House of Flying Daggers

[jsniderfamily]

Just watched it on DVD.  I was not impressed.
If you are into ZIYI it is fun to watch her stunts.  Otherwise that much bamboo in a movie makes me sleepy.  The flying knives were fun though.

[Achilles]

I thought it was a great movie up until that ridiculous ending. Why they had to leave it on such a depressing note was beyond me. I thought the Bamboo Forest was very pretty. In fact the scenery in the entire movie was very beautiful. I just thought that ridiculous sword battle at the end that lasted till winter was just plain dumb. Takeshi and Ziyi should have rode off into the sunset and said to hell with either side.

[jsniderfamily]

Just goes to show that not having sex in three years and then being shoved aside can make a guy mad.  The ending was poor, I agree.

[Delvie]

I thought it was a great movie up until that ridiculous ending. Why they had to leave it on such a depressing note was beyond me.

LOL
Because it's a tragedy, silly, like Legends Of The Fall or Hero or Hamlet. They weren't designed to make people feel giddy. They were designed to make people go, "hmm!"

Just watched it on DVD.  I was not impressed.
Otherwise that much bamboo in a movie makes me sleepy.  The flying knives were fun though.

Not the type of weeds you prefer?

I replay the drum scene over & over. It kicked ass.

Just goes to show that not having sex in three years...    ...can make a guy mad.

I find 3 weeks maddening

[Achilles]

LOL
Because it's a tragedy, silly, like Legends Of The Fall or Hero or Hamlet.

No, the tragedy was the stupid ending. They might have been trying for tragic, but they ended up with comedy instead. I remember one audience member quipping, "They better hurry up and finish that sword fight before one of them has to use the bathroom."

It would have been a much bolder and daring idea for them to run off together as I mentioned. But maybe the Chinese censors would have found that idea contrary to communist belief of being part of a collective rather than showing independent  thought and freedom of choice.

[boomvavavoom]

LOL

I am laughing out loud here!!

I did like the movie but the last swordfight took way to long...and why cover up the scenery with snow, thus implying the fight lasted months!!

;D

[Delvie]

It would have been a much bolder and daring idea for them to run off together as I mentioned. But maybe the Chinese censors would have found that idea contrary to communist belief of being part of a collective rather than showing independent  thought and freedom of choice.

Bolder?
Try cliche.

It's a good thing Shakespeare or Homer didn't think that way.
It's much better that their plays & stories are bland & unbold.

Think of it like a twist of a Romeo & Juliet theme where two unlikely adversaries fall in love & perish as a result of that love.

I know we can discuss opinions out the wazoo, but the ending was intended to be tragic. I understand that in today's fast food, video game world of cookie cutter endings lots of people would opt for the good guy always wins & gets the girl & the bad guy always loses endings. Sure. I completely agree. The ideal world would be the bad guy being stuck in a monastary & the good guy & girl fall in love & run off to a world of endless sunsets & oral sex. Who wouldn't want that? But the bolder endings are the endings that point out that doing the right thing can sometimes be catastrophic. Because sometimes, being the hero doesn't mean you beat all odds, but you did the right thing in spite of all odds. Sometimes the world sucks. Tragedies reflect that.




For the record: Yes, the end fight scene, while I understand the purpose & meaning of it's unrealistic length, I understand it was a bit much. But it is supposed to be a legend & larger than life.

[jsniderfamily]

I just wanted to see more daggers going around trees, through trees, over trees, through soldiers garments but not harming them, and stuck in a man's back but he runs away anyway.....and of course more bamboo.

[Delvie]

I was hoping for more dance music
;)

[Achilles]

I know we can discuss opinions out the wazoo, but the ending was intended to be tragic. I understand that in today's fast food, video game world of cookie cutter endings lots of people would opt for the good guy always wins & gets the girl & the bad guy always loses endings. Sure.
Bolder?
Try cliche

Actually it is always a dark, doomed, tragic ending for Chinese movies, so that downer ending is actually the cliche. The bold and original idea for the Chinese would be to have the couple running off and living happily ever after.

[boomvavavoom]

For the record: Yes, the end fight scene, while I understand the purpose & meaning of it's unrealistic length, I understand it was a bit much. But it is supposed to be a legend & larger than life.

I DID get that but still...it did the movie no good :p

[Achilles]

Agreed, that last fight scene was ridiculous.