What a beautiful movie!

Please don't spend money on this.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

King Hu's Hsia nu, which served as the inspiration for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has acquired near-legendary status in the forty-plus years since it was first made. The film tells the familiar tale of a small-town man, still living at home with his mother in his thirties, who meets an attractive woman living in the deserted fort next door. The man strikes up a friendship with her, but is drawn into political intrigue when he discovers she is actually the daughter of a murdered ruler on the run from her father's killers. The man draws on his interest in military strategy to help the woman defeat her pursuers.This is no ordinary chop-socky flick, as can be seen by the way it polarises opinion between those who praise it as a lyrical work of art and those who complain about not being able to see what's going on during the night fighting scenes. I watched expecting an art-house flick, but was still surprised at how rigidly the director sticks to his artistic vision while making virtually no concession to the action genre. Even the fight scenes – and there are quite a number after the first hour – are out of the ordinary. They do at least boast a type of editing that was way ahead of its time – the film doesn't look at all dated – in the way that we are constantly teased with incomplete shots of the action.The pace is measured to say the least; director King Hu seems more interested in savouring the composition of each shot for its own sake rather than developing a character or advancing the plot. The cinematography is superb, the composition seductive, but as the hour mark passes with little of any substance revealed, suspicions of indulgence are unavoidable. The plot isn't complicated, but is nevertheless difficult to follow at times (I should point out the UK DVD version I watched was approximately 30 minutes shorter than the running time given on IMDb, which might account for the gaps in the plot.) Ku, the nominal hero, is an artist, an observer who, during the course of the film, must set aside his passivity, and the film calls upon the audience to do the same, which is why some might find it challenging to watch without their attention wandering. The film is really three types of story rolled into one – ghost story, political intrigue and spiritual enlightenment – and journeys from the mundane (Ku's daily routine of setting of to work and unlocking his small kiosk) to the sublime (the monk's transcendence into Nirvana). It's the sort of journey the viewer needs to repeat in order to appreciate all its subtleties and power but, in all honesty, if you're like me, it's probably a journey you'll only feel like taking once.

Once there was a time when I thought Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was the very best martial arts movie man could make. Both visually and story-tellingwise it was a joy to watch, and the fight scenes were the best ever with their unrealistic features. Once I saw King Hu's martial arts masterpiece A Touch of Zen I was rather surprised since it exceeded in almost every level. First released in 1971, this great film hasn't lost any of its power or splendor which is a fine merit on its own.In the beginning of the movie we follow the everyday life of a poor artist Ku, an unmarried man in his thirties, who is living in a rather small town with his mother. This first part of the film (for it can roughly be divided into three parts) plays much like a family drama with some small comic moments. Ku's life gets a little more interesting when he notices strange people walking around town, a mysterious man visiting his studio and befriending him, and some strange noises coming from a house that is rumoured to be haunted. All this and the love (or is it just lust?) he feels for a certain woman change his life completely.The next two parts offer a very different experience each providing the story with politics, war tactics and a growing spiritual element of mystery through beautiful photography, great direction and awesome fight scenes. What really stands out in the martial arts part of the film is how real it feels. I know it isn't real; some leaps and moves the characters make just can't be done in real life, but the clanging of the steel, swooshing of people's clothes when they perform their moves and the sound of footsteps are so impressive that I found myself holding my breath at some scenes. This is also helped by the near perfect choreography. It's nothing like the tricky and lightning-fast movements in CTHD and I like this much better. The fighters are really observing each other's moves to know when to strike.I really can't find any serious faults in this movie. Being over three hours long there wasn't a single wasted minute. Any yawning I did was due to the late hour when I was watching this. It is true that the film moves slowly forward but I think it's necessary for the atmosphere to develop. The director really knew what he was doing since all the important scenes have that special quality to them that can only be acquired when superb direction, believable acting and a great sense of situation come together. The use of light is especially worth mentioning since it is so well done. The fight in the forest where light shines through the leaves creating a dreamlike scenery in the background has got to be one of the most captivating things I've seen on film.A Touch of Zen is one of my favourite movies. It is very well executed in every way imaginable, and definitely among the best martial arts movies. If you like this type of movies where great action is mixed with spiritual elements and a search for peace, you must see this beautiful movie. It won't leave you cold.

This is one of the most awfully and painfully boring movie I have ever watched. Let me explain, the story is rather interesting with many plots. The problem is the SCENES. OH MY GOD they are making every scene feel like an eternity. A simple and unimportant scene can be 5 MINUTES longer than needed. they are really dragging the audience' patience here. I slept through many parts of the movie simply because it is so dull.I have to say that the background music is very annoying too. By today's standard of course. maybe it wasn't at the time the movie was made but it only make sense to review it by today's standard because people live and watch movie in the present.If you enjoy those artistic movie where the scenery and slow pace are important too then I think this movie will be very enjoyable to you. Otherwise, avoid this movie like the plaque.

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** Touch of ZenThis movie requires a patience that most Kung Fu fans lack. Today I finished watching it for second time through. Few would argue that this is not King Hu's masterpiece and indeed it is just that a masterpiece. While I certainly understand how sometimes classics get dwarfed by the films they inspire (how insulting is it that hidden fortress is often labeled simply as the film that inspired C-3PO and R2D2) I think it is too bad here. Yes Touch of Zen is Ang Lee's favorite martial arts film and was a huge inspiration for Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Yes It's true, and perhaps the film will find more fans as a result and I think that is great.Touch of zen is cinema in it's finest form. It is three hours long, lacks the fancy wire work or CGI of modern Wuxia pan films but still stands the test of time. When you consider that this film was made in 1968/69 it makes it so much more impressive. The scenery is filled with beautiful imagines throughout the film of rural China. The camera balances light in most impressive ways. The main monk of the film is consistently beaming with natural sunlight which expresses in a beautifully cinematic way his connection to nature. Anyone who used a video camera in intense sunlight understands how hard those shots must have been.If you the kind of Kung Fu fan that was really bothered by the fact that Crouching tiger didn't have a fight scene for 15 minutes don't bother. TOZ doesn't get to the action until 55 minutes in. However the tone of the film requires that we understand a few things about the artist whose eyes the story is told through.***********Spoilers*********************TOZ is the second only to 36th chamber when it comes to making a Buddhist monks look badass. When the henchman HZU brings his violence onto the sacred ground to capture our renegade heroes he learns he can't defeat the Buddhist monks. There power is too great. He resorts to lying. Begging on his knees to be accepted by the monks, Indeed it is there only weakness, by the grace of Buddha he wants to help. Yet still the Buddhist monk doesn't resort to violence. He calls on Buddha and the powers of the universe and the henchmen destroys his sons and then him self. At least that is my take. ***********End spoilers********************Touch of Zen is an excellent martial arts film for fans of films like MUSA, Hero or Crouching tiger. It must however be viewed as a film of it's period.