Shi Mian Mai Fu or House of Flying Daggers

Part One

Shi mian mai fu (Ambushed From Ten Directions) was directed by Yimou Zhang and released in 2004. It is also known by its English title, House of Flying Daggers. The movie is the second martial arts movie by Yimou Zhang; the first was Hero. Zhang describes it as a “tragic love story.” It is a Chinese film about beauty, love, and deception. The movie is set during the collapse of the Tang dynasty, around 859 AD. I will discuss the cultural influences upon the script and the film’s representation, or lack there of, of religious practices, ethnic relations, and moral values in China. Let me premise this discussion with an apology. I do not mean to speak for the nation of China and its views of the world as a whole. I can only base my observations upon the limited exposure I have to Chinese culture. It is with this limited exposure that I attempt to explain how the movie Shi mian mai fu does or does not correctly represent several facets of Chinese culture.