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Shi mian mai fu
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Shi mian mai fu (2004) More at IMDbPro »

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Shi mian mai fu (2004) -- A romantic warrior breaks a beautiful member of a rebel army out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem.
Shi mian mai fu (2004) -- A romantic warrior breaks a beautiful member of a rebel army out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem.

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   34,700 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Yimou Zhang
Writers:
Feng Li (writer)
Bin Wang (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for House of Flying Daggers on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 January 2005 (USA) more
Plot:
A romantic police captain breaks a beautiful member of a rebel group out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 16 wins & 36 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(18 articles)
Shemaroo releases 5 Utv World Movies - News
 (From GlamSham. 20 April 2009, 11:30 AM, PDT)

An Empress And The Warriors - Trailer
 (From LateFilmFull. 1 March 2009, 2:33 AM, PST)

User Comments:
Following on from HERO with another visually arresting feature... more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Takeshi Kaneshiro ... Jin
Andy Lau ... Leo

Ziyi Zhang ... Xiao Mei (as Zhang Ziyi)
Dandan Song ... Yee
Hongfei Zhao ... Performer
Jun Guo ... Performer
Shu Zhang ... Performer
Jiusheng Wang ... Performer
Zhengyong Zhang ... Performer
Yongxin Wang ... Performer
Dong Liu ... Performer
Qi Zi ... Performer
Xuedong Qu ... Performer
Liping Tian ... Performer
Hongwei Zhao ... Performer
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Attack from Ten Directions (International: English title) (literal title)
House of Flying Daggers (International: English title)
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for sequences of stylized martial arts violence, and some sexuality.
Runtime:
119 min | Australia:118 min
Country:
China | Hong Kong
Language:
Mandarin
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Filming Locations:
Beijing, China more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The scene in the bamboo forest is very common in Chinese martial arts movies. Yimou Zhang felt that he had to stay in that tradition and added the scene in the bamboo forest. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Early in the final battle between Jin and Leo, it switches between them holding each other's swords away at the sides to their swords being crossed in front of them while they're on the ground. more
Quotes:
Jin: When can we see each other again?
Mei: We cannot. We belong to two opposing sides. If we meet again... one of us will have to die.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The 77th Annual Academy Awards (2005) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Beauty Song (Jia Ren Qu) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
95 out of 123 people found the following comment useful:-
Following on from HERO with another visually arresting feature..., 20 November 2004
9/10
Author: Tony Ryan (tpr007) from United Kingdom

After absolutely loving 'Hero', I couldn't wait for Zhang Yimou's latest Wuxia Pien feature to arrive on DVD. After watching it, I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed, as it is another sumptuous, stylistic feature, which deserves all the accolades it is likely to receive.

The plot of the film is told in a more linear narrative when compared to that of 'Hero', but that is not to say it is any more straightforward. Set in the Tang Dynasty, the basic premise is nothing to write home about, featuring government officials on the trail of an underground rebel alliance 'The House of Flying Daggers'. However, there is enough characterisation and depth to hold your attention, while the (sometimes predictable) plot twists keep you guessing. Unfortunately, there is nothing entirely new about this story and it's probably familiar ground to fans of the wuxia genre. Nevertheless, it flows at a decent pace and is punctuated with enough stylistic action sequences that the 2-hour running time is quickly exhausted.

As with Yimou's impressive previous feature, Tony Ching Siu-tung takes over the action direction, producing another sterling performance. In my opinion, he is currently the top fight choreographer around after spending so many years being considered second fiddle to the likes of Yuen Wo-ping and Sammo Hung; he now deserves to be considered above them on his current output. In this instance, much of the overt stylisation evident in Hero is played down in favour of more grounded, natural martial artistry. There is still plenty of wire work and a spattering of CGI to aid the sequences, however, it is plain to see that much of the action displayed is a mix of genuine swordplay and actual technique. All the performers acquit themselves well considering none of them are formally trained in martial arts – especially Zhang Ziyi who performs impressively from start to finish.

As you would expect from a Zhang Yimou film, the visuals are majestic, with primary colours and panoramic landscapes making up much of what we see. Unfortunately, many people do not seem to take to this artistic approach, and will label the film another case of style over substance. I would disagree, as I believe it contains plenty of both with a strong cast, interesting characters and high quality action to provide the foundation for the kind of bold, sumptuous visuals, which are rare to find in modern film.

Overall, I personally prefer 'Hero' but know of plenty who would disagree. As a result, I recommend it as a definite purchase to any fan of films from this genre.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Shi mian mai fu (2004)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Weak plot or Lost in translation? alveolate
style over substance again JoeyRamone
Perfect representation of men and women. Familiar7
I think a lot of people are ignoring a massive plot hole. pink_floyd3456142
what other movies to see madisonj1
Anita Mui in House of Flying Daggers albertkarsa
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