In 2000, Ang Lee’s film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a huge international success. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon introduced the Western world to wuxia martial arts that they were not familiar with at the time. The success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon internationally opens the door for other wuxia style films yet to come.
Liu Mubai is a skilled and famed sword fighter, who wants to retire from the martial arts life. He asks his dear friend, Yu Shulien to take the Green Sword to Sir Te. When she gives the Green Sword to Sir Te, he inquires about Liu Mubai and her relationship. She tries to deny that there is anything there but Sir Te tells her to follow her heart. However, she can’t do that because she feels that it is wrong to disrespect her dead fiancé. Also, Liu Mubai does not want to disrespect his dead friend which is why he does not act upon his feelings for Yu Shulien. The lives of the swordsmen are considered to be free and they are allowed to whatever they please. However, we see that is not true. In the world of martial arts, there are rules and societal norms that those part of the martial arts society follow. To someone like Jen, that world may seem so free but through Yu Shulien and Liu Mubai, we see that they are also seeking freedom but just in a different manner.
The theme of individuality plays an important role in the film. Jen is constantly seeking a way to be free and live on her own. She is very unhappy with the arranged marriage that her parents have set up for her because she wishes to marry because of love not because it would be beneficial to her family. She envies the lives of Yu Shulien and Li Mubai because she wants to lead an exciting and free life like she imagines they do. Jen is given various situations where she can obtain the kind of freedom that she seeks. Ironically, she does not grasp her chances and chooses to stay. When Jade Fox, the criminal that has been posing as Jen’s governess, asks Jen to leave with her and become her disciple. Jen refuses her offer because she does not want to kill and she does not want to against the law, which is an interesting concern considering that she stole the Green Sword. Jen is shown as wanting to be free and escape from everything but in a sense, she is too concerned about her family and society to actually do so. When Lo comes to find her so she can escape with him back to the desert, she refuses even though she doesn’t want to be married off. She passionately loves Lo because she denies her love for him because she can’t separate herself from the life that she is used to. Jen denies herself the many situations of freedom that are given to her in the film. However, at the end of the film, she is shown drifting off into clouds and her future is unknown.
The three characters in the film all want to freedom and break free of the rules that society puts on them. Liu Mubai just wants to be with his true love, Yu Shulien but we see that he is not able to do that until the end where he dies. Yu Shulien is finally able to acknowledge her feelings for Liu Mubai as he lies in her arms dying. The future of Jen is unknown but we see that she is able to gain her freedom as we watch the final scene of her drifting into the clouds. At the end of the film, the characters achieve a sense of freedom that they were seeking even if it is not the most ideal way.
All the themes that you pointed out are themes that have occurred in almost all the Chinese films that we have seen in class already. Individuality is a theme that is constantly emphasized in all the Chinese literature, music, and movies we have seen. This is interesting because seeing the movie as targeted also for the Chinese people, they are constantly reminded to be themselves- something that Westerners cannot relate to. For the Western audience, the repetitiveness of individuality in Chinese movies can almost be seen as a cliche. Thus, I think that there is definitely a different cultural understanding when watching the movie.
ReplyDeleteI agreed with Yujinyun's view of the movie. I thought this movie wants to tell that when there are confrontations between generations, social classes, and political powers so forth there will be fights and competitions to obtain freedom and privilege. Also, I think that in the movie freedom and individualism were one of main topics that the director wanted to contain, and Jen is the significant role who is struggling with personal freedom as a rebellion and defier.
ReplyDelete"However, at the end of the film, she is shown drifting off into clouds and her future is unknown."
ReplyDeleteThis stood out to me because I recalled the same fate for the little girl in Yellow Earth. Just like Hwanny says, Chinese films do seem to have recurring themes and topics. I wonder if this is true for also Korean films.