Film review: House of Flying Daggers

House of Flying Daggers chronicles the story of two doomed lovers and their quest as they roam across 9th Century China.
Director: Zhang Yimou

Starring: Ziyi Zhang, Takeshi Kanshiro, Andy Lau Tak Wah

Availability: out now to rent or buy

Certificate: 15

Distributor: Pathe

Ziyi Zhang plays Mei, a beautiful and mysterious courtesan. Convinced that she is affiliated with a revolutionary faction determined to overthrow the government, captains Jin (Takeshi Kanshiro) and Leo (Andy Lau Tak Wah) hatch a plan to win the trust of Mei so that she will lead them to the headquarters of the faction, otherwise known as the House of the Flying Daggers.

Jin, pretending to be a lone fighter on a quest for justice, 'rescues' Mei from jail and offers to accompany her to a place where she will be safe. Not knowing that Jin is in a fact a captain of the Royal Guard, Mei allows him to join her on her journey back into the heartlands of China to the secret place where the House is based.

The plan begins to unravel when the two adventurers begin to develop feelings for one another, making the final betrayal impossible. As might be expected from a film by Zhag Yimou, director of 'Hero,' House is visually sumptuous, with a lucidity and elegance rarely found in formulaic Hollywood blockbuster movies; his carefully refined aesthetic infuses the whole production, from the costumes to the sets to the fight scenes.

The arresting visual style is complemented by the balletic grace of the main protagonists as they fight their way across the Chinese heartlands. In fact, quite apart from the story of forbidden love that underpins the narrative development of the film, what leaves the biggest impression on the viewer are the astonishing fight scenes and action set pieces.

Yimou never falls into the all-too-common trap of making his fight scenes brash and overstated, never fills them with gratuitous, effects-laden violence. Instead he draws upon the athleticism of his cast and the evident expertise of his choreographers to deliver a series of breathtaking rucks that are as imaginativeas they are well staged.

Yimou also manages to coax decent performances from the main members of the cast. In particular Zhangstands out as the hypnotic and passionate Mei - which, seeing as she commands the greatest amount of screentime, makes a definite difference to the quality of the final film.

House is a refreshing and on occasion genuinely dazzling addition to this year's film repertory. For those who want a change from the interminable procession of explosions and guns typical of most other action flicks, House makes for a viscerally captivating alternative. Highly recommended.

Author: Richard Millington

Manchester iJourno group