Rating - **1/2 (out of ****)
China/Hong Kong, 2004
In Theatres: 12/3/04
Length: 1:59
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Violence, Sexual Themes, Blood)
U.S Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Zhang Yimou
Cast: Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Song Dandan
Despite a long history of filmmaking, it only takes two films to recognize Zhang Yimou's undeniable talent. With 2004's House of Flying Daggers, and his previous work Hero, recently released for the first time in the U.S, no doubt even the movie-goer who is least familiar with Yimou's other work will agree to at least one thing: that Yimou contains a keen visual prowess unlike that of any other director. As House of Flying Daggers repeatedly proves, he has the power to manipulate colors, camera angles, costumes, and much more in such a way where the images that grace screen contain both a sense of beauty and an energetic kineticism that leaves the viewer breathless. Unfortunately, House of Flying Daggers is plagued with the same maladies as Hero, but to an even greater extent - the simple fact that since the lead characters recieve so little exposition, the high amounts of energy and emotion that pulse through the film can never measure up.
As one has come to expect from a director like Yimou, the visual aspect of the film is probably the most advanced, stylistic, and simply the most beautiful of any film this year. (The contenders for this would be the director's own Hero as well as Kim Ki-Duk's Spring Summer Fall Winter... And Spring!) House of Flying Daggers contains a large of number of the scenes where the environment is spectacular - the elegance, vastness, and sheer beauty of the world around the characters simply permeate off the screen in such a fashion that completely enthralls the viewer. While not as color-centric as Hero, the images in House of Flying Daggers are no less memorable or mesmerizing. Two scenes immediately spring to mind here: a fight scene among the tops of the bamboo trees and a duel that begins in Fall, but changes to Winter while the combatants continue to fight. Both of the scenes are practically trademarks of a director who understands the inner workings of imagery in film like no other.
House of Flying Daggers takes place during the fall of the Tang Dynasty - at this point, the central government is weak, and various clans arise throughout the nation to oppose it. The most notorious of these is the House of Flying Daggers, a secretive group who lash out against the corruption they see in the government while giving to those who are poor, thus gaining favor politically. Two soldiers, Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Leo (Andy Tau), are told to find and kill the House's newest leader, of whom little is known about. Jin recalls a blind girl at a brothel, Mei (Zhang Ziyi), who strongly reminds him of the blind daughter of the previous leader of the House, and they decide to begin their search with her. Once she is captured, Jin plans for Leo to rescue Mei, seduce her, and follow her to the leader of the House. However, complications arise not only as imperial guards pursue them but also when Leo finds he may actually be falling in love with Mei.
The story in House of Flying Daggers is fairly engaging, although it gets off to a hurried start - one that lacks the character development the film so desperately needs to make it work. For the most part everything holds together rather well; however, there are two obvious flaws. The first is the battle that the film has been leading the viewer to belive is coming - the one where the general's troops will be caught in the "trap" set by the House. (which is never explained) We see a brief glimpse of a battle when some soldiers creep towards the premises, but nothing else. The film tosses out not one, but two deliberate red herrings that state there is some kind of conflict in the near future, but that moment never comes, and its absence is not only puzzling but also a bit anticlimatic. The second flaw is something of a spoiler, so I'll choose my words tactfully so that any reading this who haven't seen the film won't necessarily have the film ruined. (although I do suggest you skip to the next paragraph if you haven't) Basically, why does the plan involve Leo? If simply chasing Mei is enough to bring the troops into their trap, then why doesn't Jin go instead?
And onto the most disappointing aspect of House of Flying Daggers: its characters. Simply put, there is almost no development for any of the lead characters, and this lack of exposition single-handedly takes the wind out of House of Flying Daggers, leaving it bereft of the emotional impact it was desperately trying to achieve. Since the plot picks up so quickly, the two men remain mysteries for almost the entire film; they simply follow the plot, with no history whatsoever, and rather one-sided personalities. Mei is character really the only character with at least a little depth - we learn she intends to avenge her father's death, which continually conflicts with her desire to rid herself of fighting and become free. (Consequently Leo's character shares the same desire, although the viewer isn't given insight as to why he feels this way) Unfortunately, Mei's personality is bland, and why she falls in love with Leo, other than their shared desire for freedom, is vague. Thusly, why would she fall in love with Jin three years earlier? Sadly, the frailty and meager development of the the three leads is never able to carry the immense weight of the emotion the film brings, and the experience seems sodden and melodramatic.
Also of an interesting note - for any who are familiar with the rest of Yimou's films, you might recognize that there exists a similarity amongst three of his films - it is a sort of agonized wail let out by the main character in a time of grief - and as you might expect, its effectiveness is directly related to how strong the bond between the character and the viewer is. In Raise the Red Lantern, Songlian's scream is horrifying and bone-chilling - In Hero, Flying Snow's is also quite poignant; here, I didn't even bat an eyelash.
However, the three leads turn in rather effective performances; both Tau and Kaneshiro do the best they can with what they're given. Tau generates a solid image of warmth and devotion while Kaneshiro radiates experience and loyalty. Zhang Ziyi is also particularly apt at displaying a wide variety of emotions, ranging from fear to pleasure to loathing. And let's not forget the intense physical aspect of the cast's work - as was the case in Crouching Tiger, both the actors/actresses as well as the stunt doubles did remarkable work shooting the action scenes in the film; the time spent here does not go unnoticed. It is evident that Yimou has made one improvement - coaxing solid performances from his cast, in comparison to the distant, stifled feeling that characterized Hero.
Despite the fact House of Flying Daggers was something of a disappointment, it's difficult not to recommend it - with its vibrantly crafted environments, its lively and engaging martial arts sequences, and its charismatic performances, there's plenty of dazzling material here, even if the experience does seem a bit hollow.
~ Joseph Young, 2004
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