Guide Note

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a Chinese martial arts film directed by Ang Lee and released in 2000. It is based on a novel written by Wang Dulu, and set in China's historical Qing Dynasty period. Action sequences were choreographed by Yuen Woo Ping, the same choreographer as 1999's The Matrix. The film was very successful internationally but ironically performed poorly in China and Hong Kong, as such martial arts period pieces are more common there.

Fast Facts

1. Directed by: Ang Lee
2. Choreographed by: Yuen Woo Ping
3. Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen
4. Language: Mandarin (subtitled in English)
5. Release date: December 22, 2000 (U.S.)
6. Budget $15 million
7. The actors naturally spoke many different dialects of Chinese, but had to use Mandarin for the movie
8. Nominated for and won numerous awards, including Oscars and Golden Globes

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is set in China's Qing Dynasty and tells the story of swordsman, Li Mu-bai, as he seeks to give up his legendary sword, the Green Destiny. When it is stolen from its place of safekeeping in Beijing, Mu-bai sets off to retrieve it and finds that the thief, Jen (Zhang Ziyi) is a talented martial artist. As he tries to apprehend her to retrieve his sword, he finds that Jen has a complicated and dangerous past.

1. Best Picture
2. Best Director
3. Best Adapted Screenplay
4. Best Costume Design
5. Best Editing
6. Best Original Song (for A Love Before Time)

1. Best Foreign Language Film
2. Best Cinematography
3. Best Music, Original Score
4. Best Art Direction, Set Decoration

1. Best Foreign Language Film
2. Best Director, Motion Picture