House of Flying Daggers

I saw this first on a grainy download while living in Korea. It had been in the theatres there, but not much reason to see it with Korean subtitles. The visual imagery is, of course, stunning. Most people are wowed by the opening sequence with the dancer and the drum game (the dried bean thrown and drums and she has to follow). This a great scene, but the final duel as the blizzard comes in remains one of the best pieces of film I have seen. Very powerful. If you enjoyed "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" this is a much more interesting story, and much more powerful visually.



Of course, what really makes this movie is the ending, and trying to figure out the wheels within wheels of what you just saw and who was exactly betraying whom (their wife, their government, themself) at what point, and if they ever knew exactly themselves.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jacaranda Petals and White Picket Fence

Image
Jacaranda Petals and White Picket Fence Originally uploaded by kevin.haroun My neighbors house is quiet lovely. It has a white picket fence and a jacaranda tree that just finished blooming. It's always interesting to me the ways people make the compound in to home. My own yard has banana trees and corn growing in it. Maybe not "home" to me, but my gardener is happy with it. Not sure if the idea of xeriscaping will ever catch on here. A pity. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the falling petals.
Read more

Kabalarian Philosophy

A name website a friend pointed me to, my interest in astrology and related arts is only for the use as tools in Jungian analysis, or self-analysis. Still, interesting stuff: The name of Kevin creates an overly-sensitive nature which causes you to sense and feel far more than you can understand or put into words. You have a deep, artistic, and creative side which shows through a love for music and literature. Writing is a more natural mode of expression for your deeper thoughts and feelings than the spoken word. You have an ability to concentrate and work intently on anything which holds your interest. However, you prefer to avoid routine, monotony, and mental tasks. Kabalarian Philosophy
Read more

Identity and Self or "OMG!!! You shaved your head!"

Image
Spending a lot of time on your own gives you time to reflect. On yourself, on life, on what you are doing. It also gives you time to indulge things you might not otherwise, fearing the reaction of family and friends. For a long time now, I've been wondering what I would look like bald. The hair at the back of my head has been thinning out in an annoying fashion. I recall it starting that way on my older brother when I was in my twenties. I told myself if my hair went the same way, I would shave my head. The result, well, you can see and decide for yourself. Surprisingly, I'm pretty happy with the look. If my beard wasn't coming in with so much grey already, I'd consider getting it shaved every week. As it is, I'm letting it grow back out. Just won't have to worry about getting it trimmed for a while.
Read more