Exclusive: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Screenwriter Discusses Iconic Fight Scenes For 4k Release

The classic Chinese martial arts movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is getting a brand new [...]

By Jamie Lovett

The classic Chinese martial arts movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is getting a brand new release on 4k ultra HD Blu-ray, and returning to Blu-ray, and ComicBook.com has an exclusive clip from the release.

In this clip, producer/screenwriter James Schamus discusses how the iconic fight scenes of Crouching Dragon, Hidden Dragon were made.

"We treated each fight as a kind of musical numbers," Schamus recalls, saying that if Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon had a second genre it would be the musical genre. "They get emotional, and the minute they get emotional they start singing and dancing, whereas, in our movie, they don't sing and dance, they just start trying to kill each other."

Schamus also notes that it was important for each fight scene to have some narrative weight. "So you didn't stop the story so that people could stop and fight. You extended the story all through the fight. And so each fight has its own logic – audio, visual, narrative, emotional – and, in terms of all those things coming together, it carries forward the movie, it just doesn't just stop the movie."

In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, two master warriors are faced with their greatest challenge when the treasured 400-year old Green Destiny sword is stolen by a mysterious masked thief.

Directed by Ang Lee from a screenplay by Hui-Ling Wang, Kuo Jung Tsai, and James Schamus, and based on the book by Du Lu Wang, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was produced by Ang Lee, Li-Kong Hsu and William Kong, with James Schamus and David Linde serving as executive producers.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Originally released in 2000, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won four Academy Awards, including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

The new Blu-ray will be available as part of the Supreme Cinema Series, featuring collector's packaging with the acrylic "Clear Case." The new Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Blu-ray also includes a 24-page booklet of rare photos and behind-the-scenes detail that will only be available while supplies last.

A Supreme Cinema Series "Clear Case" edition with the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 4K Ultra HD disc will also be available exclusively at Amazon while supplies last.

A full list of special features included with the 4k Blu-ray release of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon follows:

4K Ultra HD

Feature film in 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR)

Dolby Atmos soundtrack for the original Mandarin audio (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) *

ALL-NEW: Six never-before-seen deleted scenes, fully restored and presented in 4K with HDR

ALL-NEW: In-Depth Retrospective Interviews

Director Ang Lee, producer James Schamus and editor Tim Squyres discuss the making of the groundbreaking film

ALL-NEW: Exclusive introduction to the film and the deleted scenes by Director Ang Lee

The "A Love Before Time" music video, in both English and Mandarin

The Making of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Commentary with Ang Lee and James Schamus

Commentary with Cinematographer Peter Pau

A Conversation with Michelle Yeoh

Photo Gallery

Theatrical Trailer

Blu-ray Bonus Features Include:

4K Restoration & Dolby Atmos soundtrack for the original Mandarin audio (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) *

ALL-NEW: Six never-before-seen deleted scenes

* To experience Dolby Atmos at home, a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver and additional speakers are required, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar; however, Dolby Atmos soundtracks are also fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON has a run time of approximately 120 minutes and is rated PG-13 for martial arts violence and some sexuality.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon releases on 4k Ultra HD, and returns to Blu-ray, today.

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