Over the past two weeks, I have spent time analyzing both The Texas Chainsaw Massacre by Toby Hooper, as well as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon by Ang Lee.I believe that both Texas Chainsaw Massacre (TCM) and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (CTHD) were films that carved out unique spaces in their genre. On one hand, you have TCM bringing newfound violence and dismay to the screen. The film set the bar for years to come on gore-horror and other sub-genres alike. Although it may have had a few gaping plot holes, it was a masterpiece in and of itself. On the other hand, we see Ang Lee bend the Kung-Fu genre with his Action-Drama CTHD. His utilization of the current technology would allow him to achieve things previously unseen in Kung-Fu films. Both films were quite unconventional at the time of their release. In Lee’s regard, the technological developments, and his yearning to make a more roundabout film gave us a standalone piece within the Kung-fu genre. What immediately comes to mind is Tarantino’s dark-humored Kill BIll, as it too was a combination film of Kung-fu and other elements. In both instances, we see a director pushing the boundaries of his respective genre and using new techniques to film with. Experimentation was essential in the creation of both of these films, and I think if you give them a chance, you will find that they are indeed two experiments that went right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both of these films were well received, as Roger Ebert States in his review of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee‘s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is the most exhilarating martial arts movie I have seen. It stirred even the hardened audience at the 8:30 a.m. press screening at Cannes last May”. This is quite the compliment for a Kung-Fu movie, and speaks to some of Lee’s Success in his ability to make a more transformative film. One unique thing about Texas Chainsaw Massacre is that the director Tobe Miller took some creative rights in his stating that  the film was based on real events. That was a bit of a stretch, as the film was based loosely on the crimes of Ed Gein. The film itself stands alone as one of the “Original” horror films, and a true masterpiece in itself. It was the first time we were put into the killers POV, and played on the “Suburban Psycho” angle. These themes would not recur until later in the same year, when we get Black Christmas, and shortly after, Halloween.  As stated in a recent OregonArtswatch journal,  “You owe it to yourself to see what the best of the genre looks like. If nothing else, take it as a challenge, but not as some of kind of crude test to see what levels of cinematic extremity you can handle.”  Below is  a scene often referenced from the film for two reasons. The first being that it is a great representation of how Miller achieved this extremely  violent film without actually revealing too many explication gory shots, keeping it within the realm of possibility for the big screen. Secondly, is due to the angle of which the camera is following  Terry Mcminn into the house. This shot was actually completely experimental, but ended up being one of the more popular scenes from the film. This anecdote about the famous “booty shot” illustrates how even on the set, there was experimentation, it was a work in progress.

 

 

I think TCM encapsulates some of the dismay that was coursing through the country at the time. Violent occurrences like the Hi-Fi murders, show that there is a dark side to the American population. The brutality which the victims of the Hi-Fi murders experienced was some of the first of its kind to be documented in a crime. Their killers tortured and experimented with their victims, and the event has a very creepy connection to Leatherface and his methods. The Southern Hospitality that would normally be expected is met with a hammer to the head and immediate dismemberment. The shock created by this film is something that is often imitated, but never achieved in my opinion. Long before we had Halloween or even Black Christmas, we had Texas Chainsaw Masscacre. It pushed major boundaries within the horror genre, and set the bar for many films thereafter. In its own respect, Lee’s film was equally as unique.

In the interview below, Lee speaks about creating a martial arts film that is roundabout, and emotional. One major even that took place the year CTHD was released was the concurrent release of Windows 2000, further catapulting humankind into the technological age. I think the transition we see from traditional media to more developed platforms like the internet pushed many directors to change their formula. As the millennium changed, technology took hold and now was the time for experimentation if ever. Lee’s attempt to create a genre-bending kung-fu film was well received. The cinematography was especially praised by critics, as Lee utilized real-life martial arts experts and state of the art equipment to achieve some previously impossible shots. One view on Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon could be that its roots are do deep within the Kung-Fu genre, that it ended being less of a dynamic film than Lee had intended. However, certain plot developments such as the love affair between Yun-Fat Chow and his lover, Michelle Yeoh give this film another side to it besides the ground-breaking action.