Celebrating Ang Lee's Wuxia Masterpiece: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is typically celebrated with classic and contemporary romantic comedies to indulge in feelings of warmth and love. However, this year, we are looking at it differently by honoring Ang Lee’s 2000 masterpiece, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. This wuxia film is not only a tragic fairy tale with one of cinema’s most heartrending love stories but is also a visual spectacle of stunning cinematography and awe-inspiring martial arts sequences—making it an ideal movie for a date night.

(Spoilers below, but we will give you a heads up before major reveals.)

This film is adapted from a 1940s novel by Wang Dulu and takes place during the Qing dynasty, somewhere between 1644 and 1912 (no exact date is provided). The title directly translates a line from a 6th-century Chinese poem: “behind the rock in the dark probably hides a tiger, and the coiling giant root resembles a crouching dragon.” It implies the presence of legendary martial arts masters living unnoticed and possibly hidden in plain sight until they are challenged. Interestingly, some of these hidden masters are women.

Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) is a master Wudang swordsman harboring a long-standing love for his warrior friend, Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), who reciprocates his feelings. However, out of respect for Shu Lien’s deceased fiancée—also Mu Bai’s best friend—they keep their emotions concealed. This adherence to an honor code is crucial among the warriors.

Mu Bai retires as a swordsman and bestows the legendary jian sword, “Green Destiny,” to his patron, Sir Te (Lang Sihung). Present that day are Governor Yu (Li Fazeng) and his newly engaged daughter, Yu Jiaolong (Zhang Ziyi), also known as Jen.

When a masked thief sneaks into the estate to steal Green Destiny, Shu Lien, who operates her own security company, pursues the thief across the compound’s rooftops, yet the thief manages to get away. Shu Lien discerns that the thief is connected to Governor Yu’s household and suspects that Jen’s governess (Cheng Pei-pei) is, in fact, the notorious Jade Fox, a female warrior responsible for poisoning Mu Bai’s cherished teacher in the past. During a nocturnal confrontation, Mu Bai overcomes Jade Fox—until the masked thief returns to defend her.