Zhang's 'Daggers' an exquisite beauty

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Originally published 09:32 p.m., December 16, 2004, updated 12:00 a.m., December 17, 2004

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The only inelegant detail in the new martial arts epic "House of Flying Daggers" is its title. This sumptuous production makes 2000's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" look like a rough draft.

Director Zhang Yimou ("Hero") fills the screen with so many colors and feats of wonder that the jaw drops and never closes back up.

From its simple premise, the film's plot branches out prodigiously. We're nearing the end of China's Tang Dynasty, and the government's grip upon its people is both cruel and haphazard. A band of revolutionaries dubbed the House of Flying Daggers is meting out justice its own way, distributing money to the citizens according to Robin Hood's economic model.

The government has killed the house's patriarch, but another leader has emerged to continue the fight.

Leo (Andy Lau) and Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro), two of the government's captains, decide to arrest the old leader's daughter, a blind -- and blindingly beautiful -- dancer named Mei (Ziyi Zhang) for questioning.

Their efforts fail, but not before we witness the "echo game," an ingenious dance sequence in which Mr. Zhang fuses sights and sounds to remarkable effect.

That the filmmaker unveils his most breathtaking set piece in the film's first 15 minutes bespeaks confidence, arrogance or both.

His self-assurance is not misplaced, given the treats ahead, including a sword fight fought partially in the air amid a bamboo forest.

Jin eventually opts for a different strategy to wring information out of Mei. He'll pose as a vagabond swordsman and rush to her rescue when his fellow officers capture her. What he doesn't anticipate is her paralyzing grace or the way he feels compelled to rush to her side whenever danger erupts.

How could the two not fall in love, what with so many picturesque fall backdrops and a score worthy of the best Hollywood romances?

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