Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Ang Lee directed the wuxia film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." The plot revolves around two warriors looking for a stolen sword and a nomad fugitive, both of whom meet a gorgeous yet highly talented aristocrat's daughter. Its spectacular photography by Peter Pau ("The Killer" and "The Swordsman") and lyrical martial arts choreography earned it nearly instant recognition.
Despite the fact that Ang Lee had previously created films in the United States ("Sense and Sensibility" in 1995), it wasn't until the success of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" that he was recognized as one of Hollywood's big cinema directors. It reintroduced Chinese cinema to international mainstream audiences and fostered an eastern renaissance of King Hu-style martial arts films.
The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2000, and was released theatrically in the United States on December 8, 2000. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was an overwhelming critical and commercial success, winning over 40 awards and being nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2001, including Best Picture, and winning Best Foreign Language Film, Best Art Direction, Best Original Score, and Best Cinematography, receiving the most nominations ever for a non-English language film at the time, until Roma tied this record in 2018. The film also received four BAFTAs and two Golden Globe Awards, one of which was for Best Foreign Film.
Detailed information:
Directed by: Ang Lee
Starring: Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Sihung Lung, Cheng Pei-pei
Release date: 8 May 2000
Running time: 120 minutes
