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Through discipline comes freedom,' wrote Aristotle. This paradox is at the heart of Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). Set in Qing dynasty China, the film asks what it means - and what it takes - to be free, contrasting the lives of two female warriors. Where one, Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), is mature, experienced and ruled by an ancient code of honour, the other, Jen (Zhang Ziyi), is young, headstrong and rebelling against the rules of aristocracy. Each grapples with the limitations imposed on her, confronting tensions between desire and restraint, inner life and public duty, and emotional freedom and physical liberty. Ultimately, the film suggests that self-realisation is achieved through balancing these extremes. Where discipline leads to denial, it can cause tragedy. But where passion is without restraint, it can become destructive. At the same time, Lee explores his own artistic freedom, challenging the conventions of martial arts films by drawing on both Chinese and Western traditions to blend drama with action.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's contradictions are introduced in the opening scenes. First, we meet Shu Lien, who is preparing to travel to Peking (now Beijing), when her friend Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat), a famous warrior, visits unexpectedly. Disillusioned with fighting, he is ready for retirement and asks Shu Lien to give his 400-year-old sword, Green Destiny, to their mutual friend, Sir Te (Sihung Lung).
Viewers immediately learn that, although Shu Lien and Mu Bai, as accomplished warriors, are free to travel widely, they adhere to a strict moral code. In fact, they are so disciplined that they refuse to acknowledge their romantic love for one another, the motivation being honour - Shu Lien's former fiancé, Meng Si Zhao, who was killed in battle, was Mu Bai's brother by oath. The film captures the tension between heart and head through deft, subtle camera work. The polite formality of their body language and physical distance, captured through mid shots, is belied by their emotive facial expressions, shown in close-ups. Even when Mu Bai admits to an 'endless sorrow', he resorts to crypticism when Shu Lien asks why. 'Something I couldn't let go of,' is his reply. She looks away, attempting to hide her distress and desire.
The tension between...