Crouching Tiger

[J Rand]

I have been reading with interest some of the comments about Ang Lee's film
and although my own personal response when I saw the film was similar in
some ways in that I felt that the treatment somewhat trivilised the subject,
I felt that perhaps such responses needed closer examination.

The question I would like to ask is whether, because we have seen a variety
of Asian films we perhaps bring preconceived ideas when we go to watch them.
My own personal disappointment in the film was that having studied a
film-maker such as Ozu where only the essence of the philosophy appears in
films that are essential about everyday life, Crouching Tiger was rather in
your face and for me, at least, didn't quite make it.

However, I wonder how it was received by people who do not have any other
comparisons and perhaps know only very little about Chinese/Japanese culture
and philosophy.   As Tony Rayns described it - a post Matrix experience
allowing for such physical manifestations of cultural mythologies etc.
However, should this be seen as a fault?    When I saw the Matrix - although
not particularly my sort of film - I was able to enjoy all the effects -
although I accept that might have been partly because technology itself was
an integral part of the narrative.  But why should we react adversely to a
Chinese film employing these techniques - does it in fact raise the question
about the West needing to create the Orient as a mystical other whose power
lies beyond technology?

I did think it was visually spectacular in many places and thought the power
struggle taking place in the swaying trees really worked.  My observation of
the audience was that most seemed really to enjoy the film, although I
couldn't quite relate to the laugher either, but perhaps, for some people,
this will be a first step to exploring what other Asian films have to offer.
Perhaps a hybrid of this nature can actually do more to bridge gaps and open
other doors for other Asian cinema that is perhaps not so readily accessible
to the general public than any amount of discussions.