The year is 859AD and China's once flourishing Tang Dynasty is in decline. Unrest is raging throughout the land, and the corrupt government is locked in battle with rebel armies that are forming in protest. The largest and most prestigious of these is the 'House of Flying Daggers', which is growing ever more powerful under a mysterious new leader. Two local captains, Leo (Andy Lau) and Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) are ordered to capture the new leader and the two hatch an elaborate plan. Captain Jin will pretend to be a lone warrior called Wind and rescue the beautiful, blind revolutionary Mei (Zhang Ziyi), from prison, earning her trust and escorting her to the secret headquarters of the House of Flying Daggers. The plan works, but to their surprise, Jin and Mei fall deeply in love on their long journey to the House. Danger lurks in the forest surrounding them, and the wind is still, as if sensing the tension in the air. What lies ahead for Jin and Mei, these star-crossed lovers? If this is true love, then why are there plots in their heads...and secrets in their hearts?

I don’t know if there is enough praise in the world that can be heaped upon this movie, it was that good. I am always a fan of Chinese cinema as it is so beautiful and has gorgeous cinematography. From Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to Hero these movies are shot with such brilliance and beauty that it is not hard to be enveloped in their rich stories as well. House of Flying Daggers blows both of those movies away though as there were moments in the film that I could just see the care put into the movie, from the angles and the viewpoints shown to us as an audience, even to the use of color. In the final climatic battle the world changes from that of a late autumn day full of oranges and reds, to that of a blizzard and a contrast all white landscape.

The beauty of the picture just opens you right up to the story which is just as rich as the cinematography. I always have a hard time judging an actors performance when the picture is filmed in another language but the characters were rich and interesting me, whether it was the actors performance or the story that made me so enthralled, I am not sure though but I don’t think it really matters though. And of course there were the fighting and action sequences which were done magnificently, with grace and skill. This is almost expected of a Chinese martial arts film though but the movie introduces enough original and fun to watch fight scenes that they easily meet all expectations. The film makes me hunger for more Chinese cinema and wishes that they would release more of it to America, the movie is a must see and will be easily one of the best films of the year.
5 stars out of 5