House of Flying Daggers

[CCamfield]

Movies in Japan are even more expensive than in Canada or the US, but I took myself to Roppongi today to watch House of Flying Daggers (aka Lovers).

Any reports you may have read of spontaneous applause during screenings at film festivals - well any such applause was well-deserved. This is a really great movie with excellent cinematography, great fight scenes, and an excellent and moving story. I know it's a cheesy comparison, but it might be another success on the level of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. I liked it better than Hero...

I think it's coming out in December (maybe the same time that Sky Captain is released in Japan?) - when it does, make sure you see it.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

House of Flying Daggers is a Chinese Movie not a Japanese Movie, despite the fact it has one Japanese actor everyone else is Chinese....

That's about as catastrophic as mistaking something that's Irish as English. And about the same difference applies between Chinese and Japanese.

 

[Krug]

I wanted to see it but didn't get the chance. However, there are some scenes that audiences found grating, particularly

Spoiler

Zhang Ziyi's numerous return from the dead

scenes.

 

[Liminal Syzygy]

Kobold, what are you talking about? He said he saw it in Japan and that's why he is talking about the expense -- he's not saying it's a Japanese movie.

CCamfield, I just saw it this past Saturday as well, most likely at the same theater (Toho in Roppongi Hills). Overall I agree, very good. But not sure about if I liked it better than Hero. I need to see Hero again since it's been such a long time. I liked Hero's intertwined Rashomon-like threads a lot though so I suspect it may win out.

I did however think it could have used a bit more character development. I wasn't sure exactly why

Spoiler

the "lovers" fell for one another -- it seemed like it should require a bit more than 'she's hot' and 'he came back to save me' to break through their facades.

 

[CCamfield]

House of Flying Daggers is a Chinese Movie not a Japanese Movie, despite the fact it has one Japanese actor everyone else is Chinese....

As Cordo wrote, you are evidently having some reading comprehension problems. I did not mistake it for a Japanese film. It would be difficult to do so. I had to make sure to see it with English subtitles as well as Japanese, for instance. To make it perfectly clear, I am LIVING IN JAPAN.

Pricewise, my ticket was 1800 Yen. That's $16 US or $21 Canadian...

Krug - yeah, that did get a bit tiresome.

Spoiler

There was another element of the ending which was rather unbelievable, so the ending wasn't up to par with the rest of the film,

but I still liked it overall.