AllMovie

Zhang Yimou's gorgeously photographed, richly emotional ode to family is among the most memorable films of his varied career, managing to tell its conventional tale with unconventional wisdom and no shortage of true empathy and heart. Broken up beautifully in stark black-and-white for the modern scenes and a lush colorization in flashback, the movie isn't terribly surprising in its execution, but Yimou's expert realization of the themes the film explores more than compensates. Zhang Ziyi, who made such an indelible impression in 2000's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is even more luminous here, in a performance based more on instinct than words, and her beauty is even more captivating, not unlike the starlets of old Hollywood. The film seems rooted in old-fashioned romantic splendor (also not unlike old Hollywood), skillfully blending Eastern idealism and Western ambition into one moving, deeply admirable achievement. It's easy to see why the film took home the Audience Award for world cinema at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.