House of Flying Daggers Review
In ninth century China, the leading power, The Tang Dynasty has become weakened and corrupt. In retaliation a secret people's movement known as The House of Flying Daggers, fight the government, steal from the rich and provide to the poor.
Two generals of the government's army Leo (Lau) and Jin (Kaneshiro) are placed in charge of an undercover mission to seek out and assassinate the head of the House of Flying Daggers. To do so, an incident is staged at a showgirl house; the outcome is the capture and arrest of a blind dancer named Mei (Zhang) who is believed to be part of the House.
Jin however breaks into the prison and breaks Mei free in an attempt to gain her trust. His efforts become all too real however, when the government's military are not informed of his position and believe him to be part of the people's movement and hunt him as if he were.
The bond between Jin and Mei grows stronger and before too long, Jin is left wondering whether he should follow his orders or his heart. Emotions are toyed with and what was staged becomes real. Left by Mei for her own reasons, Jin refuses to let go of their bond and returns only to find that the charade he has found himself involved in runs much deeper than first thought.
House of Flying Daggers is a beautifully filmed action/drama where the key players are forced into uncomfortable positions where they must choose duty or desire. Even more compelling is the outcome and how the decisions made lead to even more treacherous consequences.
Cinematically the film works much like many within the same genre (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hero etc), some of the fight scenes may not be quite as epic however work quite well when not compared to higher budget films.
What constantly drew my attention in this film was the constant use of the hues and expression of seasons. Although the story plays out in what we learn is four days or so, we see what appears to be a full cycle of the seasons within. The beginning we see bright sunlight and shining colors that introduce the lighter side of the characters. Battles are fought amidst fields of the same flowers that are picked as love blossoms between Jin and Mei.
The season appears to change as the characters enter the forest, autumn leaves fall and collage the surroundings with vibrant reds and yellows whilst autumn mist appears and floats eerily between the bamboo thickets. The idea of fall is also conveyed through the actions of the government troops as swoop silently from tree to tree piercing the air with sharpened bamboo sticks; their movement is violent yet soft and subtle like that of the leaves around them.
Finally in the closing scenes of the film, the battles become more rampant and less thought out, the movement is no longer calculated and what was once silent is now thunderous with roars of vengeance. Up until this point the violence in the film is stylized and pretty, more like a dance of death. The battle itself is cold and bitter, much akin to the snow that begins falling from the sky setting the mood one last time.
In summary, House of Flying Daggers is a cinematic experience that can be enjoyed especially if you are into the cinematic styling of the eastern world. Yes there are films out there with special effects that top this but if it was special effects you were after you would go see a Michael Bay film. House of Flying Daggers is true to its origins and influences, tells a beautiful story and leaves questions in the viewers mind.