House of Flying Daggers—Fourth session questions and scene summaries
Questions for the fourth session:
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(4)-1. In Scene 21 Leo says: "I have sacrificed three years for you, how could you love Jin in just three days?" Does the director take a position on this question of whether a long, continuing love trumps a new passionate love? Do you have an opinion on this? What do you think a mainland China audience might think about this question? A California audience?
FLY(4)-2. Given the final scenes and their ultimate result, can you suggest any aspect of the romantic story line that you would argue is more Chinese than "Western"? Can you associate that credibly with any of the traditional ideas we have discussed? Or, do you want to argue that this is through-and-through a story line that Western viewers are comfortable with?
FLY(4)-3. Between Leo and Jin, who do you think loves Mei the least? Why do you say so? Or, do you want to argue that the question itself is wrong? If so, answer as you see fit. Warning: if you want to say "they're different" then you will have to give content to that, not just assert that they are different.
II. Select ONE of the below to include on your written submission. (Always include question number and question content.)
FLY(4)-4. Comparisons: Faithfulness in Flying Daggers and Chunhyang.
FLY(4)-5. Comparisons: Mei's actions compared to those of Bao-chai, Dai-yu and Xi-feng.
III. INCLUDE ONE of the below on your written submission. By "place" you are to consider the basic three angles we discuss, namely, to what degree present or absent, to what degree altered, to what degree accepted or resisted—and any of these could be done explicitly, implicitly or unconsciously. (Always include question number and question content.)
FLY(4)-6. Summary analysis: the place of traditional, core romantic values ("one should ...") in this film.
FLY(4)-7. Summary analysis: the influence of traditional, core romantic worldviews (interpretive contexts) in this film.
Scene summaries—DVD menu scenes 22-28 (1:27:37-1:53:35, elapsed time 0:25)
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 22 (Mei to kill Jin but)
Mei takes Jin out to be killed. She says that she left him to save his life but he returned so she should not now be blamed; further, if his plan had succeeded it would have been her on her knees waiting to be killed. He agrees.
Yet, when she draws her sword it is to cut his bonds, not kill him.
They make love in the field; more undressed than before with some submissive posturing in her case.
Scene 22 (Mei to kill Jin but)
Mei takes Jin out to be killed. She says that she left him to save his life but he returned so she should not now be blamed. In addition, Mei remarks that if Jin's plan had succeeded it would have been her on her knees waiting to be killed, which Jin agrees.
However, when Mei draws her sword it is to cut Jin's bonds, not kill him. They then make love in the field; more undressed than before with some submissive posturing in her case.
Scene 23 (they part)
Mei asks Jin to go; he asks her to go with him. (No answer.) He asks her how she will explain to Nia letting him live; she doesn't answer. Jin has guessed her love for Leo, a man who has saved both of their lives several times. She says that they cannot see each other again; they are on opposite sides and when they meet again one of them must die. (duty)
They dress and part; he invites her to leave with him and wander the world "like a wind" and she repeats his early lines to her about why he is called the carefree wind (duty).
in her case.
Scene 23 (they part)
Mei asks Jin to go; he asks her to go with him. (No answer.) He asks her how she will explain to Nia letting him live; she doesn't answer. Jin has guessed her love for Leo, a man who has saved both of their lives several times. She says that they cannot see each other again; they are on opposite sides and when they meet again one of them must die. (duty)
They dress and part; he invites her to leave with him and wander the world "like a wind" and she repeats his early lines to her about why he is called the carefree wind (duty).
Scene 24 (Mei chooses Jin, Leo strikes Mei)
He rides away with both looking sad. This scene is reminiscent of when she road away then he went running to find her.
She get on her horse an runs the same direction (he has stopped in the distance and has waited for her).
She runs to him but it hit with a double knife in the heart (she stops one, did not see the other). The knife was thrown by Leo.
Leo asks why she goes to Jin. Crying he says she does not have to love him but can never be with Jin. He says she has forced him to kill her. She says she knew he would do this. And says she went anyway to be free as the wind (duty). Leo cries out loud in pain.
Scene 24 (Mei chooses Jin, Leo strikes Mei)
He rides away with both looking sad. This scene is reminiscent of when she road away then he went running to find her.
She get on her horse an runs the same direction (he has stopped in the distance and has waited for her).
She runs to him but it hit with a double knife in the heart (she stops one, did not see the other). The knife was thrown by Leo.
Leo asks why she choose to go with Jin, and exclaims how she is the love of his life. Crying he says she does not have to love him but can never be with Jin. He says she has forced him to kill her. She says she knew he would do this. And says she went anyway to be free as the wind (duty). Leo cries out loud in pain.
Scene 25 (Jin is ambushed by Leo)
Jin is waiting and has suddenly decided to go back towards Mei.
Leo ambushes him and Jin now learns that he is a Dagger.
Leo says he loves Mei while Jin is only playing a game. Jin: "If you love her, why kill her?" and Leo replies that it is his fault because he stole her.
They resume the fight.
Scene 25 (Jin is ambushed by Leo)
Jin is waiting and has suddenly decided to go back towards Mei. Leo then ambushes him and Jin now learns that he is a Dagger. Leo says he loves Mei while Jin is only playing a game. Jin: "If you love her, why kill her?" and Leo replies that it is his fault because he stole her. They resume the fight.
Scene 26 (the duel)
While they fight, a huge number of government soldiers approach.
Snow begins to fall.
Jin and Leo are killing each other.
Scene 26 (the duel)
While they fight, a huge number of government soldiers approach. The weather also changes as snow starts to fall and the music becomes very emotional, as both Jin and Leo continue their duel and in the process lose blood.
Scene 27 (showdown between Leo, Jin and Mei)
Mei comes to life. She tells Leo not to throw his dagger; if he does she will pull the dagger that is in her chest and use it to kill Leo. Jin says that if she does this, she will does from blood loss.
Jin throws down his weapon and walks close to Leo, telling Mei that she cannot help him, that Leo's dagger will hit him sooner than she could stop it. (Jin is trying to save Mei's life by sacrificing his; Mei is trying to save Jin's life by sacrificing hers.)
Leo acts as if he has thrown the knife and Mei throws her dagger. But she blocks only a drop of blood; Leo still holds the dagger.
Mei dies, realizing that Leo did not throw the knife.
Leo is in shock; Jin has run to the dying Mei.
Mei: "You shouldn't have come back." "I came back for you, my love."
Jin kisses her and she dies in his arms.
Scene 27 (showdown between Leo, Jin and Mei)
Mei comes to life. She tells Leo not to throw his dagger; if he does she will pull the dagger that is in her chest and use it to kill Leo. Jin says that if she does this, she will does from blood loss.
Jin throws down his weapon and walks close to Leo, telling Mei that she cannot help him, that Leo's dagger will hit him sooner than she could stop it. (Jin is trying to save Mei's life by sacrificing his; Mei is trying to save Jin's life by sacrificing hers.)
Leo acts as if he has thrown the knife and Mei throws her dagger. But she blocks only a drop of blood; Leo still holds the dagger. Mei dies, realizing that
Leo did not throw the knife.
While Leo is in shock, Jin runs to the dying Mei. Mei final words are: "You shouldn't have come back." To which Leo replies saying: "I came back for you, my love." Jin then kisses Mei and she dies in his arms.
Scene 28 (final scene)
While still standing, Leo drops his dagger, cries, and then walks away. An emotional Jin sings to Mei the song she sung to him at Peony Palace about the beauty from the north while Leo staggers away.