Shi mian mai fu (2004) January 19, 2006
Posted by Mark in : Movies, DVD , 1 comment so farAs a kid I always loved watching Martial Arts movies, although I certainly don’t profess to be an authority on these kind of movies I do feel like I know a good one when I see one. Of the most recent movies that have had wide exposure on these shores I’ve seen Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hero and last Friday I watched Shi mian mai fu (aka House of Flying Daggers).
I’ve had House of Flying Daggers on DVD for a few months but just hadn’t got around to watching it (along with a pile of other good movies just sitting there waiting, it’s just making the time that’s the tough part) until my mate Steve came over for a boys night. I have to say that having watched it I’m not sure I would actually class it as a martial arts movie or even saying that a particularly boyish movie, sure it has martial arts in it but when it comes down to it I would say it’s a love story with a smattering of action.
The plot is actually quite complex, but in brief it is set in China during the ninth century and as part of an undercover operation the governments army uses an undercover officer to break a blind female prisoner (Zhang Ziyi) out of prison in the hope of her leading them to the leader of the House of the Flying Daggers rebel group she is suspected of being as member of. However as time progresses and having spent time together a relatively simple plan becomes far more complicated as love begins to blossom between prisoner and undercover officer.
The entire movie is beautiful with lots of vibrant colours, wonderful authentic looking costume and a completely engaging score. There are a number of action sequences and fight scenes in the movie and when watching it I felt as though each one was pushing the envelope a little bit further, each sequence was unique and was approached with anything but a typical style. For example there is a scene near the beginning of the movie when Mei (Zhang Ziyi) has to play a game to avoid being arrested, the game involves a large arrangement of circular drums which stones are thrown at and Mei must then hit with her long very elegant sleeves (see screenshot below), the way it was shot and executed is superb and unlike anything else I have seen. There is also a scene later in the movie where the two main protagonists are running through the forest being pursued by a number of enemies who are leaping from tree to tree stripping bamboo and throwing it as weapons which again is unlike anything else I’ve seen. These are just two out of the many scenes in the movie which I found particularly jaw dropping.
The movie is definitely the best of the bunch for me (from CTHD, Hero and House of Flying Daggers) the storyline is gripping, the action sequences and martial arts sequences are exhilarating and beautiful and it is a very finely crafted and inspiring movie.
Okay so it wasn’t one of the top 100 in the movie martahon, but that’s okay as that’s not soley what this blog is all about. The House of Flying Daggers is a damn fine movie and I thought it would be wrong if I didn’t give it an honourable mention, so I suggest you give it a go at your earliest convinience! *two thumbs up*