2000 Winner, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Director:  Ang Lee

Distributed by:  Sony Pictures Classics

Released:  December 2000

Country:  Taiwan

Suspension of disbelief is a must for screening movies, watching pro-wrestling, and voting for President.  One has to have the ability to put aside the obvious logical holes and buy into something that cannot be true.  In regard to the cinema, it is the baseline for viewing any narrative film (a movie that tells a fictional story) or documentary film made by Michael Moore (a documenatary that tells a fictional story).

Even the most realistic films require that you accept things that may not make logical sense—jumps in time and background music, for example, are aspects of a film that make the story work, but don’t necessary follow the rules of reality.  Films with magic or science fiction or singing dialogue are accepted by the audience because they know this is part of the deal.  But Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a film with a realistic setting that asks us to put aside the laws of gravity for the sake of the story.

Flying through the trees

The movie is set in 18^th century China and centers on two warrior-friends, one male and one female, played by Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh (I’m going to spare you the character names—no way I would be able to keep them straight).  Yun-Fat wants to retire and is ready to part with his sword, “The Green Destiny.”  He wants Yeoh (whom he has been in love with for years, maybe) to deliver it to an old friend of theirs.  While in Beijing, Yeoh meets a young daughter of an aristocrat (played by Zhang Ziyi—her character is Jen) who is supposed to marry some rich dude but really would rather be a warrior like Michelle Yeoh.  One night The Green Destiny gets stolen and Michelle Yeoh goes after the thief.

Bruce Lee

Here is where the suspension of disbelief comes in.  The next chase scene is just the first of a number of unbelievable actions scenes.  And when I say unbelievable, I mean the laws of gravity are completely thrown out the window.  People are literally flying all over the screen.  And it’s great to watch!  Like watching Pro Wrestling or TV reality shows, if you can shelve your logic, you can sit back and enjoy this film.

Director Ang Lee has made his name in mainstream films in a variety of genres: Brokeback Mountain, Sense and Sensibility, and Life of Pi, to name a few.  This movie is an homage to the old Hong Kong martial arts films with stars like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee.  Just as Spielberg and Lucas honored the old serials from the 30’s and 40’s when they made Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars, respectively, Lee honors his genre without irony.  The cinematography and choreography are phenomenal, and the fighting and chase scenes would be enjoyable even if there were no story.  The point is, even if you don’t know what the hell is going on, it’s a fun one to watch.

The Title:  卧虎藏龙.  Now that’s simple Chinese; I didn’t want to confuse you by using the traditional script.  The title comes from an old Chinese saying about a situation with unnoticeable masters, as in tigers and dragons just around the corner.  Or else it means you have talents you should hide and pull out only when you need them, like the ability to run on treetops or do triple spins with your sword.  Again, I think if you are trying to figure out meaning here, you are probably the same kind of person who reads into the plots of shows like Kung Fu or CHiPs.  Let it go. 

The Culture:  More important culturally than learning about China in the 1700’s is the homage to Hong Kong movie-making that this film is.  The movie is of a genre called “wixia (pronounced WAHK-see-ya),” which concerns martial arts in ancient China.  The movie is actually based on a book in a series called the Crane-Iron series, which you cannot find in English.

Agenda Danger:  Harmless new-agey philosophy is on display; nothing you wouldn’t see get in watching an anime or playing “Zelda: Ocarina of Time.”

Link in Ocarina of Time

Best Picture that year:  Gladiator.  Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was actually also nominated, as was Ang Lee for Best Director.

Rating:  A very fun movie to watch, especially on the big screen (as I did when it came out), even if when you walk away you have no idea what happened.

2001 Winner, No Man's Land

No Man’s Land

Director: Danis Tanović

Distributed by: United Artists

Released: September 2001

Countries:  Bosnia--Herzegovina (also Slovenia, Italy, France, Belgium, and the UK)

One of the most interesting aspects of the American Civil War is the shared heritage and culture of the two enemies.  Guys who went to West Point and fought in the Mexican War together, men who often thought of each other as brothers, were opposing officers of the Union and the Confederacy.  In the ranks, there are stories of Rebels and Yankees singing Christmas hymns together and exchanging tobacco and coffee during lulls in the war.  The war was the war, but it seemed like deep down, they were all Americans.

The Bosnian War of the 90’s was not that war.  The history of the region region is complicated, but it breaks down to the Bosniaks hating the Serbs and the Serbs hating the Bosniaks.  The Serbs under Milosevic were especially brutal in this war, but neither side was innocent of war crimes.  It is this hateful atmosphere that is the backdrop for No Man’s Land.

At war in the trenches

Essentially, this film takes place in one setting—a trench in between the fronts of the Bosniaks and the Serbs, a “no man’s land,” if you will.  In the fog of war, a Bosniak and a Serb get caught in the trench together, knowing that with the confusion taking place, their own people might shoot at them if they try to leave.  There are Serbian land mines all over the place as well.   So this Bosniak--we’ll call him Oscar (because I would never be able to pronounce or spell his real name)--and this Serb--who we’ll call Felix--are stuck and must learn to work together or die for sure.  The question is, can two opposing men share a trench together without driving each other crazy?

Simon Callow: A Room with a View

Add to the mix the fact that the Serbs had taken one of Oscar’s Bosniak dead buddies and stuck him on a land mine as a booby trap and you have a real awkward situation on your hands.  Now, the reveal that the guy on the booby trap isn’t really dead—what next?!

As I watched this movie, I really thought maybe Oscar and Felix would start finding that, gosh, you know, deep down we’re all human beings living on the same rock, and we had better all learn to get along or else.  At one point during a conversation, it turns out that Felix’s wife was once in a bowling league with Oscar’s sister-in-law (or something like that): really an “Isn’t it a small world?” moment.  Maybe things will work out?  Adding to the farce is when the UN steps in to help.  Simon Callow, who you may remember from a supporting role in 1985’s A Room With a View (okay, maybe not—he’s also the villain in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls) plays a UN observer who does about as much good as the UN ever does—none.  All in all it is a farce.

Simon Callow: Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.  Now do you know who I mean?

Truth be told, for awhile I wasn’t sure if this was intended to be a comedy or a drama.  It certainly has the feel of a M*A*S*H or even a Dr. Strangelove, sort of a zany satire on war.  Closer in tone, perhaps, is Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory from 1957, giving us a sort of philosophical morality play.   

Ultimately, there isn’t anything funny going on here.  This is war, and Serbs and Bosniaks don’t like each other, period.  And this war was a particularly ugly one, with genocide and rapes and all sort of nasty stuff going on.  Without giving the ending away, there are no Christmas carols sung, nor tobacco or coffee exchanged between these guys.  The war was the war.

The Title:  Ničija zemlja.  That’s Bosnian. 

The Culture:  Interesting that this movie came out in September 2001.  The Bosnian war dominated the news in the late 90’s and the treaty to end the war was hashed out at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.  The U.S. was a main player in ending this war, and thereby, ending the war crimes against the Bosnian Muslims.  This film, if nothing else, reminds us of the destruction of that war.

Agenda Danger:  Written and directed by a Bosnian, I thought this played right down the middle, with everyone having a mix of humanity and stupidity.  Except the UN, who are portrayed as useless, at least in this instance.

Best Picture that year:  A Beautiful Mind.

Rating:  Worth a look if you like war movies, especially the anti-war kind.