spoiler spoiler touch of zenthis movie require a patience that most kung fu fan lack . today i finish watch it for second time through . few would argue that this be not king hu masterpiece and indeed it be just that a masterpiece . while i certainly understand how sometimes classic get dwarf by the film they inspire ( how insulting be it that hidden fortress be often label simply a the film that inspire c 3po and r2d2 ) i think it be too bad here . yes touch of zen be ang lee favorite martial art film and be a huge inspiration for crouch tiger hidden dragon . yes it true and and perhaps the film will find more fan a a result and i think that be great . touch of zen be cinema in it fine form . it be three hour long and lack the fancy wire work or cgi of modern wuxia pan film but still stand the test of time . when you consider that this film be make in 1968/69 it make it so much more impressive . the scenery be fill with beautiful imago throughout the film of rural china . the camera balance light in most impressive way . the main monk of the film be consistently beam with natural sunlight which express in a beautifully cinematic way his connection to nature . anyone who use a video camera in intense sunlight understand how hard those shot must have be . if you the kind of kung fu fan that be really bother by the fact that crouch tiger do not have a fight scene for 15 minute do not bother . toz doesn not get to the action until 55 minute in . however the tone of the film require that we understand a few thing about the artist whose eye the story be tell through . spoilerstoz be the second only to 36th chamber when it come to make a buddhist monk look badass . when the henchman hzu bring his violence onto the sacred ground to capture our renegade hero he learn he can not defeat the buddhist monk . there power be too great . he resort to lie . beg on his knee to be accept by the monk and indeed it be there only weakness and by the grace of buddha he want to help . yet still the buddhist monk doesn not resort to violence . he call on buddha and the power of the universe and the henchman destroy his son and then him self . at least that be my take . end spoilerstouch of zen be an excellent martial art film for fan of film like musa and hero or crouching tiger . it must however be view a a film of it period .