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Reader Feedback on "Views & Reviews: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"

Hey, I think you missed the mark on this movie. Particularily in reference to this just being "another Kung Fu Movie" This was a very good movie and it might make some rather elitist people (no offence) feel more at home to call this something other than a Kung Fu movie, in that the great art of movie critiques always gives way to those who feel that a movie has to be French, serious and boring to be art. When I saw this movie I was moved by the fight scenes in that they were more of a wonderful dance than an expression of violence. And although I felt that the action was more similar to the dance troupe La LA La Human steps than to the martial arts films of the past, it was still true to its roots. So lighten up with your calling this "just another Kung Fu movie"...It isnt necessary to elevate it to the level of the movie elites.This was a great Kung Fu movie, and thats ok...
--CBM
12/27

Ms. Wurtzel remains as marginal a reviewer as she is a marginal sociologist. Freedom is not only central to crouching tiger, but boundaries: east, west, political, tradition and honor and the failures of any of these boundaries to allow for (or provide) happiness to current generations. This movie isn't describing the Ching Dynasty: it's describing any generation's conflict and the wicked responsibility of growing up. Jen gets to stare directly into the 'center' when she jumps, its a place we're all planning on going someday, most of us against our will. Only children use the word fuck when its isn't really necessary.
--vkm
12/27

The real pity of this review is that it spends more time discussing what Ang Lee should have made than what was made in order to fit the writer's agenda. If an Asian woman is strong she is a Dragon Lady, if she is too weak, she fits the submissive archetype. Yes the praise does not stop for the movie. However, mostly it is praise for the spectacular visuals and martial arts action. No one is saying that this is the second coming of Christ where he finally liberates women from the tyranny of bound feet as Ms. Wurtzel so desperately is seeking.
--TKN
12/26

Whomever you are, D.S., thank you! You addressed -- admirably -- everything I was going to write about Elizabeth Wurtzel's embarassing, egregious waste of cyberspace. Are you single? Ahem. Anyway. And one more thing: Manchu women (which Jen states that she is, clearly, during the desert love scenes) did not bind their feet. Maybe Elizabeth Wurtzel should bind her writing hand -- clearly her brain has already suffered some sort of oxygen deprivation. Sorry, that was two. What the heck, may as well write off a little of the steam the garbage raised in me (in good Dragon Lady fashion?). I think that one CAN compare Bitch and Prozac Nation: both -- well, especially Bitch with its attempts at cultural criticism -- were smug, narcissistic and full of embarassingly ill-informed opinion. Funny how the first two so often lead to the third. . . (I only checked out Bitch because it came free as a reviewer's copy. I mean, who'd a thunk it'd actually be more self-serving and annoying than her first book?) If people like her would just SHUT UP and LISTEN for a change instead of running their mouths or pens off, assuming that the world was just waiting for their opinions on everything, they'd find that we (Asian/Asian American women, etc.) do not need ignorant, condescending reviews like this to explain how people like Ang Lee are misinforming the "American" people about Chinese culture. There is a reductive (or stereotypic if you prefer) term for the tone of your review, too, Elizabeth (and it's not "Bitchy" -- you really shouldn't flatter yourself): "White lady unbearable." And, in case you want to skip the research on this too, that has nothing to do with the White Album.
--N.T.
12/23

This was an AWeSome MoIve...
--aef
12/22

I love Elizabeth Wurtzel's writing, and her prespective is, as always, original and thought provoking. I hate complimenting anyone because I always sound like I am kissing ass...which may well be...but in this case it is well deserved. It is good to see the author writing and her review, has at the very least piqued my interest in regards to this movie. I beg that she keep up the good work, and continue to write in the intelligent and honest manor that her fans have come to expect of her. Thank You...
--MZ
12/21

I think that the last sentence of this review tells it all, "just a kung fu movie after all." I have never understood having someone with contempt for a particualr genre do reviews in that area. The author of this review misses the point entirely and should probably be relegated to doing opinion pieces on films like "Waiting to Exhale" or something like that where she won't be forced to drag in her analysis of sex roles in oppressive male dominated societies by the hair.
--EM
12/21

Dear Editor, Elizabeth Wurtzel is 1) not a very good writer and 2) not a very good observer, which makes her writing worse. Her writing meanders because she's going nowhere except to the end of the page. You may even know this yourself, but you've got her around for name recognition. Anyway. Best of luck.
--KC
12/20

Great to see "BITCH" back in the saddle. She should write more.
--BH
12/20

I do not believe that Elizabeth Wurtzel knows the first thing about Chinese culture or kung fu movies. By the time I got to the third tired reference about the exotic east and how she felt the movie was succesful because the west likes to fall in love with the wacky and psychedelic (her words, not mine) orient, I knew that was secretly her world view too. Maybe it's careless writing in the form of cliched flourishes that bother me. For example her little aside about not telling the difference between the Ching and Ming dynasties (the Ching came after the Ming, and the Ming monarchy was made of Han people, while the Ching was ruled by Manchurians who were seen as invaders and outsiders) was not half as egregious as the comment about feminist swashbucklers in the time of Confucius. Well, the Ching dynasty was hardly in the time of Confucius since he was dead for at least 1700 years by the time it even started. The reviewer looks ignorant when she tries to disguise herself as an expert on Chinese culture, and she does that when she reports that the character Jen is unrealistic because of her fearlessness, sexuality (and not all the characters revolve around her sexuality. Did you actually see the film or were you too busy reading the subtitles?) and unbound feet. Didn't she say in this same review that the sexually submissive Asian woman was a stereotype? Then why is she saying that the plucky girl could not have existed? There were feisty women in the Ching dynasty. Check out Empress Dowager Ci Xi who pretty much ruled the entire territory of Imperial China at the end of the Ching dynasty. And as for foot binding, it goes back to the early 19th century and and the Ching Dynasty goes back to 1644. I'm not sure when the story in Crouching Tiger takes place, but Jen could have certainly had unbound feet. Let me not forget the reference to the Sumo Wrestler in the fight scene where Jen is disguised as a young gentleman. Well, thanks for blanketing all the Asian cultures again. I have one word for that:Japanese. I think she means the Shaolin monk. People who regularly watch Kung Fu movies recognize that stock character, so if she says that Crouching Tiger is just another kung fu flick, she obviously does not know what she's talking about since she can't even recognize a commonly-used stock character. She shows a shallow knowledge of Chinese history and total ignorance to some of the kung fu movie references and conventions that Ang Lee has used beautifully and hysterically in this film. Which is why I found it hilarious when she decided to compare his body of work with itself. Maybe you can compare Prozac Nation to Bitch, since they are both about Ms. Wurtzel, but you certainly cannot compare the Ice Storm to the Wedding Banquet to Sense and Sensibility to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. This man's body of work is so diverse and highly imaginative that you can maybe play favorites, but just because you find hilarity in mundane minutia of a gay Chinese American yuppie's life doesn't mean that it far surpasses a cinematic treat because it's got some fight scene in it, and the characters leap across rooftops and have wacky nicknames. Not all good films are "realistic" indie flicks. And some middle-class white American 36-year-old's reality is certainly not mine. Do some research on the history of kung fu films before being an expert on the chinese culture. It's a large country and I'm sure that in the Ancient Orient (ugh-these words are from the review. The Ching dynasty is actually not quite as ancient as the Greeks or Romans, but I guess accuracy isn't the point of this review) some people are really fucking and not just casting longing looks at each other. Oh, I loved the film and found it really moving. And the kung fu scenes were gorgeous. Not another kung fu movie for me.
--D.S.
12/20

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