From the New York Times: “Early in Zhang Yimou’s “House of Flying Daggers,” the hero, Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro), unsheathes a sword to slice the buttons off a showgirl’s robe. This scandalizes onlookers despite the setting – a brothel. Later, the drunken Jin pulls the dancer to the ground, flips her over and tears her dress.
The scene is tame by Western standards; not much is revealed beyond shoulders and prettily disheveled hair. Still, Jin’s display of lust is an expression of a significant, if subtle change that is starting to brew in Chinese film: “Daggers,” which is being released in New York on Dec. 3 by Sony Pictures Classics, may be the first large-scale mainland Chinese movie to assert a frank, liberated approach to sex. And the Chinese government had no objections. ”
Thanks to Arthur Law for the link.
