Director's Statement and Synopsis - from the Media Press Kit


Director Zhang Yimou:

HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS is a timeless, romantic love story in the form of a traditional martial arts film. The film tells of a passionate emotional journey, in which three people suffer for love - it tears them apart, yet they are willing to sacrifice everything for it.

When a woman is torn between two men, we know that it will end in tragedy. The dynamics of the relationships between three very different people with different backgrounds is intriguing. The only thing they all have in common is that nobody is who they claim to be. Everyone is deceiving each other. In Chinese, we say that "Love, Hate, Passion and Vengeance" are the most volatile emotions, and it is these feelings that envelope the three main characters.

As a setting, the bamboo forest is inextricably linked to martial arts films. Ang Lee shot scenes for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in a bamboo forest - in fact, for the past fifty years, everybody has shot action in a bamboo forest. It is as though you have to fight in the bamboo forest before you can be considered a true warrior. So of course, if I was going to make an action film, I also had to shoot in the bamboo forest, to keep with tradition. But I insisted on making the tradition my own. I made each scene a little different. In my bamboo forest, the battle takes place simultaneously on the ground and high up on the bamboo. The two lovers on the run fight on the ground while the enemy attacks them from above.

The snow [in Ukraine] came very early this year - in October. It began to snow heavily when we were half way through a scene, and this worried me a great deal because if it snowed for much longer, all the leaves on the trees would be gone, and we would face huge problems with continuity. I had to make a decision, and after some thought I decided to shoot the scene in the snow. But because we had already begun shooting that scene, we had to make a lot of adjustments - to the script, the pace and so on. When I look at the way this sequence turned out, I feel enormously lucky. The snow created the perfect tone for the scene. It's fate - someone up above decided to help me out.

For the Peony Pavilion, we built a very elaborate set to showcase Mei and Leo's "Echo Game," but the fighting, the action, the visual effects all take the back seat to the emotional journey - the fate - of the three main characters. Ultimately, movies are about people, regardless of genre or style. This is a love story wrapped inside an action film. Jin and Mei only spend three days together, but during this time, they love fiercely, and in the end - tragically. There is no way to explain their love. If you can explain it, then it is not love. Perhaps three seconds is all we need to find true love. Thirty years together may not equal a deeper connection.

Many directors have told similar stories, but my concern is how people fall in love, and what we are willing to sacrifice for the sake of that love. At the end of the day, love is a triumph of the human spirit. -Zhang Yimou



Synopsis

It is 859AD, and the Tang Dynasty, one of the most enlightened empires in Chinese history at its height, is in decline. The Emperor is incompetent and the government is corrupt. Unrest is spreading throughout the land, and many rebel armies are forming in protest. The largest, and most prestigious, is an underground alliance called the "House of Flying Daggers."

The House of Flying Daggers operates mysteriously, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Thus, they have earned the support and admiration of the people and expanded quickly. Based in Feng Tian County, close to the Imperial Capital, the House of Flying Daggers has long been a thorn in the side of the local deputies, their hated rivals.

The deputies are enraged because, even after they fought and killed the leader of the House of Flying Daggers, the House continues to thrive. Under the leadership of a mysterious new leader, the House of Flying Daggers grows ever more powerful. Feng Tian County's two local captains, Leo (ANDY LAU TAK WAH) and Jin (TAKESHI KANESHIRO) are ordered to capture the new leader within ten days.

Captain Leo suspects that Mei (ZHANG ZIYI), the beautiful new dancer at the local Peony Pavilion, is actually the daughter of the old leader. He hatches a plan to arrest her and bring her in for questioning. When Mei refuses to divulge any information on the House of Flying Daggers, the two captains set up another plan. This time, Captain Jin will pretend to be a lone warrior called Wind and rescue Mei from prison, earning her trust and escorting her to the secret headquarters of the House of Flying Daggers.

The plan works, and on their long journey to the House, Jin and Mei warm to each other. Before long, Mei has developed feelings for her enigmatic protector, and Jin is surprised to find himself falling for Mei's headstrong charm. Both struggle to contain their feelings, but under the starry night, their irrepressible desire is almost beyond their control. Danger lurks in the forest surrounding them, and the wind is still, as if sensing the tension in the air.

What lies ahead for Jin and Mei, these star-crossed lovers? If this is true love, then why are there plots in their heads.and secrets in their hearts?

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