Crouching Tiger and the asses in the theater

[Steven Spinali]

JERRY TURNER wrote:

> Thought I would jump on the wagon here. First let me
> state I think CTHD is one of the most beautiful movies
> I have ever seen. I also noticed quite a bit of
> laughter during the film. The first 15 minutes of the
> film 20 people walked out. "Don't nobody want to read
> no writing." The thing is CTHD was not mentioned as a
> subtitled movie. I didn't even know until about two
> days before I went. Most Americans don't respond well
> to subtitles. Everything should be catered to us
> right?
>
Let's hope that movies like CTHD will make it standard for new
Chinese/HK/Taiwanese action films to get subtitles. Jackie Chan's
re-releases have really suffered for the dubbing, as you probably
know.

> The laughing: 
> 
> Number one it pissed me off to no end. The part where
> the young girl beats ass is funny, that I will admit.
> I just didn't find the part with Chow and the girl
> fighting in the trees funny. I really enjoyed the
> quietness of it. 
>
I didn't find the second sequence funny, either, but I believe it was
intended to be; it's a counterpoint to the earlier ass-kicking scene,
where she was victorious. When Chow Yun-Fat is balancing on the end of
a bamboo branch, and the girl is nearly beside herself trying to knock
him off; then, he jumps off, knocking her down twenty feet. It's a
homage of a device I've seen in a half-dozen martial arts features. I
bellieve Ang Lee missed the intended effect, though there's nothing
wrong with the effect he ended up with..

> What people don't understand, including that lame dick
> on the today show is the story is based on an almost
> supernatural tale. A TALL tale. That's what I think
> the flying represented. 

You're right on target there. (But then, I hope nobody uses Katie
Kouric as their aesthetic guide.) Of course, flying is common enough
in HK martial arts fantasies, like the Swordsman trilogy, The Bride
with White Hair, Fire Dragon, etc. More than I can count. They
actually have a name for it: flying fu. 
 
> I think as the result of the film's success more
> martial arts films will probably be released in the
> states with small popularity except among us Asian
> film buffs. CTHD kinda had the Blair Witch syndrome.
> Billed as the super scary movie, Blair Witch was
> praised by the critics but 90 percent of the American
> population didn't know what to make of it. 
> 
Ang Lee has already planned a sequel, to be produced right after he
gets dome with The Incredible Hulk. I'm not joking.

> Bottom line, most people will continue to watch (I'm
> gonna get blasted for this) marginally good martial
> arts films like the Matrix (yes I know the same guy
> did the fight scenes) because they "don't want to read
> no pictures."
> 
I'm probably not as enthusiastic about CTHD as you are, but let's be
thankful that Ang Lee directed. If he hadn't, it probably would have
been released dubbed, and we wouldn't be having ths discussion!