House of Flying Daggers—Third session questions and scene summaries
Questions for this day
Underlined areas are the likely focus of in-class discussion.
I. Select ONE of the below to include on your written submission. (Always include question number and question content.)
FLY(3)-1. How does deception create space for love in these scenes? How does it shrink the space for love?
Scene summaries—DVD menu scenes 15-21 (0:56:26-1:27:37, elapsed time 0:32)
Note: All scene summaries for all movies were made by me, usually fairly quickly while viewing the film in real time and typing as it happens. There are bound to be errors. I remind students of the extra credit offer described at the scene summary section of the page "House of Flying Daggers-Module 01".
Scene 15 (Mei asks Jin's heart but)
Mei asks if Jin feels anything (if he is "real") for her but he answers that he is just the wind. Jin explains that the wind is mysterious and leaves no trace.
She then angrily leaves him (in Scene 22 she will say this was in order to save his life). He leaves the other direction but then sensing danger turns to go look for her, while government soldiers are following close behind him.
Scene 16 (government soldiers ambush again)
Alone in a bamboo forest, Mei is attacked by government soldiers. Jin then jumps in to fight at her side and Mei looks very happy. During the battle, Jin saves Mei's life a couple of times during this long fight scene.
Scene 17 (Mei and Jin trapped but rescued)
At last they are trapped and speak a bit to each other: You should not have come back / I came back for you.
Leo is there as well. Nevertheless, Mei reaches for Jin's hand.
Daggers come flying through the air and kill the soldiers.
Leader "Nia" appears. (Actually, the madam of the Peony Pavilion and a stand in for the real Nia who would not reveal herself so easily, this is not known until later, though.)
"Nia" suggests that Jin and Mei marry; Jin is hesitant but then agrees.
Notes: loyalty as a signal of love for Mei should not do this sort of thing in front of Leo.
Scene 17 (Mei and Jin trapped but rescued)
They finally become trapped and speak a bit to each other. Mei says: "You should not have come back," and Jin responds "I came back for you."
Finally, both Mei and Jin become trapped by the bamboo and briefly speak. Mei says that Jin should've not come back, but Jin responds saying he came back for her. As the await their deaths by the soldiers, they hold hands, even though Leo I there as well. The Flying Daggers then come flying through the air and kill all the soldiers.
Leader "Nia" appears. (Actually, the madam of the Peony Pavilion and a stand in for the real Nia who would not reveal herself so easily, this is not known until later, though.)
"Nia" proposes that Jin and Mei be married because she says that it is her duty to find a suitable man for Mei. Jin is hesitant, but then agrees.
Notes: loyalty as a signal of love for Mei should not do this sort of thing in front of Leo.
Scene 18 (Mei is not blind)
At the very moment Jin says he will marry Mei, he is captured and bound. Leo is brought in, also bound. Mei arrives and pours tea for "Nia" and it is clear that she can see very well. Both Leo and Jin are stunned, each for their own reasons. When Jin asks Mei if it was all an act, she does not answer. Now it is Jin whose eyes are teary.
Scene 18 (Mei is not blind)
At the very moment Jin says he will marry Mei, he is captured and bound. Leo is brought in, also bound. Mei arrives and pours tea for "Nia" and it is clear that she can see very well. Both Leo and Jin are stunned, each for their own reasons. When Jin asks Mei if it was all an act, she does not answer. Now it is Jin whose eyes are teary.
Scene 19 (with "Nia" and Leo alone, we learn his real story)
Leo is taken outside. "Nia" says she wants to finish him herself but when they are alone in the forest, she frees him. She knows he was planted by the Daggers as a mole three years ago.
Leo says that he regrets he was unable to protect the leader who was killed, but the new leader understands that he could not. "Nia" says that Nia feels that he and Mei have set an excellent trap for the government troops.
Leo also explains that he had not seen Mei for three years and now he had to tolerate her flirting with another man. Though "Nia" says this is not a time for love with government troops approaching, she reluctantly agrees to setting up a meeting.
Scene 19 (with "Nia" and Leo alone, we learn his real story)
Leo is taken outside. "Nia" says she wants to finish him herself but when they are alone in the forest, she frees him. She knows he was planted by the Daggers as a mole three years ago. It is here that Leo also recognizes that "Nia" is a fake person.
Leo says that he regrets he was unable to protect the leader who was killed, but the new leader understands that he could not. "Nia" says that Nia feels that he and Mei have set an excellent trap for the government troops.
Leo also explains that he had not seen Mei for three years and now he had to tolerate her flirting with another man. Though "Nia" says this is not a time for love with government troops approaching, she reluctantly agrees to setting up a meeting.
Scene 20 (Mei and Leo talk alone)
Meeting in the forest, first Mei imitates the echo game with clods of dirt tossed and Leo, blind folded, hitting them with his daggers.
Then when they say they haven't changed, the looks are a bit bittersweet.
She thanks him for saving her life during the fight with the soldiers; he says he would do anything for her. She says that she knows, that he went underground to win honor and impress her.
He said he loved her all this time; she walks over to him. It is hard to tell what she is thinking.
They lay down together but she stops him just as she stopped Jin (exact same hand movement) though she seems to be more open to Leo. He tries to press his case but she resists. He rips her clothes but is stopped by a dagger thrown into his back.
Scene 20 (Mei and Leo talk alone)
Meeting in the forest, first Mei imitates the echo game with clods of dirt tossed and Leo, blind folded, hitting them with his daggers. They then remark how each other has still not changed, but their looks are a little bittersweet.
She thanks him for saving her life during the fight with the soldiers; he says he would do anything for her. Mei acknowledges all the risks that Leo undertook when he went underground to win honor and impress her.
As Leo says he has loved her all this time, she walks over to him. However, it is hard to tell what she is thinking.
They then embrace each other instead of directly kissing, and every time that Leo tries to kiss Mei on the lips she pushes his mouth away. Leo asks if Mei loves Jin, and she doesn't answer. They lay down together, but she stops him just as she stopped Jin (exact same hand movement) though she seems to be more open to Leo. He attempts to forcibly make love to Mei, but she continues to resist. He rips her clothes but is stopped by a dagger thrown into his back.
Scene 21 (Nia appears)
This time it is the real Nia who tells him to leave it in and return to the government soldiers to continue his work. The dagger will be convincing…
Leo leaves saying "I have sacrificed three years for you, how could you love Jin in just three days."
And Nia commands Mei to kill Jin so that there will be no future trouble.
Notes: new loves and old loves overlapping
Scene 21 (Nia appears)
This time it is the real Nia who tells him to leave it in and return to the government soldiers to continue his work. The dagger will be convincing… "Nia" also informs Leo that he cannot force a woman to do what he wants.
Leo leaves saying "I have sacrificed three years for you, how could you love Jin in just three days." Nia then commands Mei to kill Jin to prevent any failure in the Daggers' plans.
Notes: new loves and old loves overlapping. Also, the concept of "blindness" and sacrifice.