House of Flying Daggers

After Hero was released earlier in 2004 director Zhang Yimou shot to fame. With its amazing visuals and fight sequences it was one of my favourite films of the year. A nice bonus of the film being two years old when it was released was that we could get this, his follow up film, within six months of Hero. House of Flying Daggers is set at a time where the rulers of China have become corrupted and incompetent. They are set against by an underground group called, you guessed it, the House of Flying Daggers. The story starts with local officials trying to discover who the House's new leader is, figuring that with that information they could take the whole organisation down. The plot twists and turns and kept me entertained throughout. Cleverly the film doesn't take sides and through the film your loyalties switch back and forth. However the narrative takes a dramatic turn at the end and you feel a bit cheated, after seemingly building to one climax it ends on another almost ignoring something set up by the rest of the film. It is sloppy and does make you leave unsatisfied. However other than this, House of Flying Daggers is an amazing piece of cinema. Form the stunning sets and details to the breathtaking fights and action sequences that continue to impress with innovative twists on existing ideas it kept me hooked. The performances are also very good again making the audience question their motives at all times and give some gravity to what could be a light film. Visually this film doesn't quite match Hero's dazzling palette of colours but manages some amazing sequences, one in a bamboo forest springs to mind. More emotional and small than Hero's epic sprawl this is more a love story between the three main characters which is well told and acted, but focused on too late to carry the weight of the whole film. Overall House of Flying Daggers is unlike most films you will see this year, stunning and creative it is a must-see, but he unfocused ending mars what would otherwise be a true masterpiece. A smaller, more emotional film than Hero but just as stunning to look at. Great performances and innovative plot developments keep you hooked throughout and it is only the slightly unfocused ending that lets it down. A rare treat.