On 'House of Flying Daggers'

to Brandon Griggs, 2/3/05:

I saw "House of Flying Daggers" last weekend, went out by myself friday night as C. was feeling too sleepy. I thought the scenes were masterful, though there was something about the mood of the whole thing -- so desperately self-serious and sentimental after the wide-open exhilaration of "Kung Fu Hustle" at Sundance. Zhang Yimou seems to bring that romanticism; the movie seemed of a piece with "Hero" with its colors and billowing silks and slow motion and soaring period themes. In "Flying Daggers" I remember all these shots of people on horseback racing through one forest or another. But you almost want Zhang to lighten up a bit on his way to the epic showdown and the star-crossed love triangle. Of course the action was incredible, the bamboo forest scene in particular with all those soldiers sliding down the stalks like ninjas. In the credits it said those actors were actually members of a Chinese circus team -- makes sense!