House of Flying Daggers

House of Flying Daggers is everything Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon tried to be but wasn’t. With its majestic visuals, astounding fight sequences, and genuinely compelling characters, the film outdoes Ang Lee’s acclaimed hit in virtually every way. The film tells the simple story of a ninth century cop who is assigned the task of getting close to a blind assassin (Zhang Ziyi) in order to track down the notorious House of Flying Daggers (a covert group determined to bring down the government). Director Zhang Yimou imbues the film with a wonderful sense of style, ensuring that virtually every single scene is interesting on a purely visceral level. This is the sort of movie that demands to be seen on as big a screen as possible to fully appreciate the intricate work accomplished by Zhang (along with cinematographer Zhao Xiaoding). On top of everything else, the film is also incredibly romantic; the love triangle that emerges has an unexpected amount of emotional depth going for it. House of Flying Daggers is a real accomplishment and it’s hard to imagine any other films at this year’s festival topping this one.

***1/2 out of ****