House of Flying Daggers

Analysis:
Zhang Yimou's second martial arts film could be seen as a thematic sequel to Hero only in the respect that 800 years after the formation of the unified Chinese government, things are beginning to fall apart. Hero was a true tour de force for the director, having never before attempted to make an action film, but the mastery of that film makes it hard to talk about House of Flying Daggers without making comparisons between the two films.

The saying that the first time is the charm may certainly be the case here, as Zhang tries to improve on his martial arts "prototype" by reintroducing the character-driven elements of his earlier films. This allows for a somewhat simpler story about love and betrayal between this young girl and the soldiers caught up in their mission to quash the rebel unit to which she belongs.

This relationship triangle is set up early in a scene set in the colorful Peony Pavillion, where Jin first sees the blind Mei dance. When he gets a bit eager to get a bit more than just a dance, his partner bursts in threatening to take them both to jail, but instead he tests the blind girl's dancing skills with a complicated Echo Game where he throws beans against drums surrounding the dance floor in a pattern which she has to replicate. It's the film's most immediately distinctive and memorable moment, but a rare scene that isn't punctuated by some of the most violent and bloody fighting since Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. Veering away from the fantasy of Hero, the fighting is more visceral and savage with actual blood shed, creating quite a contrast. At times, that realism is hard to watch like when the blind Mei is overpowered by four horsemen in the forest, but the lack of the magic of Crouching Tiger or Hero makes it less unique from Western style martial arts films.


Not to say that House of Flying Daggers is any less spectacular in its visuals in the action sequences like when Mei and Jin run through a bamboo forest, followed in the trees by soldiers bearing sharpened bamboo spears. Another great visual moment that only Zhang Yimou could pull off is the final battle that transcends the change in season from fall to winter. Unfortunately, these incredible moments are spread out across the film's two hours, instead favoring more dialogue-driven storytelling. Seemingly, Zhang tries to return to the feel of some of his earlier films without completely alienating his newfound audience, but it makes for a strange mix that doesn't always flow well. Every time you're lulled into a tranquil sense of security by the love tryst between Mei and Jin, soldiers attack them, leading to another bloody fight. Because the story isn't as strong or unique, the long sections of story development are far less interesting than the sparser action sequences.
Not to say that House of Flying Daggers is any less spectacular in its visuals in the action sequences like when Mei and Jin run through a bamboo forest, followed in the trees by soldiers bearing sharpened bamboo spears. Another great visual moment that only Zhang Yimou could pull off is the final battle that transcends the change in season from fall to winter. Unfortunately, these incredible moments are spread out across the film's two hours, instead favoring more dialogue-driven storytelling. Seemingly, Zhang tries to return to the feel of some of his earlier films without completely alienating his newfound audience, but it makes for a strange mix that doesn't always flow well. Every time you're lulled into a tranquil sense of security by the love tryst between Mei and Jin, soldiers attack them, leading to another bloody fight. Because the story isn't as strong or unique, the long sections of story development are far less interesting than the sparser action sequences.


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