The film has the problem of following on the heels of Hero, of course. Still, whereas Hero took Zhang a good 6 years to write and cast it into its final form, this was not the case here. So it's obvious that this was in no way meant (as deliberately as Hero) to be as huge an artistic statement. And why should it. A film's merit is seldom measured uniquely by its artistic merit, fortunately. But more is lacking. I'll keep it "short" and sum it up (does contain ***SPOILERS*** about the ending!). Sorry about the length.
1) The story is the reverse of Hero in a way. In Hero, the whole point was that the individual's want pales in the light of the Big Plan, an entirely eastern premise. In this one, it's the western romantic tradition of the individual's desires being more important than the Cause (they both betray their Cause). In other words, it's your classical Romeo & Juliet / Tristan & Iseult kinda thing. This is mirrored in the way the story is told - in this one, the historic backdrop, though suggested to be important by the opening text, is of no importance whatsoever. The problem is, he doesn't pull it off without problems - why? Well:
2) The (love)story's thin. Despite the classical, but rather well-placed twists in the overall intrigue, the lovers do little more than going back and forth. First he wants her, she does not let him; then she wants him, but he does not let her and leaves; then he returns, to find out he cannot have her. Than it becomes clear that in fact he can, because she does want him... all well-fit in the overarching story, but still too much. So finally IT happens, and they part, then she goes back, he goes back, all only to end in tragedy (see 4). You get it, there's a whole lot going on, just to make the one point: the love each other. Why? because there wasn't much other script material? because the actors couldn't pull off more depth? I don't know.
3) The cinematography is great, but a) not as stunning as in Hero (plus, most of it is filmed in Ukraine, not China!), and b) he's showing off! Something I cannot stand. I mean, the first half hour serves to show us what an absolutely stunning filmmaker we got here. He begins at the top, instead of slowly building magnificent scene on magnificent scene as in Hero. So, whereas in Hero I slowly became aware that I was watching stuff that would get stuck in my mind forever, here during the first 30' I was thinking, come on mate, I know you're good, get started on the story. Although, if I were him, I would be tempted as well to point my camera at Ziyi Zhang and hold it there...
4) The inconsequences! It's cool to have twists, and lead the public on, but don't take them for fools! I don't care about impossible stuff, but keep the internal logic. Why, if they knew each other, do Andy Lau and Ziyi Zhang have such a terrible fight at the arrest. I can understand the drum thing - they wanted to have some fun and he had to 'prove' her 'guilty' - but why the dim-mak (pressure-point) stuff and subsequent drowning, when there's just the two of them? Other example (might be the subs): why do the supposed Flying Daggers leader and Andy Lau keep up the game when they're out of the hut's reach? If he's one of them, why does she ask him "do you have anything to say?" and why does he answer "you're not the real leader" - If he's a FD guy, this is obvious! There's others...
5) Now, the end. It's like a Tchaikovsky symphony - the bleedin' thing just doesn't end! I thought the film was still very strong when Ziyi gets struck by Lau's dagger. But then it comes - she 'dies' no less than four (4!) times. I mean, come on! I know the idea of only being dead when you pull the weapon OUT is commonplace in the east (so I can live with the idea that a dagger in the heart doesn't kill her), but the characters themselves shouldn't be surprised! Furthermore, the reasons why she 'revives' are three times IDENTICAL, i.e. to prove her love for him, something she already proved abundantly, and to which one last illustration would have sufficed. But no - the first time she regains life, it's to warn her lover. The second time it's to defend him a the cost of her life, and the last time she re-opens her eyes (the audience was already laughing at that point) it's again to say something she's said several times before. The movie would have benefited from just the fight and then as an apotheosis the one resurrection where she pulls out the dagger (a powerful moment in itself). Same comment for the numerous times the One Tear is shed... The number of One Tear-shots, To-and-Fro's (see 1), and Dying Moments made it seem like I was watching one (beautiful) point being made over and over again, like I was a romantic illiterate.
Plus, I might me really picking here, but I thought the fight sequences were nowhere near as impressive as the ones in Hero. Especially Takeshi Kaneshiro's fighting in the final confrontation lacked a lot.
This being said, though the film won't stick like Hero, basically because the cinematography and story are not as impressive or well done, it's a feast for the eye. And if you numb your mind you might get something out of it. If not the necessary romantic being-ripped-apart feeling, than at least bewildered astonishment in front of the costumes and the nothing less than otherworldly, almost impossible to endure, beauty of Ziyi Zhang.
Favourite moment: Zhang Ziyi's split between two bamboo trees.
1) The story is the reverse of Hero in a way. In Hero, the whole point was that the individual's want pales in the light of the Big Plan, an entirely eastern premise. In this one, it's the western romantic tradition of the individual's desires being more important than the Cause (they both betray their Cause). In other words, it's your classical Romeo & Juliet / Tristan & Iseult kinda thing. This is mirrored in the way the story is told - in this one, the historic backdrop, though suggested to be important by the opening text, is of no importance whatsoever. The problem is, he doesn't pull it off without problems - why? Well:
2) The (love)story's thin. Despite the classical, but rather well-placed twists in the overall intrigue, the lovers do little more than going back and forth. First he wants her, she does not let him; then she wants him, but he does not let her and leaves; then he returns, to find out he cannot have her. Than it becomes clear that in fact he can, because she does want him... all well-fit in the overarching story, but still too much. So finally IT happens, and they part, then she goes back, he goes back, all only to end in tragedy (see 4). You get it, there's a whole lot going on, just to make the one point: the love each other. Why? because there wasn't much other script material? because the actors couldn't pull off more depth? I don't know.
3) The cinematography is great, but a) not as stunning as in Hero (plus, most of it is filmed in Ukraine, not China!), and b) he's showing off! Something I cannot stand. I mean, the first half hour serves to show us what an absolutely stunning filmmaker we got here. He begins at the top, instead of slowly building magnificent scene on magnificent scene as in Hero. So, whereas in Hero I slowly became aware that I was watching stuff that would get stuck in my mind forever, here during the first 30' I was thinking, come on mate, I know you're good, get started on the story. Although, if I were him, I would be tempted as well to point my camera at Ziyi Zhang and hold it there...
4) The inconsequences! It's cool to have twists, and lead the public on, but don't take them for fools! I don't care about impossible stuff, but keep the internal logic. Why, if they knew each other, do Andy Lau and Ziyi Zhang have such a terrible fight at the arrest. I can understand the drum thing - they wanted to have some fun and he had to 'prove' her 'guilty' - but why the dim-mak (pressure-point) stuff and subsequent drowning, when there's just the two of them? Other example (might be the subs): why do the supposed Flying Daggers leader and Andy Lau keep up the game when they're out of the hut's reach? If he's one of them, why does she ask him "do you have anything to say?" and why does he answer "you're not the real leader" - If he's a FD guy, this is obvious! There's others...
5) Now, the end. It's like a Tchaikovsky symphony - the bleedin' thing just doesn't end! I thought the film was still very strong when Ziyi gets struck by Lau's dagger. But then it comes - she 'dies' no less than four (4!) times. I mean, come on! I know the idea of only being dead when you pull the weapon OUT is commonplace in the east (so I can live with the idea that a dagger in the heart doesn't kill her), but the characters themselves shouldn't be surprised! Furthermore, the reasons why she 'revives' are three times IDENTICAL, i.e. to prove her love for him, something she already proved abundantly, and to which one last illustration would have sufficed. But no - the first time she regains life, it's to warn her lover. The second time it's to defend him a the cost of her life, and the last time she re-opens her eyes (the audience was already laughing at that point) it's again to say something she's said several times before. The movie would have benefited from just the fight and then as an apotheosis the one resurrection where she pulls out the dagger (a powerful moment in itself). Same comment for the numerous times the One Tear is shed... The number of One Tear-shots, To-and-Fro's (see 1), and Dying Moments made it seem like I was watching one (beautiful) point being made over and over again, like I was a romantic illiterate.
Plus, I might me really picking here, but I thought the fight sequences were nowhere near as impressive as the ones in Hero. Especially Takeshi Kaneshiro's fighting in the final confrontation lacked a lot.
This being said, though the film won't stick like Hero, basically because the cinematography and story are not as impressive or well done, it's a feast for the eye. And if you numb your mind you might get something out of it. If not the necessary romantic being-ripped-apart feeling, than at least bewildered astonishment in front of the costumes and the nothing less than otherworldly, almost impossible to endure, beauty of Ziyi Zhang.
Favourite moment: Zhang Ziyi's split between two bamboo trees.
