Too many plot twists and a bizarre fixation on scenes of sexualized violence bring House of Flying Daggers in well under Yimou Zhang's previous achievement Hero (reviewed here), but it's still a great movie. The epic ending swordfight alone is nearly flawless, and so moving and excellent as to make up for most of the movie's other flaws. (Whatever it takes to get us to that last fight in the snow is fine with me.)

What is most admirable about House, like Hero, is its refusal to make any type of black-or-white determination about which of the two sides is 'good.' The movie's least admirable character is a hero on what American audiences would expect to be the 'good' side, the Rebellion. Meanwhile, the movie's male lead and apparent hero works for the corrupt, dying Empire. No character escapes this movie without a shade of grey.

In the end, the epic, final battle between the Empire and the Rebellion is left completely off-screen, while we focus in on the bloody resolution of a love triangle. This is a love story, first and foremost -- an interesting choice for a martial arts movie, but it works.

The stylization is very different from Hero's, which I suppose is necessary, and the direction overall is quite masterful -- though I wish there had been a scene to rival the colors of Hero's leaf fight.

Worth renting. Next up in the queue: Kung Fu Hustle.

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