HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS

China, 2004, 119 minutes, Colour.
Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Zhang Ziyi.
Directed by Zhang Yimou.

To review the plot takes only a line: the police are out to unmask the head of a rebel group who rob the rich and help the poor. And, in fact, we really see very little of this at all, just some scenes of the police planning an undercover job (although this is China in 859 AD, so that sounds a little anachronistic, but that is what happens) and a few confrontations.

So what happens the rest of the time? That is worth seeing.

First, there are some dances in The Pink Pavillion of great beauty and acrobatic grace. This is all choreographed exquisitely.

Most of the rest is fights in the forest, most of it Crouching Tiger style. Again the choreography is exquisite, perfect timing (admittedly some swordplay and a lot of deadly accurate flying daggers). Much of the forest is bamboo and how the soldiers all got to the top of the trees and are able to walk and fly there is beyond credibility. But it doesn't matter, it looks wonderful.

Finally, there is tragedy and battle in the snow. Extraordinarily beautiful film-making.

1. The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon tradition? A film of martial arts, beauty, extraordinary choreography and flying?

2. The Ukraine settings, China? The city, the Pavilion? The countryside, the forests, the bamboo forest?

3. The musical score, the final song? The story, 859AD, the House of Flying Daggers, their robbing the rich to help the poor? The poor, the police? The military?

4. The plan, the revolt of the House of the Flying Daggers, the police, Jin and Leo? In the office, the Pavilion, the luxury, the women, the musicians, the dancers? The blind Mei, her dancing, Jin and his aggression? Leo, the fight, taking Jin away to prison? Not taking Mei unless she was able to do the intricate dance - the choreography of the dance, the drums, her acrobatics? Her being taken to prison?

5. Leo, his threat to torture her, the bamboo and the crushing? His giving her one day? Jin, his coming and freeing her?

6. Jin and Mei in the flight in the forest, the swordsmen, the police? The fights, the choreography, the flying daggers? Leo saving her?

7. The army, the battles, the battle in the trees?

8. The madam, her appearing as the head of the House of Flying Daggers? Jin, the confrontation? Mei and her not being blind? Leo and his arrival, the revelation of his undercover work? His being freed, his love for Mei, their encounter, her not being able to respond? His having warned Jin about falling in love?

9. Mei, the orders for her to kill Jin, her freeing him? Her previously not being ready for love, sexual encounter? Her not killing him, the encounter in the fields?

10. Leo and Jin, the daggers, their fighting, their wounding each other? Mei and her being wounded, wanting to save Jin? Leo's vindictiveness? The culminating fight in the snow? Deaths?

11. The film starting with social concern and moving exclusively to its triangular romance?

12. The beauty of the film, an exercise in martial arts - the thin plot, the iconic characters? Tragedy?