And so a troubled Jen uneasily approaches her impending arranged marriage with deep ambivalence, and the mercurial young woman steals a distinctive sword called the Green Destiny that once belonged to Li. Events resulting from the theft lead to the revelation that Jen's governess is Jade Fox, and Li begins to pursue her to avenge his master's death. At one point, Jade Fox gives Li her side of the story: "Your master underestimated us women. Sure, he'd sleep with me, but he would never teach me. He deserved to die by a woman's hand."

Just before her wedding, Lo comes to Jen, but she sends him away. Then Jen goes through with the arranged marriage, but runs away almost immediately afterwards. On the road alone, Jen demonstrates that her martial arts skills are formidable. Li follows Jen, hoping to be able to help her find some better alternative than becoming a "poisoned dragon." Li counsels the immature Jen, "No growth without assistance. No action without reaction. No desire without restraint." But eventually events take a tragic turn, and Jen and Shu Lien come into conflict. Nevertheless, Shu Lien tells Jen as they part, "Promise me one thing. Whatever path you take in this life, be true to yourself."

Ultimately Jen is reunited with Lo, and the film goes on to a mystical ending. The key to this ending comes from a story that Lo told Jen during their brief time together in the desert: "We have a legend. Anyone who dares to jump from the mountain, God will grant his wish. Long ago, a young man's parents were ill, so he jumped. He didn't die. He wasn't even hurt. He floated away, far away, never to return. He knew his wish had come true. If you believe, it will happen. The elders say, 'A faithful heart makes wishes come true.'"

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a visually dazzling film throughout. The most memorable sequence is probably the sword fight between Li and Jen where they are high up in the lush greenery of tall bamboo trees. The most beautiful sequence is perhaps where Jen and Lo ride horses in the Gobi desert. Another stunning sequence is Jen's wedding procession, particularly the way Jen looks in her elaborate red dress and striking mask.

It's difficult for anyone who is not fluent in Mandarin to accurately judge the quality of the acting in Crouching Tiger, and I have to admit that, except for a few proper names, I was completely at the mercy of the subtitles to follow what the actors were saying. However, I can say that the look, movements, and tones of voice of the actors generally seemed right. I would particularly single out Michelle Yeoh as having an extremely expressive face, and Chang Chen has a very charismatic screen presence.

Director Ang Lee won the prestigious Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, indicating that other directors greatly admired his work on the film. Lee was also nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Director category, but the Oscar went to Steven Soderbergh for Traffic. Among Lee's other directorial credits are The Wedding Banquet (1993), Eat Drink Man Woman (1994), Sense and Sensibility (1995), and The Ice Storm (1997).

The entertaining mix of action, romance, and exotic setting in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon give the movie a very wide appeal. At the same time, the film's complexity, enigmatic story, and unforgettable images leave the serious viewer with a lot to think about. I highly recommend Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

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