Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Movie Quote Quiz

Li Mu Bai: The things we touch have no permanence. My master would say: there is nothing we can hold onto in this world. Only by letting go can we truly possess what is real.

Li Mu Bai: Even if I was banished to the darkest place, my love will never let me be a lonely spirit.

Yu Shu Lien: What was it?
Li Mu Bai: Something I can't let go of.

Sir Te: A sword by itself rules nothing. It only comes alive in skilled hands.

Li Mu Bai: She should come to Wudan and become a disciple.
Yu Shu Lien: But Wudan does not accept women.
Li Mu Bai: For her, they might make an exception. If not, I'm afraid she'll become a poisoned dragon.

Li Mu Bai: Like most things, I am nothing.

Yu Shu Lien: To repress one's feelings only makes them stronger.

Li Mu Bai: Sharpness is a state of mind.

Li Mu Bai: I would rather be a ghost drifting by your side as a condemned soul than enter heaven without you... because of your love, I will never be a lonely spirit.

Yu Shu Lien: You were enlightened?
Li Mu Bai: No. I didn't feel the bliss of enlightenment. Instead... I was surrounded by an endless sorrow.

Li Mu Bai: No growth without assistance. No action without reaction. No desire without restraint. Now give yourself up and find yourself again.

Lo: All this trouble for a comb?
Jen Yu: It's mine. It means a lot to me. A barbarian like you wouldn't understand.
Lo: I can use it to pick fleas from my horse.

Lo: We have a legend. Anyone who dares to jump from the mountain, God will grant his wish. Long ago, a young man's parents were ill, so he jumped. He didn't die. He wasn't even hurt. He floated away, far away, never to return. He knew his wish had come true. If you believe, it will happen. The elders say, "A faithful heart makes wishes come true."

Waiter: Follow me.
Jen Yu: I want a clean room.
Waiter: We have plenty... Your order?
Jen Yu: Steamed whole cod, bite-size meatballs, a little starchy but keep the sauce light, shark fin soup, mixed vegetables and some warm wine.
Waiter: We only have one chef.
Jen Yu: Then get him started.

Li Mu Bai: Real sharpness comes without effort.

Revealing mistake: Just after Li Mu Bai tells Shu Lien that they are very close to her headquarters and that she should check in, we are treated to two 'time pass' shots of forest. The second of these features some very obvious power or telephone lines in the lower right corner of the screen. (01:22:40)

More mistakes in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Question: What is the significance of the very last shot? We see see Jen (Zhang Ziyi) flying into the clouds and then a mountain/forest shot, in which nothing happens, for about a second and then the credits roll.

Answer: It is an open question. Interpretation of the last scene is really left to the audience. But to those of you who completely missed the whole point of the jump, it refers to the "Legend of the Mountain" as told to Jen by Lo "Dark Cloud". He told her that if a person makes a wish and jumps from the mountain, the wish will be granted and, occasionally, the jumper's life will be spared. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is actually a fourth book in the series of five books. In the book, Jen survives the fall, but never returns to Lo, fearing her parents shame and prosecution. Popular opinion seems to be that Jen was in fact in love with Li Mu Bai and the jump was an attempt of escaping the live lover towards the dead one.

More questions & answers from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
More movie quotes

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.