House of Flying Daggers | Review

Yimou furthers his exploration into the material arts genre with a barrage of fruity colors and zesty swordplay.

True depths of loyalty are tested when schemes to dislodge corrupted governments are met by pointed object attacks and one problematical love triangle. Riding off the back of his surprisingly successful (and interminably long awaited U.S release of) Hero, foreign art-house director Zhang Yimou is caught cranking it down a notch,- dropping from his familiar arty tones for an emphasis of the spectacle of the image. Mei (Zhang Ziyi – Purple Butterfly) the not so helpless woman is the one in the brothel without a cute flower name, but she certainly has the qualities of the intriguing Venus fly-trap. What is interesting about the nature of the plant and her character is how selective they are – not all who/that lands on the soft-edged petals are insured the same fate.

Once again gift-wrapped in magnificent colors, luscious set-designs and impossibly prosperous CGI effects this Asian-star package featuring Ziyi, Takeshi Kaneshiro (Chungking Express) and Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs) is true to the form of most material art films – not much in the way of plot but plenty of nifty mid-air ballet, lightening-paced action sequences and comical plot twists. Obviously, by taking a second step into a more commercial cinema, Yimou abandons the credibility of a plausible narrative – here honor and tradition are replaced by far-fetched acts of fairy-tale heroism, puppy-love eyes and a frequent changing in personalities. Basically we know what Oscar category the film belongs to and to which one it doesn’t.

The strength of House of Flying Daggers lies in Yimou’s vigor in composition – color motives match human emotion, warfare is amplified by Tony Ching Siu-Tung’s art decoration and the set-décor, especially in the bamboo forest sequence – brings a sublime quality to the film. This may be a turning point for American appreciation of the material art genre and Asian cinema. While the weakest point is the tone of the story which matches well with the slightly exaggerated art of the dagger throwing, this is nonetheless entertaining, technically superior and evocative of the new generation of predecessors of a la Crouching Tigers and more recently, the Kill Bills. House of Flying Daggers is the most gorgeous film of the year, after Hero.

Rating 3.5 stars