House of Flying Daggers (2004)
As sexy as martial arts can get.
Presentation:
Films really don't get much better looking that this. Although films like Hero have arguably more artistry, more color, more scale, this film strikes a good balance and doesn't feel overly pretentious. The story is actually followable for western audiences and the costume design is magnificent. Zhang Ziyi is captivating on screen, and the romance that ensues is palpable. Although Chinese films overall are pretty low quality, Zhang Yimou at his best oddly puts the west to shame. This romanticism embodied through the performances and color is unlike anything you've seen, on par with the color palette of Blade Runner 2049 and all the blockbusters, except through wardrobe. Unfortunately, the story is not completely fleshed out and still overly poetic for its own good, but has enough action to be digestible for everyone.
Conclusion:
The film is undeniably beautiful, capturing the poeticism of Chinese culture, but is very hard for westerners to accept, appearing rather one dimensional. For many, this could just be a shallow love story with the poetic nuances lost in translation.
Recommendations
Not the smashing you expected.