Even if the plotline for House of Flying Daggers (Shi mian mai fu) was banal, this would remain one of the top movies to see--just for its mesmerizing cinematic eye candy! Hell, I'd rather sit through a slide show of scenes from this movie than revisit 99% of the fare churned out by Hollywood

Director Zhang Yimou's visual poetry does for martial arts films what Van Gogh's oils do for canvas and Shakespeare's words do for theater. This goes far beyond formulaic eye candy, dipping directly into the Creator's palate.

Those mountains and meadows do exist in all their autumnal gold and crimson glory. And the magical emerald hued city of bamboo forests lies somewhere in China's interior, so China's department of tourism is destined to be besieged when moviegoers begin seeking those remote locations. Of course all are enhanced by cinematographer Xiaoding Zhao's keen eye for angles and lighting and additional poetic touches like floating thin leaves and dancing daggers, but the locations themselves provide awe inspiring backdrops. The film deserves numerous awards, but at least the Academy demonstrated a tidbit of sanity by nominating it for Best Cinematography.

After hinting at cinematic beauty in Raise the Red Lantern, Yimou's last two films have raised the standard considerably, and the timing couldn't be better for American audiences, coming soon after Ang Lee's commercial and critically successful Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Inexplicably, Miramax Films held back Hero from U.S. theatrical release until this past year, but Sony Pictures Classics thankfully took far less time to distribute House of Flying Daggers. Thus, both dazzlers have graced U.S. screens during the final months of 2004 and beyond.

The tight and emotionally intense plot is rather thin, but who cares when the scenery is this sumptuous and the high flying martial arts this mesmerizing. Imagine an open meadow twixt autumn reds and yellows as backdrop to two completely focused martial arts combatants fighting to the death, only to have the lengthy back and forth battle continue as light snows blanket the landscape. THIS is the ultimate one on one battle I had always imagined between Hector and Achilles, and Brad Pitt's recent encounter with Eric Bana seems more like a waltz in comparison.

Still, Zhang must hang his cinematic wonders on a serviceable storyline, and his screenplay echoes Shakespearean outlines as love, loyalty, and honor crosses swords with betrayal and Fate. In the 9th century underground revolutionary fighters (named the House of Flying Daggers) are attempting to overthrow China's ruling Tang Dynasty. Operating in the same spirit as Robin Hood, the rebels have quiet support of the common people, but government officials are determined to wipe them out. Charged with finding the rebel base, police captain Leo (Andy Lau) assigns fellow officer Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) to check out a suspicious new blind courtesan named Mei (Zhang Ziyi, who also starred in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Hero). Rumored that she may be the daughter of the former head of the rebel forces, Leo and Jin concoct a plan to discover their headquarters, unaware of the layers of complications and twists of fate that lie ahead.

The cinematography and spectacular half dozen martial arts set pieces highlight the film, but young Zhang Ziyi once again sizzles. She may not be a trained martial artist, but her ballet background effectively reminds us that she is the reigning diva of martial arts. Not only does her lithe athletic body demonstrate power, grace, and control—but her facial expressions show remarkable restraint and range. There are no actresses on the world stage who contain as much passion and sensuality, and she still remains tastefully covered even when giving in to lustful desires—a good thing, since a full frontal would likely melt the celluloid.

Some may find the story overly melodramatic, but that is of little consequence when the screen is filled with stunning fight sequences, eye-catching costumes, and astounding production design all captured by a visual artist in his prime. The visuals captivate, but director Yimou accompanies this with a sensuous soundtrack that combines the sounds of swirling daggers, whispering crackles of a bamboo forest with Shigeru Umebayashi's haunting original score. Call me a sensualist or cinematic hedonist if you wish, but the sensual pleasures of House of Flying Daggers compel me to list it as my favorite film of 2004.