Wo hu cang long (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)

Swordsman Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-fat in his first sedate role in old age) is tired of fighting. As a sign of retirement, his famous sword is to be handed over to the governor: an assignment for Li Mu Bai's old companion (Michelle Yeoh), with whom he hopes to spend the rest of his life - the two share a deep, unspoken love. But when a masked thief (rebellious Zhang Ziyi) steals the sword, the old fighters have to move out again. Ang Lee's martial arts world success tells two intertwined love stories (and a female self-discovery) in visually stunning landscape panoramas and with epic breath, allowing the conflicts to collide between the breaks in gravity-defying stunts and fast-paced swordplay. A noble tribute to directorial idol King Hu (including a guest appearance by his star Cheng Pei-pei) and the yin to the yang of Ang Lee's own masterpiece Ride With the Devil. (Christoph Huber)

Photo: Austrian Film Museum