Columbia Tristar Home Video
Length: 115 mins.
Certificate: 12
Format: Anamorphic Widescreen · 2.35:1
Languages: Mandarin DTS 5.1, Dolby 5.1 English
Dolby 5.1
Subtitles: English
Cast (in credits order)
Yun-Fat Chow .... Master Li Mu Bai
Michelle Yeoh .... Yu Shu Lien
Ziyi Zhang .... Jen Yu (Mandarin
version)/Xiou Long (English dubbed version)
Chen Chang .... Lo 'Dark Cloud'
(Mandarin version)/Xiou Hu 'Dark Cloud' (English dubbed version)
Sihung Lung .... Sir Te (Mandarin
version)/Be-La-Ye (English dubbed version)
Pei-pei Cheng .... Jade Fox
(Mandarin version)/Be-Ah-Hui 'Jade Fox' (English dubbed version)
Fa Zeng Li .... Governor Yu
Xian Gao .... Bo (Mandarin
version)/Yo-Shi (English dubbed version)
Yan Hai .... Madame Yu
De Ming Wang.... Police Inspector
Tsai
Li-Li Li (I) .... May (as Li Li)
Su Ying Huang .... Auntie Wu
Directed by…Ang Lee
Writing credits (WGA)
Du Lu Wang…book)
Hui-Ling Wang…(screenplay) and James
Schamus (screenplay) and Kuo Jung
Tsai (screenplay)
Li-Kong Hsu .... producer
William Kong .... producer (as Bill
Kong)
Ang Lee .... producer
Philip Lee (II) .... associate producer
Original Music by
Jorge Calandrelli (song
"A Love Before Time")
Tan Dun (song "A Love
Before Time")
Yong King (musical arrangement:
song "Caravan Bells on the Silk Road")
Cinematography by…Peter Pau
Film Editing by…Tim Squyres
Production Design by…Timmy Yip (as Tim Yip)
Art Direction by… Jian-Quo Wang Bin
Zhao
Costume Design by…Timmy Yip (as Tim Yip)
Not since Bruce Lee’s "Fist of Fury"
(1972) has a Martial Arts film seen as much
notoriety as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."
With their very strange editing and appalling dubbing the Bruce Lee films
never managed to break into the mainstream
although Bruce Lee himself became a legendary figure after his early death at
the age of 33.
“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” was the
right film at the right time, a film that cost $15m and Grossed $128m in the US
and nearly £10m in the UK. It was
a bit strange to find that people who had never had a good word for Martial Arts
films suddenly became self-proclaimed genre fans after seeing this particular
film.
For reasons I will not bore you with I never got round to buying the first DVD
release of the film, and from various reviews it seems it failed to fully please
fans, due to a mediocre print. Now Columbia has included "Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon" as one of the
first "Superbit" releases on Region 2.
For many years, Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) has practiced and studied the Wudan, a
form of Martial Arts known only by an elite
group of warriors. For years he has also chased Jade Fox, an assassin who killed
his master. But the time has come
for the master warrior to settle down. He plans to give up his warrior life and
as a symbol of his commitment hands over his sword to his lifelong love Shu Lien
(Michelle Yeoh), to deliver it to a mutual friend. The sword is stolen by a
mysterious cloaked intruder – who strangely is also knowledgeable in the Wudan
– who flees despite Shu Lien’s attempts to stop the thief.
Having had a glimpse of the thief, however, Shu Lien is certain she knows who
the thief is
and keeps an eye on her suspect, a young
aristocrat girl, trying to escape her arranged marriage. As Li Mu Bai arrives on
the scene, the two decide to find out how the
girl has been able to learn Wudan Martial Arts. Their nemesis Jade Fox (Cheng
Pei Pei) has long been a teacher to the young girl, making her a powerful, but
unpolished warrior.
Director Ang Lee, who was best known in the UK for “Sense and Sensibility”
(1995) – for which he won the 1996 BAFTA for Best Film -
manages, even in an action film like this, to bring in a sensibility that
is often lacking in Martial Arts films. Breaking
the traditional rules of Martial Arts and Sword-fighting films, he has
created a film that is more engrossing and character-driven than many of its
counterparts. Where many traditional genre films are convoluted and require
significant background knowledge, the narrative of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon" has been simplified and streamlined despite that fact that it is
based on a series of Chinese novels. The result has paid off – obviously.
Although many US – and I suppose some European
viewers – will not understand the importance of the virtues on display
or the actual scope of the Jade Fox character that makes her comment
"Poison is an eight year old girl…" so much more significant.
Cinematographer Peter Pau once again pulled out
all the stops in this film. The undisputed visual master of Martial Arts films
once again manages to create a magnetic look for the story. Beautiful sceneries
and vistas are captured in tracking shots, adding scope and depth to the images
we see. Yuen Wo Ping provided his incredible talents to the production as the
stunt choreographer, making the fighting scenes – or even more so the
pursuit scenes – absolute highlights of the film.
Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment’s "Superbit" releases are
targeted at high-end video
and audiophiles. The presentation is of the film
itself, with no extras at all. The
idea is that every ‘bit’ of data is allocated for the video and audio
presentation. As I have not seen the original version I cannot compare the two
but I can only think that a new print was used because the picture quality, the
striking colours, the texture of the picture (be it skin, cloth, plants, sand)
and solid blacks make the whole thing as good as it gets.
The choice of sound is Mandarin DTS 5.1 and Dolby 5.1 and Dolby 5.1 English.
For some reason, on my DV88 it defaults to the DTS track with English subtitles,
which is fine by me. Both
tracks are good, but obviously I have a preference for DTS.
The outdoor scenes are beautifully enhanced by the subtle, yet realistic
use of the surround channels such as when you hear the soft wind blowing from
the rear, or leafs rustling in the breeze. The frequency response of the audio
track is very wide with solid bass reproduction and very clean high end.
Dialogues are very well integrated
and are never drowned out by sound effects, the action music or Yo-Yo Ma’s
hauntingly beautiful cello.
I can only assume that even on ‘ordinary’ kit you would notice a difference,
but whether it would be a big enough difference to make you want to buy another
copy I would doubt. If you do not
have the film then the choice is between an excellent picture together with
Dolby and DTS sound or a disc packed with extras.
Mind you I could throw a spanner in and say that ALL films should be
“Superbit” with extras on a separate disc.
This version of the film is a must if you loved the film and have good kit –
otherwise you pays your money and take your choice.
Ps.
Columbia have made a marketing tool of the concept of “Superbit”, however,
other companies have released films in as good quality, but without the Fanfare.
You just have to look at the Fox R2 version of “Legend”, the
Artificial Eye “Stalker” or “Solaris” and the New Line extended version
of “Fellowship of the Ring” or even (dare I say it) the first Disney release
of “Mary Poppins” which was
a ‘flipper’. As I have
said earlier ALL films should be of as near perfect quality as possible, but how
They can justify charging more for just the film, and less for a disc –
or two disc set – with hours of ‘extras’ beats me.
review and pictures Dec 2002