House of Flying Daggers (2004) on Netflix
PG-1320041h 59mActionAdventureDrama
In ninth-century China, the House of Flying Daggers fights a corrupt government. Officer Jin frees Mei, a blind dancer linked to the rebels, hoping she will lead him to their leader.
- Netflix3.8/5
- IMDb7.5/10120,395 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes87%
Trailer
Plot summary
The Tang dynasty is declining in AD 859, and the House of Flying Daggers is the largest rebel group opposing the corrupt government, robbing the rich to aid the poor. Two police officers are ordered to kill the organization's leader within ten days, though nobody knows who that is. They question Mei, a dancer who is blind and may be the former leader's daughter. Jin visits her brothel, feigns drunkenness and assaults her, and both are arrested. After an echo game, Mei attacks the officer to avenge her father's death and is overpowered and jailed. Jin, claiming to side with the rebellion, breaks her out, and the pair travel toward the rebel headquarters with an officer trailing behind with reinforcements, growing close along the way.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about House of Flying Daggers (2004)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Anita Mui was cast in a major role in House of Flying Daggers but declined before any of her scenes were filmed because of her failing health, and she died of cervical cancer shortly after. Rather than recast her, director Zhang Yimou altered the script, and the film is dedicated to her memory.
- Takeshi Kaneshiro injured his leg while horseback riding during the making of the film. Zhang Yimou dealt with the injury by having Kaneshiro sit or kneel through two scenes to ease the pain, as he explained in his audio commentary.
- Most of the film was shot in Ukraine's Hutsul Region National Park over 70 days, while the bamboo forest scenes were filmed in China. Early snowfall there led the filmmakers to alter the script and certain sequences rather than wait for the snow to thaw, because the leaves were still on the trees.
- To prepare for her role, Zhang Ziyi lived for two months with a blind girl who had lost her sight at the age of 12.
- House of Flying Daggers debuted at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, where its premiere reportedly drew a 20-minute standing ovation.
Stills
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