Hiipivä tiikeri, piilotettu lohikäärme

“No growth without assistance. No action without reaction. No desire without restraint. The world is full of tigers and dragons.” The first viewing was for acclimatization, full of wonder and slight uncertainty. The second was for accepting the rules that formed the foundation of the previously unseen world of the film. And the third through fifth viewings comprised the most spiritual and moving emotional experience that I have ever had in front of a movie screen. But rather than a film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an epic cinematic poem that I can watch again and again, and that, like good music, never loses any of its impact. Ang Lee took the motifs of unrequited love, betrayal and responsibility and set them in a socially neutral, spiritually pure environment in which he could give them previously unseen dimensions. The “I’ve already wasted my whole life...” scene will resonate with me forever. (27.05.2002)

Starting with the flashback to the desert ambush (about halfway through) it’s absolute cinematic perfection and mental cleansing in one. Unfortunately, this film suffers from a lackluster to sluggish start, which is why it's only 4* overall. And it looks amazing on Blue-Ray!! (13.04.2003)

Unlike Hero, this film seems to me to be too tributary to the concept of a large film and really quirky, and it is pensive only during the ending, which is riveting both in terms of combat and drama. Until then, however, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon seemed to me to be an unnecessarily blurred love epic with a slightly unfortunate distribution of retrospectives that unnecessarily breaks the main storyline. It's interesting, but it still resonates most strongly in Lee's conception in the bang of the sword and in a riveting and beautiful catharsis. During the film, there are light indications of force, but they shatter somewhat in the cacophony of voices, in directing played for certainty and in the visual stylization that is no way exceptional. Perhaps it's the "American money" and the "audience focus" that are to blame. At the same time, the theme so typically Asian, the theme of struggle, life and journey, offers a lot of stimuli for film meditation... But Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is just a good action movie, has great examples of Shaolin fights with swords, spears, and who knows what else... However, it speaks to the higher level of the spirit only a few times, but all the more impressively. (07.11.2004)

Incredible fight scenes, fantastic performances, impressive story, and touching ending. However, upon further viewings, the first half becomes excessively drawn out, and the dialogues lack the same power and the long-awaited action seems to never arrive. But all the more surprising is the realization that the second half, where it turns into a ballet-like style, is even more impressive the second time around, and the ending becomes fatally charged with a stronger sense of fate. For me, though, the highlight will forever be the memory of the ambush in the desert and the subsequent honest romance. It's one of those films that everyone should see. (04.02.2006)

Love, revenge, and martial arts underscored by beautiful clean music. I am always stronger and softer at the same time after watching it. One of my favorite movies from Asia... a legend, 5 stars. (31.05.2011)

A technically captivating and visually impressive romance that for me lacks the right attributes. The Asian setting and strongly non-standard elements are, admittedly, stunning in their unusualness, but on the other hand, they sometimes appear overly poetic in an effort to show the direction that applause and Oscars should take. An exceptional work, but certainly not among the elite company of the best. (07.05.2005)

I don't quite know what to make of this movie. It’s evident that the Chinese, not only in their films but also in their overall lifestyle, care a lot about their history and traditions, so different and separate from everyone else’s. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a wonderfully refined spectacle, in which that particular historical flavour is perfectly reflected, and together with a great cast, a beautiful setting and an engaging soundtrack, we are presented with an absolutely hypnotic saga into the souls of determined and wise warriors, the impact of which, despite some reservations, I cannot deny. And as for the reservations, it was the rather slower orientation towards the sublime and for me quite unusual Asian style that prevents me from giving it a full rating. But I will gladly watch it again and who knows what will happen then, but at the moment the 80% seems a perfectly appropriate and deserved number... (10.10.2012)

Incredibly beautiful movie, which you will enjoy only if you embrace its unreal game and don't mind that the characters fly. But that's the beauty of this artistic action ballet, which also has beautiful characters and a very powerful story, it's not just action or art for itself. (07.04.2016)