At some point, I really need to review this movie for you if you haven’t seen it. Go ahead and rent it sometime between now and then, as I’m not going to spoil the plot for you in a music review. I am going to talk about the music, though, if you don’t mind.
I love the music from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. There. Short review, eh?
Okay, not so fast. Sit back down. Let me tell you why. Apart from boasting some of the most elaborate “flying fighting” sequences committed to film in recent years, Crouching Tiger also has a surprisingly romantic element to it, and the music serves both well – by staying low and letting the visuals be the fireworks.
When you’ve got people flying on wires and somehow managing to tiptoe through treetops that couldn’t possibly support their weight, and fighting all the while, let’s face it – big, brassy John Williams-style music would likely evoke a smirk at the very least from the audience. Chinese composer Tan Dun wisely drenches the entire film with a more low-key, mystic sound, which imbues a potentially silly sight with a more magical 
feel. In short, where the visual impact of these scenes could have been silly, the music salvages things nicely. (Isn’t that what film music is for?)
Special mention also has to be made of the awesome display of percussive force that is “Night Fight” – I can say nothing else here that would do it justice.
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (3:23)
- The Eternal Vow (3:01)
- Wedding Interrupted (2:15)
- Night Fight (3:09)
- Silk Road (3:11)
- To The South (3:20)
- Through The Bamboo Forest (4:21)
- The Encounter (2:39)
- Desert Capriccio (4:32)
- In The Old Temple (3:45)
- Yearning Of The Sword (3:33)
- Sorrow (4:01)
- Farewell (2:24)
- A Love Before Time – English (3:42)
- A Love Before Time – Mandarin (3:40)
Released by: Sony
Release date: 2000
Total running time: 49:56
