House of Flying Daggers Movie Review:


As the Tang Dynasty peters on the verge of collapse, the state police force is fighting to bring down bands of assassins who are conspiring against China’s leaders. The most notorious and deadly is the House of Flying Daggers but no one knows who they are or where they come from. Deputies Jin (Kaneshiro) and Leo (Lau) decide to go undercover to flush out a member of the elusive clan, gain their confidence and work their way in, hopefully discovering who the head of the House of Flying Daggers is.

After the directing the astounding ‘Hero’, Yimou Zhang returns to similar territory with ‘House of Flying Daggers’ but can he create another visual historical masterpiece? Yes and No.

Combining beautifully shot scenery with stunning martial arts sequences made ‘Hero’ one of the best examples in the genre and ‘House of Flying Daggers’ goes some way into continuing this stand but the story in the final section of the movie that lets the film down. It all starts well and good, with an intriguing premise of unknown assassins trying to bring the Tang Dynasty down. Throw in two patriotic police officers who try and infiltrate the clan by entrapping a beautiful and deadly female member of the Daggers, only for a love triangle to form and bring conflict to the mission and you have a story that draws you in from the off. The problems arise in the finale of the film that becomes far too overlong and almost too comic book, ruining all the most of the good plot work that had so brilliantly built. While we are all waiting for a final confrontation, it becomes too far fetched and elongated. It is also slightly confusing, leaving too many unanswered questions at the film’s conclusion.

The problems with the plot only slightly distract you from what is a very enjoyable historical, martial arts epic. It is the performances that are the highlight of the movie. The three principle actors work extremely well together and are the driving force behind the film. Takeshi Kaneshiro is excellent as Jin, the young, enthusiastic officer dedicated to bringing down the House of Flying Daggers until he meets Mei. Kaneshiro creates a cocky but skilful character that is torn between duty and love. He excels in the action sequences but it is the interaction between him and Ziyi Zhang that is the key element of the movie. Andy Lau continues to make waves in the acting world with another fine performance as officer Leo, the man working to keep Jin’s cover but struggling to keep men under control as they hunt down Jin and Mei. Lau is an actor to watch and he always creates characters that are both believe and strong. Ziyi Zhang is as talented an actress as she is beautiful. As blind Dagger assassin Mei, she is both vulnerable and deadly, drawing you into her plight. It is the chemistry between her character and Jin that key to the film’s success, as you are drawn into their love story and the repercussions of it. She also excels in the martial arts sequences proving that she is a talent that everyone should be watching.

As in ‘Hero’, director Yimou Zhang and his crew create a visual feast for the eye as the majestically combine stunning photography with jaw dropping martial arts. The drum sequence involving Leo and Mei is astoundingly beautiful, intermixing astonishing skill with visuals that will have you staring at the screen in awe. The Forest battle and the plains ambush also have a similar impact as the filmmaker pushes more realism than mysticism. It is only when we come to the bamboo chase that the excessive wire work and unbelievable actions come to bare. While the sequence is again visually stunning, it does take away some of the believability of the piece that the first two thirds of the movie had created.

House of Flying Daggers might not be as good as ‘Hero’ but it is still a good movie in its own right. Visually stunning with some exceptional martial arts there is a lot here to enjoy. It is only the slight problems with the finale could spoil your enjoyment but this is still another fine example of how Asian filmmaking is becoming the true hotbed of talent.



Jamie Kelwick

 

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