House of Flying Daggers (Shi mian mai fu) (2004)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  really pretty crappy, I thought

• xGary X

  
  A provincial guardsman goes undercover and breaks a blind swordswoman out of prison to discover the location of a secret society of rebellious assassins. Zhang Yimou's follow up to Hero is a similarly stunning combination of artistic visuals and beautifully choreographed martial… More
  A provincial guardsman goes undercover and breaks a blind swordswoman out of prison to discover the location of a secret society of rebellious assassins. Zhang Yimou's follow up to Hero is a similarly stunning combination of artistic visuals and beautifully choreographed martial arts, but this time he throws an epic story of unrequited love into the mix. The story's format is another favourite of Chinese cinema, that of the undercover cop with divided loyalties, but blended with mythical fantasy and star crossed lovers it plays out almost like The Departed crossed with Romeo And Juliet. This makes for a more complex character dynamic than that of Hero and therefore a more engaging story, although it does suffer similarly to the previous film in that it can feel like the plot is just a series of excuses for yet another visually glorious set piece. For that reason Zhang is probably once again guilty of style over substance, but what style it is.

• Jan Marc M

  
  House Of Flying Daggers is an exquisite and pleasant barrage of colors, music, martial arts, history, and culture underlined by romance and mystery. Creative fight choreography. Splendid photography. Artful cinematography.

• Lewis C

  
  "If we meet again, one of us will have to die." More than 1000 years ago, an outlaw band called the Flying Daggers terrorizes the weak and ineffective imperial government of China, while earning the love of the public by taking from the rich and giving to the poor. When… More
  "If we meet again, one of us will have to die." More than 1000 years ago, an outlaw band called the Flying Daggers terrorizes the weak and ineffective imperial government of China, while earning the love of the public by taking from the rich and giving to the poor. When their leader is assassinated, another mysterious figure rises to take his place. Two police captains focus on a blind dancer suspected of being a member of the Flying Daggers as a key to finding the new leader they've been ordered to kill, but plots within plots and uncontrollable hearts make the scenario much more complicated than all involved would have expected. It's impossible not to compare House of Flying Daggers to Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Not only because all three are excellent wuxia movies that were released in a relatively close time frame to each other, but also because they share cast (Zhang Ziyi stars in all three) and striking use of color as both a storytelling device and for aesthetic beauty (courtesy of Zhang Yimou, who directed both Daggers and Hero). And I place House of Flying Daggers firmly in the same class of quality as those two other movies I previously mentioned. It's not quite as stunningly gorgeous and technically impressive as Hero (though it's still a visual treat to watch), and neither is it an even match for the breathtaking martial arts sequences and superior acting of Crouching Tiger (though once again, it comes mighty close). Where House of Flying Daggers absolutely shines is when it comes to making you care about the characters and buy into the emotion of the plot. What sets Daggers apart is that it's as much of a love story (and a complicated one, at that) as it is a martial arts film, and it blends those two aspects together very well. I don't use the word "stirring" very often, but here, it fits. House of Flying Daggers also has some truly memorable action scenes, including a spectacularly acrobatic fight amongst a bamboo forest, and a beautifully unique sequence called "The Echo Game", which has stuck with me ever since I saw it in the theater several years ago. This is the kind of movie that only improves with subsequent viewings, and I've come to like it more and more over the years. Martial arts dramas, and dramas in general, don't get much better than this. There's a lot more here than just the thrill of a good fight scene (though those are certainly included). Style and substance, what's not to like? I completely recommend it.

• Drake T

  
  3/4 through the movie and the plot considerably thickens into a Shakespearean romance without so much as a foreshadow. There's so little happening before that other than contrive romance you really have to try and appreciate the action/visuals. Which was hard, what with the… More
  3/4 through the movie and the plot considerably thickens into a Shakespearean romance without so much as a foreshadow. There's so little happening before that other than contrive romance you really have to try and appreciate the action/visuals. Which was hard, what with the excess use of terrible CGI littered over every action scene possible, but the color palettes and cinematography more than often makes up for it. This film would have benefit a lot more if Lau's character was given further exploration to justify his feelings towards Mei or reinforce his friendship with Jin. It just felt their love triangle needed to play bigger roles in the grand scheme of things, another layer to stage their romance if you will. Also, all this talk about the "stunning" visuals is starting to grind my gears. It feels like critics are just freaking out because it's oriental. Eesh.

• Chris W

  
  These modern Wuxia films of the last few yeas have really been something. They're a great mix of art, gorgeous visuals, great choreography, really good story telling, and some unbelievable costumes, art direction, and set design. They're also dripping with craft and tap into… More
  These modern Wuxia films of the last few yeas have really been something. They're a great mix of art, gorgeous visuals, great choreography, really good story telling, and some unbelievable costumes, art direction, and set design. They're also dripping with craft and tap into cultural history and folklore, so that's cool too. Since Yimou Zhang directed both this and Hero, it's okay to get them confused. Both are really good, and, even though msot thought Hero was a masterpiece, I didn't quite think that way. It was really good, but not great. With this film though, I think I liked it just a tad bit more, so I'll give it a very high B+ that almost could be an A-. I'm doing this because I found the story stronger and easier to follow, and, even though I really dig artsiness, whimsy, and think that wire work is cool, I like all thsoe things better when they're toned down, as they are here. All of that stuff can only work for you so much if you're story isn't as strong. With this film, the story is really good, and it reminded me a lot of stuff liek The Departed. It's more of a romance than a straight action epic, but whe ndone well, I'm okay with that. I cared about these characters, and dig the themes of love, honor, loyalty, and betrayal. Besides being a well crafted visual delight, the camera work is awesome, the music is absolutely beautiful, and everything is executed quite well thanks to the strong direction. What makes it all worth it though are the performances. Part of why I cared about the characters is because the actors do a great job. The writing isn't pitch perfect, but the actors take it and make it really sing. I don't really have much else to say. This is a really wonderful cinematic gem that definitely merits watching. The better tv and sound system you have, the more striking this film is, so keep that in mind.

• Wildaly M

  
  The love story is great, the effects as well and the lead actor is a treat. Perfect combination of action and romance. Off the charts!

• Richard C

  
  B

• Anthony L

  
  This is a truly beautiful film, the visuals are simply stunning!

• Tsubaki S

  
  Fast food wuxia flick for western audiences.

• danny d

  
  incredible, the end was lacking but the director found some beautiful shots

• Dan S

  
  A sensational martial-arts movie. What it lacks in character development and chemistry it makes up in astounding action sequences, beautiful scenery, and a soaring musical score. Ziyi Zhang is arresting as the Asian blind beauty, and the ending ends on a somber but effective note.

• Kylie B

  
  Looks stunning, amazing fight sequences but the confusing plot may put some people off.

• Michael S

  
  Breathtaking.

• Rachel F

  
  Beautiful scenes throughout the movie. It is very angsty, but very moving. Not a lot of dialogue, but you don't miss it.

• Stephen M

  
  For two thirds of its length this works like a charm, then there's a plot twist which feels like it's crept in from some dodgy Cold War thriller or something and it gets a bit daft. Still, it's beautiful to look at and more enchanting than 100 Lord of the Rings movies.

• Gordon A

  
  Visually and aurally impressive but the threadbare plot merely strings together set pieces and the central love triangle isn't as gripping as it thinks it is. Lacks the epic scope and narrative of Hero.

• Jennifer X

  
  Where's the final showdown? So anticlimactic it was frustrating!

• Megan S

  
  The bamboo forest fight scene was awesome. The colors and scenery were gorgeous.

• Dean !

  
  A very stylised martial arts film, brilliantly shot with great cinematography. The story is not as good as Hero but otherwise very similar.

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