Note: these are not my opening notes

One way that film form is used to create meaning is to highlight the protagonist to us. For example, the use of framing. Mei is always centralised which signifies her as important to the audience. The mise en scene is also used to set up the film. The mise en scene of the opening text sets up the plot of the movie to the reader as well as setting up the historical context of the film in a simple way. The difference in the performance of Jin and Leo highlights to us the differences in them as characters. Jin is slouched and drinking. He, therefore, comes across as more casual than Leo who is sat upright with good posture and polishing his sword making him seem more professional and formal.  The film form elements also create meaning relating to other core study areas –

Women are represented in two different ways. The initial performance of the group of women giggling while playing tug of war with Kin, and being unable to win despite severely outnumbering him is portraying women as weaker than men. However, Mei is independent and talented. She stands up for herself, ‘Why can’t a blind girl work here?’ which Kin likes as well as performing in the echo game perfectly. Men are shown as creeps through Jin. He drunkenly watches pretty women while they have there arms draped over him. He unties Mei’s clothes without permission and with a sword in which the slow-motion of her clothes falling emphasizes the moment and what he has done. He also attempts to rape her. At the end of the day, they both get arrested but Mei gets arrested for being indecently dressed which wasn’t even her fault but his, showing the unfairness in terms of treatment of these people because of their gender.

Zhang is known for his elaborate sets that can be described as Baroque. They tend to be detailed, colourful, rich and indulgent. The mise en scene of the brothel is no different, but although it seems stylized it does come for a place of reality. It has detailed floors and colours everywhere as well as the set itself being very large. This links in with the aesthetics, it seems luxurious and stylised and is part of Zhang’s recognisable auteurship.

“The Tang dynasty is often considered a “golden age” of Chinese civilization during which all areas of culture and civilization flourished – literature and poetry (famous poets Li Bai and Du Fu are from Tang period), painting, commerce, as well as science and innovation. Bordellos of the time were places of beauty and artistic expression, just as the one depicted in the film. The headmistresses of bordellos had wealth and power. Courtesans were intelligent, artful singers and poets who entertained guests with their skills and conversation.” Although the brothel can be considered over the top and stylised, it does have an element of truth. Bordellos of the time were places of beauty and artistic expression, just like the one depicted in the film. Therefore, the detailed walls, pillars, flooring, outfits and just everything all has an element of truth as well as linking to Zhang’s auteur style.

1. How might you describe Zhang Yimou’s visual style or aesthetic?

“But as with past Zhang Yimou efforts, the true stars are the sets, costumes, and scenery, a breathtaking banquet of colors and textures filmed with rapturous affection by cinematographer Xiaoding Zhao.”

Beautiful and magnificent mise en scene, often with great magnitude through the use of the outdoors.

““These man-made marvels can hardly compete, however, with the landscape through which Mei and Jin make their long escape. The autumn foliage of the woods bursts with colors so vivid they could shame American trees into staying green all year long; the bamboo grove where Mei and Jin are ambushed (shot on location, not in a studio) is an otherwordly setting, a shaded yet open arena punctuated by bare tree poles.””

2. What is significant about Zhang as a Chinese filmmaker, the themes of House of Flying Daggers and its production context (contemporary Chinese Film Industry)

He avoided censorship by exploring themes and political ideologies in a time and place set in the past. This allowed him to explore what he wanted to explore, while still having the film shown.

Rebels stand in for the communists? But it’s not hammered in.

3. What common criticisms are there of the film? What are seen as it’s strengths?

“It nonetheless soars as an action adventure… the movie blurs the line between dance and combat. It’s a correlation made explicit early in the film. After performing a slow, traditional dance for Jin at the Peony Pavilion, Mei is challenged by Leo to play the “echo game.” Upright drums are assembled in a circle around the blind girl; when Leo flicks a bean off one of them (then two, then dozens), Mei follows his lead with the long, weighted sleeves of her dress, spinning, kicking, and leaping with acrobatic zeal. (It undoubtedly helps that star Zhang Ziyi trained as a dancer before entering film.) At the end of her performance, the shift from art to violence is completed when Mei sends out one sinuous sleeve to unsheathe Leo’s sword and attack him with.”

“As in Hero, Zhang Yimou finds a balance between computer-generated effect and live-action stunt that continues to elude most Hollywood filmmakers. The soldiers’ javelins and rebels’ boomerang-like daggers may be digitized, but the combatants themselves are not. Even Mei’s remarkable sleeve-wielded sword is made possible with wires rather than pixels. As a result, no matter how delightfully cartoonish the action may at times become, it never looks like a cartoon.”

“I enjoyed “House of Flying Daggers” a lot, but I think “Hero” is a far superior film in many respects. First, the visual style: Cinematographer Zhang Xiaoding worked masterfully on “House of Flying Daggers,” and the end result is impressive. However, it was Christopher Doyle who worked on “Hero,” and his precision and attention to details are difficult to surpass. Each scene in “Hero” supports the plot and the philosophy underlying those scenes. Second, “House of Flying Daggers” does not carry the deep historical commentary that I discussed in the review of “Hero”. As I stated previously, it is primarily a love story using history as a backdrop. Nevertheless, “House of Flying Daggers” is a highly enjoyable film and a real visual artwork of cinema.”

Significant amount of melodrama. For a Western audience it may appear bombastic in its form.

4. How are men and women represented in the film?

““Although they were renowned for their polite behavior, the courtesans were known to dominate conversation with elite men. The ladies were not afraid to openly castigate or criticize prominent male guests who talked too much or too loudly, boasted too much of their accomplishments, or whose rude behavior had in some way ruined dinner for everyone (on one occasion a courtesan even beat up a drunken man who had insulted her). (…) Men enjoyed the presence of assertive, active women” source Wikipedia …This validates “House of Flying Daggers” as an accurate historic re-imagination of the attitudes of the time.”

Men are shown as superior at the beginning of the film, which links into context of the time e.g. men being in the army not women. ??

5. love triangle … wuxia genre set in a specific political/historical context. What is peculiar about how this plot and setting is explored in the film?

“history is only a setting for “House of Flying Daggers”. Though it is a Tang period inspired love story where: “individuals often share the plot designs of quick passion, inescapable societal pressure leading to the abandonment of romance, followed by a period of melancholy.” (Source: Wikipedia) In other words, lovers had to face the choice between passion and duty, which created even more tension. “

Set in the past is not unusual.

Love triangle may be weird in a film like this, and love triangles are cliche?

6. How accurate are the depictions of life in the Tang Dynasty? Why might we question the authenticity of these representations? Provide examples and evaluate.

“The Tang dynasty is often considered a “golden age” of Chinese civilization during which all areas of culture and civilization flourished – literature and poetry (famous poets Li Bai and Du Fu are from Tang period), painting, commerce, as well as science and innovation. Bordellos of the time were places of beauty and artistic expression, just as the one depicted in the film. The head mistresses of bordellos had wealth and power. Courtesans were intelligent, artful singers and poets who entertained guests with their skills and conversation.” Although the brothel can be considered over the top and stylised, it does have an element of truth. The Tang Dynasty period was full of peace, literature and poetry. Bordellos of the time were places of beauty and artistic expression, just like the one depicted in the film.

7. Why might the depiction of a heroic rebellion against the Tang Dynasty be a surprising production from one of China’s largest film producers?

He avoided censorship by exploring political and social ideologies in a different context, by setting the film in the past.

8. How might domestic, East Asian and audiences from around the world respond differently to ‘House of Flying Daggers’?

‘Hero’ is also used in the comparison, but it was not widely shown. Some people believed Hero was  better in terms of exploring historical context. The director has said that Hero was the experiment and House of Flying Daggers was the real thing.

Western audiences used to a different style.

Actress from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon which did very will in the box office and every where.

Click to access house-of-flying-daggers.pdf

Rationale for study

House of Flying Daggers is a Chinese wuxia/martial
arts film, featuring the genre elements of spectacular
fighting, breath-taking acrobatics and exotic fantasy.
It combines these with a tragic triangular love story
and a narrative where nothing is as it first appears.

Cinematography
• Film as spectacle, the “look” of the film is of
paramount importance. Cinematographer Zhao
Xiaoding’s use of the wide screen to dramatic
effect. The plot twists and turns but, like those of
most operas, plot points are the devices that take
the spectator from one gorgeous scene to another.
• Exotic interior of the Peony Pavilion: high
key lighting, sumptuous colour. Whip pans
follow the beans as they hit the drums, high
angle shots show the pattern of Mei’s dance.
• Bamboo forest, green filter, high angle shots of
swaying bamboo, soldiers. Sweeping, whirling,
fast tracking movements follow the daggers.

Mise-en-Scène
• Emphasis on production values, visually
beautiful settings and costumes, elaborate film
set create the fantasy. Peony Pavilion rich,
exotic ancient China. Beautiful, extravagant
Tang Dynasty costumes, authentic detail of
interiors props, musical instruments. Costumes
by Emi Wada, a Japanese designer who has
worked for director Akira Kurosawa.
• Landscapes bamboo forests, birch forests,
meadows and fields with mountain ranges
in the background. Green forests, red and
gold autumn leaves in the meadows, white
snow provide the setting for the emotion
and the imagination of the film.
• Dramatic effect through visual imagery,
colour and composition. Highly stylised
choreography of fight scenes.

Editing
• Mei’s dance intercuts long shot of her
performing in the circle with a closer shot of
the drummers outside the circle. Movement
of beans towards drums, close up of faces.
• Use of CGI to follow swift trajectory of daggers.
• In the bamboo forest cuts between
vertical and horizontal above ground
swaying soldiers, ground level traps.

Sound
• Mei at the beginning is portrayed as
blind; sounds serve as a clue to her
understanding. Peony Pavilion echo game
sounds used to emphasise her reliance on
them. Tension, excitement, chattering of
women, drumming, slapping, silence.
• Action scenes, action emphasised by sounds
of bamboo fronds, counterpoint of flying
daggers, whoosh of bamboo spears, clash
of bamboo poles. Also sounds of flying
bamboos, falling leaves, sound of sword
cutting the air – Mei’s perception of the fight

• Music by Shigeni Umebayashi mostly low
  register: cello, drums. Women’s voices
  used towards conclusion of action scenes,
  action not signalled by music which acts
  as a commentary at the conclusion.

Representations
• In Peking Opera all roles originally played
by men. Strong female characters central
to the tradition of wuxia. They fight with
swords and take part in combat. In the
Flying Daggers the leaders are now women.
Mei demonstrates female sexual power.
• Representation of China. Zhang Yimou
has called cinema “an excellent channel for
promoting China’s culture” with “cultural and
historical information” for Western audiences.
However he has been accused of “selling Oriental
exoticism” and received criticism that his
version of China “feeds his Western audience’s
image of exotic, primitive, timeless China”.
• Male and female passion is subject to
tradition and duty. Male characters are “Just
pawns on the chessboard”. The concluding
fight to the death between Leo and Jin
is about honour as well as jealousy.

Aesthetics (i.e. the ‘look and feel’
of the film including visual style,
influences, auteur, motifs)
• Mandarin title of the film translates as
‘Ambushed from Ten Directions’. Motif of
multiple deceptions, false identities, nothing
is as it first appears: Leo appears to be an
imperial soldier but is really a mole, the
former lover of Mei; Mei a rebel pretending
to be a courtesan, pretending to be blind; Nia
appears to be the madam of the Peony Pavilion,
then the leader of the Flying Daggers, then
only pretending to be the leader; Jin is an
Imperial soldier who pretends to be a rebel.
• Wuxia pian: Wu=martial + xia = chivalrous.
Origins of the Wuxia pian genre are to be found
in North Chinese Mandarin culture after the
9th century. Rival warlords ruled China and
unattached swordsmen could be hired as killers,
heroes who followed codes of honour and
chivalry defending the helpless against corrupt
leaders and officials. Swords, magic, fantasy and
the supernatural are central to wuxia mythology.
Today this is a highly popular fiction in Mainland
China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
• The director, Zhang Yimou is a household name
in China, responsible not only for films but for
the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics
of 2008, also for huge open air spectacles such as
the Impression Lie Sanji Show held on the banks
of the Li River featuring more than 600 amateur
performers. A graduate of the Beijing Film
Academy, one of the so called ‘5th generation
filmmakers’ he began as a cinematographer
and moved on to directing films about Chinese
life, particularly that of women. House of
Flying Daggers is his second action film.

POINTS – Contexts
Social
• China the most populated country of over 1.381
billion, and the world’s second largest state.
Historical
• During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1978)
the Beijing Film Academy closed, hardly any
films were made. The Academy reopened in
1978. For 10 years the teachers there had not
had any students. They did want to resume
teaching in the old way, which, against the
new styles emerging from Hong Kong and
elsewhere now appeared old fashioned. Like their
counterparts in other cinemas they wanted to
experiment. In 1982 the first academy students
since the reopening graduated. These were the
so-called “5th Generation” and included Chen
Kaige and Zhang Yimou. The 5th generation
had been through the hardships and upheavals
of the Cultural Revolution. Their reaction
was to make “exploratory films” that would
examine issues so far unexplored in Chinese
cinema. The Fifth Generation became the
first Chinese film-makers to achieve fame and
become widely known outside China. China
was the subject of their films, although very
different view of China than the socialist
realism of Mao before the Cultural Revolution.
Political
• After the Cultural Revolution foreign films were
imported to supply cinemas. Discussions were
held concerning artistic freedom. Zhang’s earlier
films were often criticised by the government
for their treatment of the realities of social
life in China. Since then he has enjoyed huge
3
A Level Film Studies – Focus Film Factsheet
success with his wuxia films, example of global
or transnational cinema’s demand for ethnic
cultural elements and lustrous visuals. “Exotic”
and “arty” China, popular with audiences.
Technological
• Use of CGI and digital effects and wire
work enhance acrobatics and fantasy.
Institutional
• Half the world’s films are produced on the
continent of Asia. India, Japan, Thailand, South
Korea and the 3 Chinese cinemas of Mainland
China, Hong Kong and Taiwan all have large
film industries. Success of Chinese global film
making. The “home” audience for these films
is potentially huge; cinema-goers in the region
spend millions per year on cinema tickets.
The industry has invested in digital cinema
and the revival of Chinese language films.

I used this website: https://variety.com/2004/film/awards/house-of-flying-daggers-2-1200533324/

“Two police captains, Leo (Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau) and Jin (Japanese-Taiwanese hunk Takeshi Kaneshiro), have been assigned to pry out the leader of the Flying Daggers, the most prominent of the anti-government rebel groups. Acting on a tip, Jin goes undercover to Peony Pavilion, a house of pleasure where a suspect is meant to be working.”

“This is classic martial arts stuff, as protagonists size up each other at an early stage, but Zhang stages the confrontation in a much more aestheticized way — through music, dance, color and design — than is usual. Though Mei proves his match even when he tries a final trick with the beans, Leo bests her in a subsequent encounter, through sensory overload.”

“Zhang has described the picture as “not an ordinary martial arts film, but a love story inserted into an action movie.” (In Japan, the film is to released under the English title “Lovers.”) That will broaden its appeal to distaff audiences, especially given Lau and Kaneshiro’s large following in Asia. But for a director who’s shown he’s more than capable of tugging the heartstrings (“The Road Home,” “Not One Less,” “Happy Times”) “Daggers” never really engages at an emotional level.”

“Like “Hero,” the pic has a basic hardness and rigor that marks it as northern rather than southern Chinese in flavor, however much the colorful lensing by Zhao Xiaoding (“Spring Subway,” plus an assistant d.p. to Christopher Doyle on “Hero”) and the lyrical score by onetime Japanese rock musician Shigeru Umebayashi (“In the Mood for Love”) tries to convince otherwise. Dialogue between the characters is also functional rather than inspired.”

“The action set pieces really are the core of “Daggers,” and these hit the mark with eye-popping accuracy and sonic elan. From Mei’s musical gymnastics in the Echo Game, to a balletic bamboo-forest fight that tops that in “Crouching Tiger” and equals the classic sequence in King Hu’s “A Touch of Zen,” to the heroes’ final mano a mano in the snow, Hong Kong action maestro (Tony) Ching Siu-tung pushes the envelope in the combination of wire-fu and CGI, to much more gutsy and realistic effect than in “Hero.””

“In a first for a swordplay movie, a sizable chunk of the pic was shot in a pine forest near Lviv, in Ukraine, whose soft pastels and New England-like fall colors contrast memorably with the green-suffused tones of the bamboo forest, lensed in Yongchuan, southwest China. Studio interiors, in Beijing, are smaller in scale than in “Hero,” with only one standout, the ornately colored, circular Peony Pavilion set. Other credits are top drawer, especially costumes by Emi Wada (another “Hero” returnee), whose use of fabrics and leather has an almost tactile flavor.”

“For the record, the Chinese title literally means “Ambushes From Ten Sides,” title of a classic pipa virtuoso solo, which describes a battle between two ancient warlords. Here, it reflects the continual skirmishing through which the two lovers travel — an action journey that’s the real heart of the movie.”

I used this website: https://theasiancinemablog.com/cinema-of-china/house-of-flying-daggers-movie-review/

“With “House of Flying Daggers” Zhang Yimou brings the Tang dynasty to the wide screen with iconic beauty and elegant wuxia. It is a true fairy tale of love and martial arts in Ancient China. This film was highly acclaimed by critics”

“The “Echo Dance” scene is probably one of the most beautiful dance and wuxia mixtures put on screen.”

“The Tang dynasty is often considered a “golden age” of Chinese civilization during which all areas of culture and civilization flourished – literature and poetry (famous poets Li Bai and Du Fu are from Tang period), painting, commerce, as well as science and innovation. Bordellos of the time were places of beauty and artistic expression, just as the one depicted in the film. The head mistresses of bordellos had wealth and power. Courtesans were intelligent, artful singers and poets who entertained guests with their skills and conversation.”

““Although they were renowned for their polite behavior, the courtesans were known to dominate conversation with elite men. The ladies were not afraid to openly castigate or criticize prominent male guests who talked too much or too loudly, boasted too much of their accomplishments, or whose rude behavior had in some way ruined dinner for everyone (on one occasion a courtesan even beat up a drunken man who had insulted her). (…) Men enjoyed the presence of assertive, active women” source Wikipedia …This validates “House of Flying Daggers” as an accurate historic re-imagination of the attitudes of the time.”

“The fact that there is unrest against the government of that time is also historically accurate. There are several factors showing the growing tension and distance between rich and poor. First, after the An Shi Rebellion (See more about it here: Wikipedia), central government lost a lot of its power to military governors. These governors had the right to collect taxes from the people. Second, in those times the “equal-field system” was abandoned, which then allowed people to freely sell and buy land. This system used to give a lot of support to farmers, but after it was abandoned, many poor fell into debt. Third, just a year before the events of this film, there was an enormous flood in the Grand Canal in 858 AD where lot of people drowned, resulting in disastrous effects on the economy. (Source: Wikipedia) Here we can apply Marxist class struggle theory and say that the rebellion was a product of tension created by the increasing suppression of the poor by the rich. The portrayed events would have been even more turbulent because of the natural calamity the year before. These were exactly the conditions when a rebel band that steals from the rich and gives to the poor could achieve great support from common people as mentioned in the beginning of the film.”

“”Having said that, history is only a setting for “House of Flying Daggers”. Though it is a Tang period inspired love story where: “individuals often share the plot designs of quick passion, inescapable societal pressure leading to the abandonment of romance, followed by a period of melancholy.” (Source: Wikipedia) In other words, lovers had to face the choice between passion and duty, which created even more tension. “

“Many reviewers compare “House of Flying Daggers” to the director’s previous work, “Hero”. While the visual effects and martial arts styles do have similarity, they are still very distinctive films. I enjoyed “House of Flying Daggers” a lot, but I think “Hero” is a far superior film in many respects. First, the visual style: Cinematographer Zhang Xiaoding worked masterfully on “House of Flying Daggers,” and the end result is impressive. However, it was Christopher Doyle who worked on “Hero,” and his precision and attention to details are difficult to surpass. Each scene in “Hero” supports the plot and the philosophy underlying those scenes. Second, “House of Flying Daggers” does not carry the deep historical commentary that I discussed in the review of “Hero”. As I stated previously, it is primarily a love story using history as a backdrop. Nevertheless, “House of Flying Daggers” is a highly enjoyable film and a real visual artwork of cinema.”

I used this website: https://newrepublic.com/article/70443/redemption-film

“Hero ended by applauding individuals’ willingness to give up everything–their ideals, their country, their lives–for the good of the Chinese state. But while House of Flying Daggers is also about imperial rule and rebellion, by its conclusion politics have faded far into the background. Although a decisive battle is about to take place between the empire and its resistance, the protagonists have left behind their loyalties to either side, instead fighting and dying for more intimate concerns: for love, for jealousy, for redemption or release. Zhang never bothers to show the clash of armies or let us know its outcome. Empire, rebels, he seems to be saying, what difference does it make who wins in the end?”

“As great a relief as it is after the ugly moral of Hero, the tragic-romantic conclusion of House of Flying Daggers still falls flat. Even in his earlier, earnestly dramatic films–Ju Dou in 1990, for example–Zhang Yimou’s portrayal of love felt a little inert, a sentiment that was announced more clearly than it was conveyed. This stagy formalism persists in House of Flying Daggers, and while it may simply be an issue of awkward cultural translation, it nonetheless makes it hard to empathize too deeply with the characters’ loves and losses.”

“It nonetheless soars as an action adventure… the movie blurs the line between dance and combat. It’s a correlation made explicit early in the film. After performing a slow, traditional dance for Jin at the Peony Pavilion, Mei is challenged by Leo to play the “echo game.” Upright drums are assembled in a circle around the blind girl; when Leo flicks a bean off one of them (then two, then dozens), Mei follows his lead with the long, weighted sleeves of her dress, spinning, kicking, and leaping with acrobatic zeal. (It undoubtedly helps that star Zhang Ziyi trained as a dancer before entering film.) At the end of her performance, the shift from art to violence is completed when Mei sends out one sinuous sleeve to unsheathe Leo’s sword and attack him with.”

“As in Hero, Zhang Yimou finds a balance between computer-generated effect and live-action stunt that continues to elude most Hollywood filmmakers. The soldiers’ javelins and rebels’ boomerang-like daggers may be digitized, but the combatants themselves are not. Even Mei’s remarkable sleeve-wielded sword is made possible with wires rather than pixels. As a result, no matter how delightfully cartoonish the action may at times become, it never looks like a cartoon.”

“But as with past Zhang Yimou efforts, the true stars are the sets, costumes, and scenery, a breathtaking banquet of colors and textures filmed with rapturous affection by cinematographer Xiaoding Zhao.”

“These man-made marvels can hardly compete, however, with the landscape through which Mei and Jin make their long escape. The autumn foliage of the woods bursts with colors so vivid they could shame American trees into staying green all year long; the bamboo grove where Mei and Jin are ambushed (shot on location, not in a studio) is an otherwordly setting, a shaded yet open arena punctuated by bare tree poles.”

“House of Flying Daggers concludes with a sword battle between Jin and Leo that begins under sunny skies but ends in the midst of a heavy snow fall. It’s a stunning image, reminiscent of the swirling yellow leaves Zhang turned blood red at the end of a fight sequence in Hero. Unlike that scene, however, the melee in the snow is the result not of digital tinkering, but of a higher-order intervention–an unanticipated blizzard that nearly cancelled shooting before Zhang decided to integrate it into the film.”