Introduced by Chris Berry

(Wo hu zang long). Scriptwriter and executive producer James Schamus described Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as "Sense and Sensibility with martial arts." There's truth in his half-joking comment: at the center of the film are two women, one caught up in youthful passions, the other facing the responsibilities and wisdom of maturity. These women just happen to be Chinese swordfighters with almost superhuman powers. The fight scenes, choreographed by Hong Kong veteran Yuen Wo-Ping, are breathtaking; but Lee's particular interest is in the emotions of the story, and his treatment of the long-unspoken love between Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) and Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), partners matched in skill and courage, is remarkably moving. Crouching Tiger is the highest-grossing foreign-language film ever in the United States and racked up ten Oscar nominations; many critics credited Lee with bringing new depth to the martial arts film. Yet one could argue that the depth was there all along: witness the spiritual poetry of King Hu's A Touch of Zen, one of Lee's major inspirations.