Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Film with Orchestra

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Sat 05 Aug 2023

The symbiotic relationship between music and film deserves to be celebrated. Composers add depth to our favourite films through their contributions, while iconic film scores bring new audiences to the orchestra.

The Symphonic Orchestra’s live performance of Ang Lee’s masterpiece Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an ideal celebration of this relationship, one that highlights the role of music in elevating an already spectacular piece of cinema.

Conducted by Jessica Gethin, the Symphonic Orchestra (known for the evening as the Green Destiny Orchestra, for reasons that will soon become clear) lit up Hamer Hall and transported the audience from Melbourne all the way to Qing Dynasty China.

For those unfamiliar with the plot, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon tells the story of the legendary master warrior Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) and his secret love Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), with whom he has entrusted the safekeeping of mythic sword known as the Green Destiny. She must contend with the famous villain, Jade Fox (Cheng Pei-pei), as well headstrong Jen (Zhang Ziyi), whose aristocratic background belies her skills in the martial arts.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a sweeping epic that combines historical romance with incredible action scenes, set against the breathtaking backdrop of ancient China. All of these elements were heightened by the presence of the orchestra - from the booming timpani punctuating a rooftop chase scene to the ominous strings underscoring a character’s betrayal, the Green Destiny Orchestra became a crucial character in this story.

The orchestra worked as one, even stomping their feet when the score called for it, though featured soloist Tina Guo was the beating heart of the performance. From lyrical fight scenes to emotional romantic moments, her strings were beautifully resonant and achingly human, demonstrating the power and versatility of the cello.



Guo’s renowned expertise was perfectly matched to the film, both examples of a master at work. Ang Lee’s film has gone down in history as one of the greatest martial arts films of all time, and in this setting it is easy to see why. With fight choreography that transcends the laws of gravity and stunning cinematography, it has kept film fans enraptured for decades. With Yeoh’s recent Academy Award win, this film has found a new audience eager to appreciate her remarkable skill. Subtle yet emotive, her performance is one of the highlights of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. That’s to say nothing of her fight scenes - Yeoh can make flying through the air and landing on one foot look easy. This expertise is shared by the whole cast, especially Ziyi, who mounts a horse at speed with as much effort as it might take for one of us to step on a tram.

For the audience in Hamer Hall, the combined effect of this epic film with live orchestra allowed for a more immersive cinematic experience. Everyone, from the front row of the stalls to the very back of the nosebleeds, had the opportunity to feel each kick, admire every landscape and hear each note like never before.


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!date 05/08/2023