House of Flying Daggers

For some reason, people like to add an occasional P.S. at the end of their letters to others. Why they can’t just include that extra information in the actual letter, I don’t know; it usually ends up being something that wasn’t all that important to begin with.

“House of Flying Daggers” is an extraordinary new film from director Zhang Yimou. The Tang Dynasty is in shambles, and a corrupt government now rules the land. Rebel armies are forming around the country, but the most powerful and feared is the House of Flying Daggers. Their old leader was killed, and now the government is after the mysterious new leader, whose identity is unknown. The local police think they have found one of the members, who they believe to be the lost daughter of the House’s former leader. She is Mei, played with astonishing force by Zhang Ziyi (or Ziyi Zhang as she now goes by). Mei is a blind dancer, recently employed by a local brothel. The police arrest her after an incident with the police captain, but she is rescued before they begin to torture her. Her rescuer happens to also be a police officer who is posing as a lone warrior, in hopes that she will lead him to the leader of the House.

Having said all that, “House of Flying Daggers” almost uses its plot as a side item. The real beauty of this film lies in its visuals, which rule the movie. The cinematography is breathtaking; Yimou is clearly having a blast showing us the amazing array of colors he has prepared for the journey to the House. In the midst of the smorgasbord of color, there are individual scenes that defy belief. The most amazing features something called the “Echo Game” and will leave you in awe of the originality and careful grace with which all this beauty is presented.

The content in the film is rather mild throughout. The scenes in the brothel at the beginning are fairly tame, as is a scene where the police officer spies on Mei bathing (We see her from the shoulders up). There is a couple instances of heavy kissing on the forest floors, but nothing to extreme. Something we assume is a sex scene pops up near the end, and both the man and woman are without shirts, but nothing but their backs are seen. There is some mild profanity, albeit in subtitles. The violence is also fairly mild, till the final fight scene that turns rather bloody, which will probably be the only thing some might find offense with.

Now, about that final scene. There are a couple of moments where I thought the movie was going to end, but it just decided to keep going. Like those letters with the extra P.S. at the end, I was fine with it at first. But, instead of wrapping up beautifully, it adds another P.S., then another, and then another, till we simply want it to end before it ruins everything that has come before it. When the ending finally comes, it doesn’t quite ruin “House of Flying Daggers,” but it does taint an otherwise remarkable film.

Violence: Moderate / Profanity: Minor / Sex/Nudity: Mild