Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (DVD, 2001, Special Edition)

From the stable of one of today's greatest contemporary filmmakers, Ang Lee, the film, 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' or 'Wo hu cang long,' is a classic theme of unrequited love, woven into a story about a trial between two competing factions (both well versed in martial arts), who are out to recover a beautiful jade bejewelled sword. Lee combines the mysterious nature of these Chinese role-players in a timeless story that takes place in the province of QING in China, somewhere in time, (although the period in history seems to be irrelevant.) A girl from Beijing, voted in at #100 in FHM's Sexiest 100 Girls of 2002, plays Jen Yu, one of the lead roles in the film. But this film is not only about sex-appeal. It is a tale about believable miracles, visualized in a love story with classic themes, by people flying atop roofs, in between the trees, and choreographed in mid-air, floating over the terrain of a magical land. The story keeps you gripped with fascination as to what happens next. I watched the subtitles rarely, preferring to listen to the Mandarin dialog and watch the action. I was moved by this beautiful story, and would recommend that this becomes a movie that is an essential part of any sensualist's collection, regardless of taste.