Przyczajony tygrys, ukryty smok

“No growth without assistance. No action without reaction. No desire without restraint. The world is full of tigers and dragons.” The first viewing was for acclimatization, full of wonder and slight uncertainty. The second was for accepting the rules that formed the foundation of the previously unseen world of the film. And the third through fifth viewings comprised the most spiritual and moving emotional experience that I have ever had in front of a movie screen. But rather than a film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an epic cinematic poem that I can watch again and again, and that, like good music, never loses any of its impact. Ang Lee took the motifs of unrequited love, betrayal and responsibility and set them in a socially neutral, spiritually pure environment in which he could give them previously unseen dimensions. The “I’ve already wasted my whole life...” scene will resonate with me forever. (27.05.2002)

A technically captivating and visually impressive romance that for me lacks the right attributes. The Asian setting and strongly non-standard elements are, admittedly, stunning in their unusualness, but on the other hand, they sometimes appear overly poetic in an effort to show the direction that applause and Oscars should take. An exceptional work, but certainly not among the elite company of the best. (07.05.2005)

It may be a classic, but it didn't grab me by the heart or balls. Unfortunately, it took my five days to watch this film because I fell asleep four times, which doesn't bode well. Moreover, I wholeheartedly hate when someone flies on trees or rooftops, I follow the rule of no gravity-no fun and here it irritated me a lot. The choreography is top-notch, the final female fight is definitely the best thing in the film, but as soon as someone flies to a roof after a fight, the great impression is instantly spoiled and everything is more ridiculous than spectacular. 60% (25.03.2015)

Incredible fight scenes, fantastic performances, an impressive story, and a touching ending. However, upon further viewings, the first half becomes excessively drawn out, the dialogue lacks the same power, and the long-awaited action seems like it takes forever to get there. But all the more surprising is the realization that the second half, where it transition almost into a ballet, is even more impressive the second time around, and the ending becomes fatally charged with a stronger sense of fate. For me, though, the highlight will forever be the memory of the ambush in the desert and the subsequent honest romance. This is one of those films that everyone should see. (04.02.2006)

Unlike Hero, this film seems to me to be too tributary to the concept of a large film and really quirky, and it is pensive only during the ending, which is riveting both in terms of combat and drama. Until then, however, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon seemed to me to be an unnecessarily blurred love epic with a slightly unfortunate distribution of retrospectives that unnecessarily breaks the main storyline. It's interesting, but it still resonates most strongly in Lee's conception in the bang of the sword and in a riveting and beautiful catharsis. During the film, there are light indications of force, but they shatter somewhat in the cacophony of voices, in directing played for certainty and in the visual stylization that is no way exceptional. Perhaps it's the "American money" and the "audience focus" that are to blame. At the same time, the theme so typically Asian, the theme of struggle, life and journey, offers a lot of stimuli for film meditation... But Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is just a good action movie, has great examples of Shaolin fights with swords, spears, and who knows what else... However, it speaks to the higher level of the spirit only a few times, but all the more impressively. (07.11.2004)