How does Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon differ from other action films you may have seen?

1. Why do you think action movies, especially Wuxia films, have enjoyed such international commercial success. How does Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon differ from other action films you may have seen?

2. How are gender roles portrayed in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon? What message(s) do you think the film is attempting to transmit with regard to gender roles?

3. What role does poison play in the film in both a literal and, perhaps more importantly, metaphorical sense?

4. The film’s title is a literal translation of a Chinese idiom that refers to a location or a situation where there are “hidden or unnoticed masters.” In other words, sometimes people choose to hide their talents (and powers) in certain situations. How is this idea reflected or presented in the film? Do the events presented in the film’s narrative confirm or contradict this idea? How so?

and write two short peer reviews:

1.”1. Wuxia films have always been beautiful, even if the premise is silly (like in Kung Fu Hustle or Shaolin Soccer). The action in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is extremely unique with the “flying.” I remember when this film first came out. People would not stop talking about it and it was parodied all over television.

2. Gender roles are not typical for the period in this film. First off, Shu Lien owns her own security company and is a proficient fighter. Secondly, Li Mu Bai wants Jen as a disciple in the worst way. He practices a form of martial arts that doesn’t allow women. Also, a woman murdered his master. Jade Fox is the “bad guy” that he’s pursuing throughout the film, which is a step away from a typical martial arts movie.

Jen starts out as a seemingly innocent upper class woman, but it’s soon revealed that she is a budding martial arts prodigy. She story revolves around her and her metamorphosis. I think the film is conveying that things are not always what they seem and that you cannot assume what a person is capable of just because of the way the look or how they were raised.

3. Well obviously poison killed Li Mu Bai at the end of the film. He died by the same hand and the same poison that killed his master, so that came full circle. The subtle role that poison plays is Jade Fox’s influence on Jen’s soul. She was super conflicted with herself at the beginning of the film and over time began to realize the negative influence that Jade Fox had on her. The same can be said of Jen’s influence on Jade Fox. She even said as she was dying the effect that an, “8 year old girl full of deceit” had on her. She let Jen’s natural proficiency at martial arts poison her.

4. Jen and Jade Fox are the most obvious examples of this. Jen was born and raised as a noble and had to play that part outwardly, even though she lived the entirely separate life at night. Jade Fox was an outlaw who hid under the guise of Jen’s governess for many years. I don’ think the events in the film contradict this idea.”

2.

“1. Action films are successful because they are violent and you get invested in characters. Wuxia films are successful in this way but they aren’t violent. They use dancing movements to engage the audience in a more rhythmic way. The film had unique scenes that made it so different from other action films, like how she was flying. You don’t normally see peaceful actions like this.

2. Women have big parts in this movie and they are shown as being important and successful and as fighters. This is shown, but not like this. The crouching tiger hidden dragon displayed a lot of respect and strength in women, and had them in roles that you wouldn’t typically place a women. It was very cool to see.

3. Poison was used to kill the guy at the end and it was also used to kill the master. From this poison was in real life used as a way to kill people. On the other hand it was also used in a subtle way with character development and who they were associated with. Some of the people were later found to be bad or poisonous for their relationship.

4. Hidden talents and powers are shown a few times in the movie. Jen didn’t know of her talent and then it was realized Jen was a natural martial arts fighter. The film shows a lot about this and Jen’s transformation with the hidden talent. The bad guy in the movie was also very sneaky and hid who she really was. She posed as someone who is helpful and trustworthy to Jen, but then it is shown afterwards as the opposite. The film confirms this idea of hidden talents.”