Tonight neon lights are ablaze outside Taipei's Grand Hotel, a structure whose palace-like architecture is evocative of Chinese antiquity. Inside, red gauze curtains are aflutter and packed on either side of the lobby's red carpet are reporters and fans that have come to take part in the Hero premiere festivities. When mainland director Zhang Yimou and leading man Tony Leung arrive, the crowd's enthusiasm rises another several notches.

With production costs reaching NT$1 billion and intensive promotional efforts that included inviting director Zhang, male lead Tony Leung, and female lead Maggie Cheung to Taiwan, Hero naturally delivered a dazzling box office performance. Premiering in Taiwan on the evening of January 17, it was the box office champion, outstripping the NT$6.7 million first-day earnings of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by grossing over NT$7 million in Taipei alone, thus making it the seventh highest grossing premier in Taiwan box office history.

Three years before Hero sizzled at the box office, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, directed by Taiwanese director Ang Lee, broke down the doors to Western mainstream markets, concurrently appearing in over 1800 theatres in the US. Crouching Tiger was later successful in the international awards circuit, as well, picking up the award for best film in a language other than English at the British Academy Film Awards, and Best Director and Best Foreign Language Film Awards at the American Golden Globe Awards, and was nominated in ten separate categories at the 73rd Oscars, ultimately walking away with four. Needless to say, Crouching Tiger has bequeathed a glowing legacy to the history of Chinese-language cinema.

The martial arts aesthetic

Praised by the film criticism community for "showing Chinese martial arts at their aesthetic best," Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an adaptation of a martial arts novel written by Wang Dulu, an author who lived in the early Republican era. The story tells of a nobleman's daughter Yu Jiaolong, who at a young age begins rigorous study of a stolen manual to the Wudan school of sword fighting under the tutelage of her attendant Jade Fox. Owing to the fact that Jade Fox is illiterate, the young protege's ability soon surpasses her master. The disturbance created by the pilfering of a precious sword brings Yu Jiaolong into contact with two martial artists, Li Mubai and the female martial artist Yu Xiulian. Yu Xiulian's suspicions that Yu Jiaolong is the individual responsible for the sword's theft strain her friendship with the younger woman, as well as dragging Li and Jade Fox into bloody conflict.

Crouching Tiger leads audiences on a ride through the panoply of Chinese scenery, from endless stretches of barren desert to misty mountain landscapes to verdant bamboo forests to cascading waterfalls to traditional courtyards. This along with Hong Kong martial arts coordinator Yuan Wo-ping's painstaking choreography really sets the film apart from previous Hong Kong and Taiwan films that feature combat at the expense of content. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon really shows the martial arts genre to glorious effect.

Crouching Tiger has injected new life into the martial arts film genre, becoming in the process the pride of Chinese-language film. Unlike Crouching Tiger, which is based on a martial arts novel, Hero is grounded in historical reality, the interpretation of which has ignited controversy in the market.

Ever since Hero premiered in the mainland, the debate surrounding the film has become all the more intense. Many mainlanders were more than a bit dissatisfied with director Zhang Yimou's presentation of history, specifically questioning the historical veracity of his portrayal of the infamous first Qin emperor (Qinshihuang) as an enlightened ruler who saved both China and its people. Hong Kong audiences had their own gripes with the film. With the indelible memory of the Tiananmen massacre still fresh in their consciousness, they saw the First Emperor's use of massive force to crush opposition-all in the name of unifying China-as a justification of authoritarianism.

In Taiwan the controversy surrounding Hero went beyond ideology. Many found it guilty of plagiarizing from a number of well known films, "borrowing" liberally from their action scenes, costumes, artistic content, and narrative structure. For instance, Hero's use of flashback, alternation between conflicting character perspectives, and a denouement in which the truth is finally disclosed seem virtually replicated from the Japanese classic, Rashomon. The scene in which Jet Li and Donnie Yen duke it out at a chess pavilion is another example. The two combatants spar in midair, their bodies transcending the limits of human kinetics, the effect of which is entirely reminiscent of Keanu Reeves's aerial duels in The Matrix.

Martial arts dreams

In addition to the varying criticisms leveled at Hero itself, there are also inevitable comparisons with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, most of which center on the relative strengths of the films' directors.

On the Beijing SinaNet website, one chat room participant lamented a number of shortcomings. The dialogue in Hero was superficial and too modern sounding, and the film laid greater emphasis on form than the actual storyline. Moreover, director Zhang Yimou overextended himself attempting to confine so heavy and broad a theme within a two-hour format. As a result, the entire story comes off as a stiff and unnatural. Lacking in vitality, the characters are merely functional. "By way of contrast," observed the same individual, "Ang Lee was much savvier. In Crouching Tiger, the individual characters are imperative to the deepening of the plot, as the characters themselves illuminate the film's theme. Fully fleshed out individuals are what make the film palatable. Zhang Yimou just doesn't have what it takes to convey the kind of understated melancholy and wisdom that only men of learning can attain-his forte is portraying rural life. Lee really has him outclassed in that regard."

However, there are those Internet users who have sprung to Zhang's defense. Says one Zhang ally: "Putting ideology aside for the moment, if you take a look at the evolution of thematic material in martial arts novels you'll see that Hero in fact takes its cue from the tradition. In one of the novels of renowned martial arts writer Louis Cha, Yuan Chengzhi seeks to avenge his father's death by taking the life of the Ming emperor Chongzhen. Yuan infiltrates the Forbidden City and has the opportunity to carry out his revenge, so why doesn't he? Because the anti-Manchu, pro-Ming dynasty heroes in a lot of the martial stories cannot change the fact that killing an emperor would only plunge the kingdom into chaos."

In regard to the historical debate that the film has generated, Zhang Yimou has his own explanation. While promoting his film in Taiwan, Zhang and local director Hou Hsiao-hsien engaged in a lengthy chat about their "ideal" martial arts film at Taipei Film House. Zhang pointed out that his film was set in the time immediately before the first Qin emperor had unified all of China. At that moment in history, it would have been impossible for people to foresee his eventual transformation into a tyrant; therefore, the assassin is able to place trust in the emperor. Zhang feels that, as opposed to uncompromising heroes, heroes who have given up the quest achieve a kind of sublimation of consciousness. One of the film's underlying themes is that of placing the good of the country above all else. As a result, the assassin decides to spare the emperor's life, because he might still be of some use. Little did Zhang realize, however, that his historical interpretation would be subject to intense criticism.

Audiences haven't exactly bought Zhang's historical interpretations wholesale. Zhang was, however, prepared-even before he began shooting Hero-for the eventuality that his picture might have to contend with Crouching Tiger.

"As Ang Lee himself has said, every Chinese male director aspires to make their own martial arts film. I'm no exception-I grew up reading martial arts novels," says Zhang Yimou. When he first started out on his directorial path as a member of the so-called "fifth generation" of mainland directors, the kinds of movies currently in vogue were lyrical pieces that were historically introspective. Under such circumstances, he was forced to temporarily shelve his more martial ambitions. Then in 1998, as Zhang began drafting his Hero script, Ang Lee set the movie world ablaze with the release of his Crouching Tiger. For Zhang, it was as though a bucket of cold water had been poured on his head-"I was pretty dispirited."

"Later on, I rethought everything and came to the realization that in making a martial arts movie it would inevitably be judged against the works of others-both contemporary films and those of Chang Cheh, King Hu, and others from the previous generation of directors. Martial arts films are unique to China, after all, and as such, your competitors are all compatriots," says Zhang. From the very first day on the set, Zhang was well aware that people would accuse him of jumping on the martial arts bandwagon.

The world of the sword

As Chinese film directors are keenly aware, martial arts flicks are the most highly developed form in the history of Chinese film. Moreover, they are more distinctively Chinese than any other genre.

The sword has a long pedigree in Chinese culture. Well before the birth of Christ, entire chapters were devoted to it in such classics as Zhuangzi and the Records of the Grand Historian. And legends of great swordsmen have proliferated ever since then on stage and in literature.

According to movie critic Peggy Chiao, martial arts films were raised to the level of literature in the 1960s thanks to the efforts of directors like King Hu, who brought something akin to religious fervor to the task of creating authentic scenery and props. Hu created characters devoted to an abstract chivalry and set up sharp contrasts between devil-may-care Taoists and earnest improve-the-world Confucians. In Hu's skilled hands, martial arts films rose above their previous B-movie status and took on a cultured brilliance, with calligraphy, compelling stories, Peking Opera, and superb outdoor scenery turning the genre into "martial poetry."

Hu's cultured swordsmen soon gave way in theaters to kung fu flicks featuring the likes of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chen, where an unmistakable proletarian taste showed through in the fighters' kick-ass approach to life. Then the director Tsui Hark appeared on the scene, paring down martial arts films to simple, highly repetitive action flicks that could be churned out like so many canned goods. The genre remained mired in this muck until Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon graced the silver screen with cinematic beauty and philosophical depth.

It's been three years, but in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero one can see how directors from Taiwan and the PRC are attempting to find new life in the old martial arts genre.

Says Chiao: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon takes the art of storytelling and returns it once again to the middle class. Highly literate dialog, elaborate rituals of etiquette, and the way human passions get reined in by morality are all dead giveaways to director Ang Lee's belief in Confucian ideals." The suggestive duel in the bamboo grove between Li Mubai and Yu Jiaolong, says Chiao, is directly inspired by the battle in the bamboo grove in A Touch of Zen. The spectacular scenery of western China's Xinjiang Province is a far cry from southern Taiwan's Moon World, which "doubles" for the northwest Chinese desert in Dragon Inn. And when Jade Fox ambushes the policeman Gan and two other characters, her fierce facial expressions and fighting moves are strikingly reminiscent of certain scenes in A Touch of Zen and The Valiant Ones. Unlike King Hu, whose swashbuckling heroes give no hint of human sentiment, Ang Lee's Confucian protagonists show very strong feelings.

Making it look good

For Chinese male directors to be able to make a martial arts film in their lives, and to be able to unleash their imaginations in so doing is a dream, even something that borders on personal dogma.

"I've always fantasized about the world of knights and beauties, a world that every Chinese believes in and dreams about at some point in their life," claims Ang Lee in his autobiographical A Decade of Cinematic Dreams.

In order to achieve his martial arts dreams, Ang Lee did his homework. In his effort to delve into the very essence of Chinese martial arts, he both tracked down reference materials on the subject of martial arts and consulted with experts. Only when the shooting of the film had begun in earnest did he discover that the ravishing, enthralling on-screen aesthetic and bona fide martial arts were in fact two completely different quantities.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's martial arts coordinator, Yuan Wo-ping, is a dyed-in-the-wool realist when it comes to choreographing fight scenes, generally frowning upon the use of cranes. His "down-to-earth" approach led him to dismiss director Ang Lee's expectations of "making it beautiful and realistic" as artistic whimsy. On many occasions, he would ask, "Which do you want: a fight scene or just something that looks nice?" Lee's reply-"How about a fight scene that looks good?"-had Yuan gasping in exasperation.

The subtle and metaphoric duel that transpires atop the trees of a bamboo grove relies entirely on lines suspended from cranes normally used for construction, with the actors hovering a distance of five to six stories above ground. When Zhang Ziyi is finally toppled by a kick from Chow Yun-fat, she plummets headlong towards the ground and it is only at the very last instant that the work crew yanks the cable bound to her feet and breaks her fall. As she crashes through the successive layers of bamboo leaves, she puts on a convincing performance of screaming in terror. From a distance all the cables are invisible, and it really does appear that she has spilled down from the treetops. Zhang's mother once dropped by the set for a visit, and after witnessing one of the scenes, she was frightened to the point of tears.

The treetop scene grabbed the attention of one of Star Wars director George Lucas' workers, who repeatedly implored Ang Lee to reveal how the scene was shot. Lee maintains that this kind of high-difficulty shot is beyond the capabilities of high technology; though special effects can make such a shot visually stunning, they rule out including the actor's reactions. What Lee really wanted was for audience members to feel as though they were smack in the middle of the scene.

In Hero, Zhang Yimou similarly emphasized symbolic, highly visualized fighting sequences. One example is the fight scene at the chess pavilion between Jet Li and Donnie Yen. Here, the fighting is an exhibition of the martial arts aesthetic and of a skill so consummate that the combatants themselves are able to determine the outcome from just a few preliminary passes. In the end, discerning a winner and loser is left up to the discretion of the viewer. Another brilliant sequence occurs at the lake in Jiuzhai Valley in Sichuan, where Jet Li and Andy Lau clash in a contest that serves as symbolic tribute to Maggie Cheung's deceased character.

It's about the action

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's exquisite imagery and dramatic plot, and its rhythm which alternates between moments of understatement and boisterousness, have helped to inject new life into an ailing genre. However, Crouching Tiger's success in breaking free of the previous martial arts mold must be viewed in light of its hybrid origins.

In other words, international cooperation in terms of funding and exchange is the current trend in movie production, and Crouching Tiger shows the merging of technical personnel from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the US to stunning effect. Just as this can be said for Ang Lee, the same also applies to Zhang Yimou.

One saying in the movie industry is that action comes before all else. A martial arts flick has to look great, and for this one can't afford to be stingy.

When Zhang Yimou and Hou Hsiao-hsien had their chat during the former's visit to Taiwan, the two, speaking from their positions as established art film directors, agreed that Chinese-language films had to find their way out from the shadow of Hollywood cinema. Martial arts cinema just might provide the solution.

Hou averred that any movie industry was divided between mainstream, commercial films and experimental films. The mainstream provides for the market on a day to day basis, but has no ability to create. As a result, it is only natural that it should rely on the experimental sector for creativity, as in the case of the Hollywood attempt to remake Hong Kong director Peter Chan's The Eye.

"Martial arts films are the cream of Eastern cinema and the only genre which can vie with Hollywood. For this reason, they are extremely valuable," says Hou. But martial arts films cannot be fully realized in Taiwan alone, as they invariably combine Hong Kong technical staff and mainland actors and sets. Especially now with the increased abilities of computerized special effects, this hitherto vanishing film genre will be able to take to the screens once more.

Hou's comments resonated with Zhang, who laughed, "We've been experimenting around in the mainland forever-the fifth generation of film directors is synonymous with experimentation!" Given the rampant spread of piracy in the mainland, Zhang continues, the way to lure audiences into the theaters is by assuring them that their money is well spent-exhortation along moral lines isn't at all practicable. As a result, he spent a fortune on visual and audio effects, with expenditures for one scene equivalent to the cost of production for an entire TV series. "People may carp at me, but one thing they've got to admit is that the film's visuals and music are fantastic. And judging from the mainland box office figures, I'd say that I took the right approach."

Zhang also points out that martial arts films afford plenty of room for imagination and provide a reprieve from the restrictions of realism. However, they are, by very definition, big productions that require the infusion of tremendous amounts of capital in order to be realized.

Resurrecting the genre

Regardless of Hero's uneven critical reception-in the media and online, in the mainland and in Taiwan and Hong Kong-it has nevertheless managed to rack up an impressive box office record at RMB200 million and succeeded in besting its competitors, the global blockbusters Harry Potter: The Chamber of Secrets and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. From a commercial vantage, anyhow, there's no denying the film's triumph.

Many concur with the notion that what the Chinese-language film market really lacks is precisely the explosive commercial film, namely, a Hollywood style approach to production and marketing. This perhaps is Chinese-language cinema's only chance of survival.

Taiwan's limited market has been swallowed up by Hollywood. Small wonder, then, that no one is eager to invest in it. Viewing things from a cross-strait perspective, Taiwan film's only chance of survival requires that it set its sights on a larger market. The mainland market, though it is gradually opening up as a result of admission into the World Trade Organization, nevertheless is still subject to government regulations, which restrict the number of imported films. If mainland cinema can undergo extensive integration in terms of capital, production, marketing, and theater release, then there is still a chance to defy Hollywood's hegemony. Taiwan, for its part, can secure new opportunities through collaboration with the mainland.

Many interpret the successes of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero as the resurrection of Chinese-language film through the martial arts genre. As to which film can claim the honor of providing this rebirth, we'll just have to await the decision of cinema history.

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The martial arts epic Hero was shot at locations throughout China, including Inner Mongolia and Dunhuang. The scene depicted here is at Jiuzhai Valley in Sichuan. (courtesy of 20th Century Fox)

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Mainland director Zhang Yimou came to Taiwan with an entourage that included Hong Kong star Andy Lau to promote his film, Hero. He created quite a stir amongst the media and movie aficionados. (photo by Jimmy Lin)

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Released three years ago, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon performed admirably in the international film arena. As its director, Ang Lee, says, making a martial arts film is something to which all Chinese directors aspire. (photo by Lin Ching-yang)

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In his traditional long gown, Hong Kong star Chow Yun-fat is the very image of a Chinese knight-errant. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon brought together actors, technical staff, investment capital, and technology from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the mainland. Hero's production was conducted in a similar fashion. (courtesy of Touchstone Pictures)

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Back in 1966, director King Hu directed Come Drink With Me, his first-ever martial arts film, for the Shaw Brothers Group. The inspired film techniques revealed the director's faith in Chinese classical culture, and are not easily surpassed, even by contemporary directors. (courtesy of Chang Meng-jui)

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In 1971, King Hu directed A Touch of Zen, starring Hsu Feng. The film won an award for film technique at the 27th annual Cannes Film Festival. (courtesy of Chang Meng-jui)