Wo hu cang long (2000)

Director:

Ang Lee

Writers (WGA):

Du Lu Wang (book)
Hui-Ling Wang (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 December 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Two warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword and a notorious fugitive are led to an impetuous, physically-skilled, teenage nobleman's daughter, who is at a crossroads in her life.

Plot Keywords:

Sword | Warrior | China | Martial Arts | Fugitive

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 73 wins & 91 nominations

Cast

Yun-Fat Chow	...	Master Li Mu Bai (as Chow Yun Fat)
Michelle Yeoh	...	Yu Shu Lien
Ziyi Zhang	...	Jen Yu (Mandarin version) / Jiao Long (English dubbed version) (as Zhang Ziyi)
Chen Chang	...	Lo 'Dark Cloud' / Luo Xiao Hu
Sihung Lung	...	Sir Te
Pei-pei Cheng	...	Jade Fox (as Cheng Pei-Pei)
Fa Zeng Li	...	Governor Yu
Xian Gao	...	Bo
Yan Hai	...	Madame Yu
De Ming Wang	...	Police Inspector Tsai / Prefect Cai Qiu
Li Li	...	May (as Li Li)
Su Ying Huang	...	Auntie Wu
Jin Ting Zhang	...	De Lu
Rei Yang	...	Maid
Kai Li	...	Gou Jun Pei

Also Known As:

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (International: English title) (UK) (USA)
Ngo foo chong lung (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)
Wo hu cang long (China: Mandarin title)
El tigre y el dragón (Argentina) (Peru) (Venezuela) [es]
O Tigre E o Dragão (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Tigre et dragon (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
йПЮДСЫХИЯЪ РХЦП, ГЮРЮХБЬХИЯЪ ДПЮЙНМ (Russia) (video title ) [ru]
Green Destiny (Japan: English title) [en]
Hiipivä tiikeri, piilotettu lohikäärme (Finland) [fi]
Im Reich der Tiger und Drachen (Germany) (pre-release title) [de]
Kaplan ve ejderha (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
La tigre e il dragone (Italy) [it]
Na'mer, Dra'kon (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Prezeci tiger, skriti zmaj (Slovenia) [sl]
Przyczajony tygrys, ukryty smok (Poland) [pl]
Snikende tiger, skjult drage (Norway) [no]
Tiger & Dragon (Germany) [de]
Tiger på spring, drage i skjul (Denmark) [da]
Tigre i drac (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Tigre y dragón (Spain) [es]
Tigris és sárkány (Hungary) [hu]
Tigris kai drakos (Greece) [el]
Tiiger ja draakon (Estonia) [et]
Tygr a drak (Czech Republic) [cs]
Wa ho jang ryong (South Korea) [ko]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for martial arts violence and some sexuality.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

Taiwan | Hong Kong | USA | China

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Malaysia:U | Portugal:M/12 | Netherlands:16 (VHS/DVD rating) | Brazil:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Chile:TE | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:PT | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Anhui Province, China

Company:

Asia Union Film & Entertainment Ltd.

Trivia:

The film is an adaptation of the fourth novel in a pentalogy, or five-novel cycle, known in China as the Crane/Iron Pentalogy and written by noted wuxia (kung-fu) novelist Du Lu Wang. The novels are "Crane Frightens Kunlun", "Precious Sword, Golden Hairpin", "Sword's Force, Pearl's Shine", "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", and "Iron Knight, Silver Vase". Much of the story is not about Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien; they are in fact secondary characters who only become important later in the series. When a comic-book adaptation of the fourth book in the pentalogy was slated, illustrator Andy Seto re-watched the film to get inspiration for how to depict the fight scenes.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene in the cave where Jen's hands are tied, the loose ends of the knot change from shot to shot.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Man: Master Li is here! Master Li is here!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Old School (2003)

Soundtrack:

A Love Before Time

My Dream Came True

As Ang Lee, I grew up reading wuxia novels in Taiwan. Those novels usually mixed engrossing history, thrilling action, enchanting romance. But when these novels were made into movies or TV series, none of them could match my imagination. It's either because of wrong casting, bad acting, tedious costumes, sloppy storytelling, minimal budget (so everything is shot in studio rather than in the grand Chinese landscapes as they were told in books), fake action... I could go on and on. Now Ang Lee finally made a wuxia film that captures my imagination and fulfills my dream of childhood.

The casting of CTHD is perfect. No disrespect to Jet Li, but Jet Li would not make Li Mu Bai into what he should be: noble, wise but weary. Chow Yun Fat conveys the unspoken feelings of Li Mu Bai in a way I can't imagine anyone else can. But he's known for his acting, Michelle Yeoh was known for her fighting skills. Here in CTHD, she proves herself as an excellent dramatic actress. The secrete longing for Li and the confusion of Li's true feelings were clearly conveyed by her eyes. The scenes between them are heartbreaking. Zhang Zi Yi is a true discovery! What a wonderful talent to steal scenes after scenes from the veterans around her. She ran from looking innocent, haughty, feisty to loving and distraught. She made the complex Jen a real flesh and blood believable human being. Chang Chen made a perfectly sexy and charming bandit.

The scenery and the photography was beyond belief. The majestic landscapes of China match my imagination when I read all the beautiful Chinese poems of the Tang and Sung dynasties. No wonder those poets could come up with those masterpieces. They sure had the best inspiration. Peter Pau not only captured the landscapes and the settings, he also managed to capture the fast-as-lightening action wonderfully. The shot of Jen gliding over water just lodged in my mind. The soundtrack is also excellent. Tan Dun used different instruments to match the different locales. He mixed in Central Asian music in the desert sequence and Chinese flute in the Southern China scenes. Yo-yo Ma's cello in the main theme makes me want to weep everytime I hear it.

The storytelling was also done expertly. As a romantic-at-heart, I love the desert romance between Jen and Lo. It's one of the most charming and believable love stories that I can remember. Most people gave credit of the fighting to Yuen Wo Ping. I'd give kudos to Ang Lee. I've seen Yuen's martial art films before, but they're never done in such an imaginative and artistic way. The artistic vision has to come from Ang Lee.

To sum it up, three cheers for Ang Lee! You not only fulfilled your childhood dream, you fulfilled mine too. It's such a pleasure to finally see a wuxia novel be done right. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!