Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon movie storyline. Li Mu Bai, a great warrior decides to turn in his sword, the Green Destiny to a treasured friend. When the sword is then stolen, it is up to him to retrieve it. At the same time he is trying to avenge his master’s death by the evil Jade Fox. He is joined in his quest by Shu Lien, the un-conceded love of his life. During all of this, they are introduced to Jiao Long Yu, the mysterious and beautiful daughter of a well known family. She is the mysterious link to all these tales. But through all the many subplots, this is in essence, a love story.
The film is set in the Qing Dynasty during the 43rd year (1778) of the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-fat) is an accomplished Wudang swordsman and Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) is a female warrior and professional body guard. The death of Mu Bai’s closest friend and Shu Lien’s fiancé Meng Sizhao (played by Donnie Yen in the sequel), complicates these characters’ feelings for one another.
They are reconnected when Mu Bai, after choosing to relinquish the warrior lifestyle, asks Shu Lien to gift his sword “Green Destiny” to their friend Sir Te (Sihung Lung) in Beijing. Long ago, Mu Bai’s master was murdered by Jade Fox (Cheng Pei-pei), a woman who sought to learn Wudang skills. Shu Lien meets with and stays in the compound of Sir Te where she also makes the acquaintance of Jen Yu who is the daughter of a rich and powerful Governor Yu and is about to get married.
One evening, a masked thief sneaks into Sir Te’s estate and steals the sword. Mu Bai and Shu Lien trace the theft to Governor Yu’s compound and learn that Jade Fox has been posing as Jen’s governess for many years. Mu Bai makes the acquaintance of Inspector Tsai (Wang Deming), a police investigator from the provinces, and his daughter May (Li Li), who have come to Peking in pursuit of Fox.
Fox challenges the pair and Sir Te’s servant Master Bo (Gao Xi’an) to a showdown that night. Following a protracted battle, the group is on the verge of defeat when Mu Bai arrives and outmaneuvers Fox. Before Mu Bai can kill Fox, the masked thief reappears and partners with Fox to fight. Fox resumes the fight and kills Tsai before fleeing with the thief (who is revealed to be Fox’s protégé, Jen). After seeing Jen fight Mu Bai, Fox realizes Jen had been secretly studying the Wudang manual and has surpassed her in combative skills.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an internationally co-produced wuxia film. Production funding came from investors in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States. Directed by Ang Lee and featuring an international cast of Chinese actors, including Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen, the film was released in 2000. It was based on the fourth novel, of the same name, in the wuxia book series Crane Iron Pentalogy, by Chinese novelist Wang Dulu. The martial arts and fighting action sequences were choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping, who later directed the English language sequel Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, released in 2016.
Made on a US$17 million budget, with dialogue in Mandarin, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became a surprise international success, grossing $213.5 million. It grossed US$128 million in the United States, becoming the highest-grossing foreign-language film in American history. It has won over 40 awards. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won Best Foreign Language Film (Taiwan), Best Art Direction, Best Original Score and Best Cinematography. The film also won four BAFTAs and two Golden Globe Awards, one for Best Foreign Film.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Directed by: Ang Lee
Starring: Yun-Fat Chow, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang, Chen Chang, Sihung Lung, Pei-Pei Cheng, Fa Zeng Li, De Ming Wang, Su Ying Huang, Jin Ting Zhang, Rui Yang
Screenplay by: Ang Lee
Production Design by: Tim Yip
Cinemetography by: Peter Pau
Film Editing by: Tim Squyres
Costume Design by: Tim Yip
Art Direction by: Jian-Quo Wang, Eddy Wong, Xing-Zhan Yang, Zhanjia Yang, Bin Zhao
Music by: Dun Tan
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for martial arts violence and some sexuality.
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Classics
Release Date: December 8, 2000
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