, as each character
is holding an enormous secret that threatens not only their personal
relationships and lives but also the future of a dynasty.
CRITIQUE
House of Flying
Daggers
is a poetic, visually stunning film with an intriguing story full of
romance, deception, conspiracy and eventual heartbreak. The film is
loaded with dazzling action scenes that are always in the interest of
story.
The action scenes
are so amazing; words will not do them justice. There is a tree top
scene (like the one in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) that
completely outdoes the latter. The choreography that goes into it is
just astounding. There is also a mind-blowing scene towards the
beginning of the film where Ziyi Zhang performs a dance that uses
incredible martial arts talent and pure grace to compete in a game at
the brothel just prior to her arrest. It is a truly beautiful and
thrilling scene. Those are the scenes that will be remembered, but
the action scenes that surprised me with their sheer intensity and
creativity were the multitude of action scenes where Mei and Jin were
on the run from the police. Daggers is just loaded with
amazing, gorgeous action scenes.
The best part about
the film is that all of these terrific action scenes are in service of
a great story. The script tells such a compelling tale that even the
subtitles (that can sometimes feel like an inconvenience) just
seemingly blend away into the film. The story has a bit of everything
so it is sure to please most viewers. There is a strong romantic arc
to the story that culminates in a very melodramatic finale. There is
also mystery and intrigue as secrets and conspiracies are uncovered
around every corner.
The direction by
famed Chinese director Zhang Yimou (Hero) is simply masterful.
The way he blends action, story, dialogue, and acting into such a
poetic masterpiece is reflective of Yimou’s talents. Hero
showed his mastery of action and style, but Daggers brings
story and cohesion to that potent mix. His cinematographer, Xiaoding
Zhao, makes this one of the most gorgeous films of its kind. His use
of color is thrilling and beautiful.
The acting is also
quite good (although not quite as great as one would hope for). Ziyi
Zhang is just amazing as Mei, she has really come into her own since
Crouching Tiger. This is the most fleshed out character she’s
played so far and she brings a unique mix of innocence and intensity
to the role. Andy Lau as Lao is also very good, bringing a stately
nobility to his character that makes his raw, energized emotional
breakdown later in the film that much more effective. The one weak
area of the picture is Takeshi Kaneshiro as Jin. He overplays his
character for most of the first half of the film, which makes it hard
to develop a vested interest in him. Credit to Ziyi Zhang and the
great romantic story for developing that vested interest in this
romance in spite of the acting handicap.
The only other
problem I had with Daggers was the far too melodramatic
ending. The ending (don’t worry I won’t give it away) is dragged on
for too long and is much too sappy for my tastes. I understood the
decision and the ending fits the tone of the film, but it should have
been much shorter and less melodramatic.
These few problems
do not take away from the sheer spectacle and majesty of the film,
from those amazing, classic action scenes to the intriguing story and
mystery, House of Flying Daggers is a near masterpiece of its
genre.
THE VIDEO
The transfer,
presented in 2:35:1 anamorphic widescreen, is meticulously clean and
crisp; all of the colors are vibrant and rich. The scenery looks
perfect, this is such a beautiful film and the transfer only enhances
its beauty.
THE AUDIO
The audio is
presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and it’s exceptionally clear and
active; the balances are just right and the surround is full of life.
The scene on the treetops has great surround activity.
THE EXTRAS
Commentary with
Director Zhang Yimou and Ziyi Zhang – This is spoken entirely in Mandarin with English
subtitles so it brings a unique and interesting edge to the
commentary. Yimou and Zhang are frequent collaborators so they have a
nice chemistry and are able to discuss all of the elements involved in
making this film from the amazing special effects to the training
needed to the flow of the story and character development. They have
a very thoughtful and interesting discussion although at times they
are lavishing too much attention to the theme of the film without
delving into details. Speaking in a lyrical overall sense instead of
back-story and interesting details.
Making-Of
Featurette
– This is a 45 minute documentary on the making of the film, again
spoken in Mandarin with English subtitles. The documentary explores
many areas of the film, showing some of the stunt choreography,
showing footage of Ziyi Zhang preparing for her big dance sequence,
interviews with the director and cast, and even footage of the
premiere and the press tour. The director is very candid and speaks
directly about the experience and thematic ideas rather than gushing
over it or promoting it. One interesting aspect was how Zhang spent
almost 2 months living with a blind woman for her role.
Making-Of
Featurette on the Visual Effects – Rightfully so, there is a separate featurette on the
making of these amazing effects. The featurette shows you how some of
the scenes were originally shot with the actors, stuntmen and props,
then what that scene looks like while adding in the CGI effects and,
finally, the finished product. Interesting and relevant featurette.
Music Video,
Storyboard Comparisons and Photo Galleries
FINAL THOUGHTS
House of
Flying Daggers is a dazzling display of artistic magic from
director Zhang Yimou highlighted by exhilarating action, poetic
themes, and a romantic and intriguing story. The ending is a bit of a
disappointment and some of the acting is poor but the film is still a
rousing success.
