I was mostly attracted by the story : there was Action combined with romance (which is one of the favorite genres that I like to watch).
The story was like a moving painting with all the bright and dark sides of it just like other chinese Fantasy-Wuxia films that manages to keep you interested especially when there are fighting scenes on the screen.
The ending wasn't what we all want it to be but it's sort of expected for this genre of film.
If you're action-romance lover then this film's for you.
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Up until the end I would\'\'ve given this movie a 10 in story, but the ending just ruined it for me. It wasn\'\'t a bad ending, it just wasn\'\'t my type of ending. Some people will probably love this movie and give it all 10\'\'s but for me the ending just wasn\'\'t how I would\'\'ve ended it so i\'\'m giving the story a 9, the acting was a 10 since all of them were amazing actors, the music an 8 because while it wasn\'\'t the best music it did fit the story just fine. As for rewatch value, while I personally don\'\'t like to rewatch movies or dramas until 1-2 years afterwards, I would rewatch this one so i\'\'ll give it a 7. Overall, i\'\'m giving this movie a 9 because if you\'\'re a fan of any of the cast(lucky me for being a fan of all three of the main actors!), or a fan of the Wuxia genre, or a fan of Chinese choreography, you\'\'ll absolutely love this gem of a film.
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"The wind breezes through without a trace"
House of Flying Daggers was a movie where style over substance wasn’t a failing. Zhang Yi Mou pulled out his magical color palette and bathed the screen with gorgeous deep hues. Beautiful people wore luxurious costumes as they danced, fought, and loved in the kaleidoscope background. This director knows how to hit all my film watching pleasure spots through sight and sound.The plot is fairly simple. With a failing and corrupt government, the underground House of Daggers grew into being. Stealing from the rich and helping the poor while fighting against the crooked officials they’ve earned a target on their backs. Jin and Liu are tasked with bringing down the Daggers’ leader. They suspect the new blind dancer at the Peony Pavilion is the daughter of the recently deceased leader and seek to use her to guide them to the alliance through subterfuge. Jin goes undercover as someone taken with her beauty and breaks her out of jail. The only problem is, “who’s zoomin’ who?”
The thin storyline worked largely due to the commitment of Zhang Zi Yi and Kaneshiro Takeshi in playing adversaries pretending to have fallen for each other, especially when their true feelings begin to trip them up. Their relationship evolves from brutal possession to erotic whispering caresses. Treachery and zealous devotion played out both personally and professionally for a number of people. The twists and turns may not have been earthshattering but they were entertaining. They also showed how little value was put on the lives of the pawns in the game between two powerful forces.
Tony Ching choreographed numerous wire-fu fights with swords and speeding daggers. The battle in the bamboo forest was stunning. Soldiers crawling up and down the verdant trees while also using them as weapons was enthralling. For the most part people were shown full body length in order to observe the intensity of the fights. When the bamboo shatters or impales it was both beautiful and shocking. The singing daggers could bend in flight and bank off of objects to land their targets. While not a fight, Zhang Zi Yi’s dance with the drums was breathtaking and quite memorable. Zhang Jianmin’s dance choreography flowed with power equal to any fight in the film. The percussion ballet was as magnificent as the bamboo one.
Umebayashi Shigeru’s score could be wistful one moment and heart pounding the next. Romantic, playful, traditional and modern, the music enhanced every scene. Zhang’s use of color never ceases to amaze me. Whether in the feminine Peony Pavilion with pink dresses and butterflies or the autumnal trees and falling leaves of the forest, he never neglects the important visual aspects of his films. As mentioned before, the emerald bamboo battle was one of the most iconic scenes from his films.
Mei and Jin’s life and death decisions were made in the sheer elegance and poetry of Zhang’s visual style accompanied by a haunting score. The plot involving both personal and national passions played out in the forests, fields of flowers, and snow. It’s hard to say which was more captivating, I tend to lose my sense of perspective when immersed in Zhang Yi Mou’s world.
3 February 2024
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Now for the weak plot. There are some parts of the story which I felt should have been explored. The title is House of Flying Daggers, so why does the plot barely revolve around them? Weren't they supposedly stealing from the rich to give to the poor? It's all alluded to, never shown. The movie needed them to be dealt with, yet was mostly centered around our three main leads. Grant you, this kept things more simple but it needed more substance. There is no buildup to the romance either, and I was a bit bothered by this. It was cold and then got really hot within minutes, but once it got started, it was smoking!
The OST was the best part of this production. I listened to the whole thing on Spotify today and loved the romantic ballads and moving themes. The Lovers melody is very moving and Kathleen Battle's rendition is beautiful.
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This movie is perfect for those who love the Wuxia and romance genres. I highly recommend!
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The story was magnificent. I have never seen anything like this before.
Acting was well played. I could never even catch myself thinking that there are cameras filmig this whole scene.
Music was the thing that really made me feel like I was in the middle of the action myself. Even though I didnt quite like the songs. They werent of my taste.
I should watch this again some time. Since the last time I saw it was atlest 5 year ago.
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Have mixed feelings about this.
The story started of great. Mysterious faction and govt trying to find them.And then idk what the movie was trying to show. Ofc i didn't see the tags and that wrong on my part but most of the time went in the romance and the scenes and and ending with the love triangle between the leads.
Cinematography is great
Fighting scenes are great
Them putting ambushes from both sides were good
Twists were great.
Except for the story telling?
It felt uncomplete to me. Maybe coz i was more focused on faction and how its gonna fight?
Maybe i would love a drama of this which shows more about faction.
Ending is satisfying but i was hoping all the three to whoosh. But anyway still fine i guess.
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beautiful
this movie is one of those you will never forget. it's one of a kind and it is really difficult to explain how you are going to experience it as there are no comparison. more than a story what this is all about is beauty. beautiful faces, beautiful personalities, beautiful martial art, beautiful dances, beautiful costumes, beautiful landscapes, beautiful poems, beautiful spiritual evolution. the closest I can think about is that day I walked to the beach, and on my way back I came across wild strawberries in the fields. I just sat there on the side of the path and ate as much strawberries as I could and just forgot about my way home. this movie is very alike: I came for the story and forgot all about it while being amazed by the beauty of each scene.use big screen and switch off the light.
not suitable for under 18 person (violence and sex).
when watch this? a day of blissful laziness. for example this first day you realize that spring is back because the sun shined all day, and girls were wearing skirts again, and bright colors, and flowers were blooming all your way. this kind of light and peaceful days: don't ruin your mood with something less than this. open a bottle of champagne or lemonade and enjoy the beauty!
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