| | |
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1, Dolby Digital (5.1), Audio Commentary, Featurette, English, Visual Effects Feature, French Dubbed & Subtitled
"Prepare your eyes for popping," in this "martial-arts fireball that throws in a lyrical love story, headspinning fights and dazzling surprises" (Rolling Stone). "Gorgeous entertainment" (New York Times), and "a whirling martial arts extravaganza" (Entertainment Weekly)! Mel is an exotic, beautiful blind dancer, associated with a dangerous revolutionary gang, known as the House of Flying Daggers. Captured by officers of the decadent Tang Dynasty, Mel finds herself both threatened - and attracted - to the most unusual circumstances. Here, her heart and loyalties battle each other, amid warriors in the treetops and dazzling combat - the likes of which have never before been seen!
"[Crouching] You may never see a more beautful movie..." BBC Online
"[Crouching] One of the greatest movies ever made." Joel Siegel, Good Morning America
"Prepare your eyes for popping." Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"[Daggers] The Best Picture of the Year!" Richard Corliss, Time
Editor's Note
Following up his award-winning martial-arts drama HERO, director Zhang Yimou (JU DOU, RAISE THE RED LANTERN) tells an intricately detailed love story in the swordfighting epic HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, set during the final days of the Tang Dynasty. A mysterious group called the Flying Daggers is a dangerous threat to the government, so police captain Leo (Andy Lau) sends his right-hand man, Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro), undercover to try to find the rebels' location. Jin, a notorious playboy, pretends he is a roving warrior called "Wind" and befriends Mei (Ziyi Zhang), a blind dancer who is believed to be the daughter of the former leader of the Daggers. As he leads her across the countryside, they are "attacked" by government soldiers--but these battles are staged by Leo in order to convince Mei that Jin is on her side. But when a general orders that Mei must be captured at any cost, the fighting turns real, and Jin must decide between his loyalty to his job and his growing love for Mei. Meanwhile, Mei battles her feelings for Jin as well, trying to hide her true self. Zhang's gorgeous, compelling film is filled with beautiful singing and dancing, marvelous costumes, and wonderful locations; the scene in the Bamboo Forest is unforgettable, as is the Echo Game, which Leo and Mei play in the Peony Pavilion. There are also twists throughout the film and by the time the end comes, audiences will be spinning their heads in awe and amazement at the neverending wonders of this special movie. The film is dedicated to Anita Mui, who was to have a starring role before her unexpected death.
| Features | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | [Crouching] Ang Lee And James Schamus Commentary | | [Crouching] Audio: Mandarin 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 5.1 Dolby Digital And Mandarin, English, French 2-Channel Dolby Surround | | [Crouching] BRAVO Making-Of Special: Unleashing The Dragon | | [Crouching] Conversation With Michelle Yeoh Featurette | | [Crouching] Filmographies | | [Crouching] Link To Website | | [Crouching] Photo Montage | | [Crouching] Production Notes | | Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation | | Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 (Mandarin, English, French) | | Behind The Scenes Photo Gallery | | Commentary With Actor Ziyi Zhang And Director Zhang Yimou | | Creating The Visual Effects Featurette | | Making Of House Of Flying Daggers Featurette | | Previews | | [Daggers] Storyboard Comparisons | | Subtitles: English, French | | Theme Song 'Lovers' Music Video | | Audio: English Dolby Digital (5.1) | | Subtitles: English, French Dubbed & Subtitled | | Lovers Music Video | | Audio Commentary With Director Zhang Yimou And Star Ziyi Zhang | | Making-Of-Featurette |
| Entertainment Reviews
 | The House of Flying Daggers - DVD Review By: Jeremiah Kipp - filmcritic.com DVD Reviews Published on: 7/3/2009 10:48 PM | |
A poet of the small gesture, Zhang Yimou moves on from his slice-of-life dramas Not One Less and Happy Times to the more broad, operatic strokes of Hero and The House of Flying Daggers. The resulting House is an astonishing work of cinematic beauty; filled with strong primary colors and evocative storybook forests of green bamboo or autumn leaves. The sound design is remarkable, staging a series of ritualistic combat scenes between policemen and assassins that are stunning in their brevity — focusing the attention on the swish of cloth, the murmur of breath, or the rush of a cool breeze....read the full review |
| Technical Info
|
Release Information
| | Studio: Columbia Tri-Star |
| Release Date: 1/22/2008 |
| Running Time: 119 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2004 | | Catalog ID: 09178 | | UPC: 00043396091788 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: Mandarin | | Available Audio Tracks: English Dubbed, French Dubbed, Chinese, Mandarin | | Available Subtitles: English, French | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
|
| | Professional Reviews | Premiere
"The action sequences are often joltingly spectacular..." 12/01/2004 p.24-6New York Times
"[A] gorgeous entertainment, a feast of blood, passion and silk brocade." 12/03/2004 p.E21 Los Angeles Times
"Zhang reveals bold finesse at pulling off an emotion-charged epic of style and sophistication that is exciting and at times humorous." 12/03/2004 p.E8 USA Today
"[A}n orgy of spellbinding visuals: dazzling acrobatics, mesmerizing martial arts, sumptuous settings and resplendent costumes. With its high drama and historical setting, it is more like an opera than a movie." 12/03/2004 p.1E Rolling Stone
"[With] a lyrical love story, head-spinning fights and dazzling surprises....Prepare your eyes for popping." 12/09/2004 p.190 Uncut
"Zhang Yimou returns with another beautifully wrought incursion into classical Chinese folklore." 01/01/2005 p.158 Entertainment Weekly
"[A]n outrageously gorgeous spectacle of balletic aggression....[With] a romantic passion that's woven into the very fabric of the action." p.64 Sight and Sound
"HOUSE is lushly emotional, intimate and intricately tricked out....Zhang has always deployed colour and design with immense skill..." 01/01/2005 51-2 Movieline's Hollywood Life
"[T]he ravishing visual compositions add a magical note to this tragic tale." 12/01/2004 p.103 Empire
4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he real delight here is the inspired fights, the lyrical love story and the twisty-turny narrative." 12/01/2008 p.200 James Berardinelli's ReelViews 10 of 10
[Crouching] The critically celebrated Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an epic martial arts - James Berardinelli
Rolling Stone 9 of 10
[Crouching] A truly unique martial-art film--a spellbinder that brings a poet's eye to stunts of - Peter Travers
Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
Forget about the plot, the characters, the intrigue, which are all splendid in "House of Flying Dagg - Roger Ebert
|
| |
|
|
|
