House of Flying Daggers (2004)

With the exception of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films, I have never seen a movie that combines martial arts(action), cinematography and story into such a gorgeous creation. House of flying daggers is a masterpiece and will stand as such with Hero, and Crouching tiger Hidden Dagger. Much like Hero, the ending brings a tear to the soul.The music, the tone and story are meshed together so well that they create the feeling of "truth". I can only gush at how romantically disastrous this movie is..Hauntingly beautiful, bringing destruction to men for love. It's almost Shakespeare in its tragedy sense.

The Tang Dynasty is weak and the House of Flying Daggers rebels have been stealing from the rich to give to the poor. The rebel leader has recently been killed. Local deputies Captain Leo (Andy Lau) and Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) are ordered to kill the new leader within ten days. Jin goes to be a client to the new blind dancer Mei (Zhang Ziyi) who is suspected to be the previous leader's daughter. Leo comes in to arrest both Jin and Mei. Jin breaks her out of prison hoping she would lead him to the House of Flying Daggers.There is no doubt that this is a visual delight. It is beautifully shot. There is a bit too much melodrama for me. I don't feel any connection to the love triangle. It takes over the movie and saps away my attention. It gets awkward and I stop caring. I can do without the convoluted soap opera but the movie is still very beautiful. In fact, the movie never stops looking beautiful even as the story grinds to a halt.

I remember seeing this title in the Cinema with a friend I have missed ever since. I recall this being an emotional watch back then as the war within my own heart helped to afflict the character's predicament upon myself. It has been 10 years since that day, and it shall be another 10 years before I brave this title again. One thing you have to take into account when watching this film, is that it involves profound yet subtle emotional plots. I know it's "not real", but ultimately you are either the kind of person who is uncomfortable with investing themselves emotionally, or you open up & start to relate everything to your own experiences. It's not for everyone.Apart from a few POV shots that become tiresome & some choppy editing of premeditated martial arts, this isn't a bad film. The debate of whether or not a sad ending makes a film good or bad is besides the point to me. The lesson is still learn't, & that is a simple question of "Love vs. Duty", "Desire vs Honour".The actors do a spectacular job of conveying deep concealed emotions, & you feel their conflict as their love begins to suspect ambiguity amongst their intentions. Although the translation of an already cryptic script isn't forthcoming, you realise near the end that not everything is in the script. The House of the Flying Daggers is less about small cgi knives, & is more an allegorical interpretation of how both sides send small measures to test each other's resolve. Even near the end, when (the rather suspect) Nia reveals herself, she is manipulating all 3 characters. She needs all 3 dead, because they know too much & emotion has made them unstable. And in a remarkable way, pits them against each other. It's a perspicacious way of surviving through the middle ages.I remember my friend was slightly bemused about the performance; she humoured me at best. But for me, it made me cherish the small amount of time I suspected I had with her even more. Often role playing the final scenes in my head. Today, alone & lonely it cannot possibly have that effect on me. But I remember the feeling well as though I carry a dagger or a wound with me to this very day. House of Flying Daggers is not an easy watch for some. It is beautifully tragic. So often liberating; love can purify the heart, opening your eyes & ears to an endless array of colours & sounds as though you are reborn anew & immortal. But in it's absence, it can throttle your soul; turning everything white, cold, & mute.. as though you are dying a thousand deaths with each fleeting day. Indeed, the only daggers are those flying around inside.

House of Flying Daggers revolves around a story where during the Tang Dynasty era, a secret organization called, "The House of Flying Daggers" is being sought after by the Chinese military. It is suspected a blind dancer is believed to have ties to the organization, so it is arranged for an officer to go undercover to befriend her and try to find a way into the organization.The main reasons to watch this movie are the for the beautiful choreographed fight scenes and the set. The fight scenes never feel rushed, and the director chose to film them in a way where you can see the entire battle unfold and enjoy it. The sets are flooded with beautiful colors, which further helps set the tones of the movie and fighting scenes.The only place where I would say the story falters slightly is in the story. The story itself is very entertaining to watch and will keep you committed to the movie when you aren't in awe of the fighting scenes, but at times the story can become predictable.Overall, this is an amazing movie. It will appeal to many different audiences with all that is offered. Fight scenes, romance, visuals, and great film making will keep you into the movie and entertained.