The most soulful spiritual film i've ever seen.

Glad to see some people watch this film for what it is. One can learn a lot from this film and its deep spiritual connections. Please, tell me, didn't you see in this film the same metaphor for the progress of the current civilization? The desired perfection of the human condition... that's i believe where we are slowly getting at. I don't think human beings will ever be flying in some distant future, no matter how advanced we will all be, but these demigods' experiences in this film seem to be just projecting our own progress in some way. It's quite scary and sad at the same time, because these demigods could have never found love or joy in life because of this training of their spirit. Very frustrating look on life as well. It seems that the desired goodness has its drawbacks too, as the film subtly pointed out. No individual ideals, everything devoted for the benefit of the society. As if the world of Gods was nothing but a place of the totalitarian regime. I see just a paradox and a sense of doom for the human feelings. I'm quite interested what you think of it or if you didn't see this in it as well.

I admire your way to use philosophy of perception how to adopt lots of these spiritual connections to real life that profoundly relate to Chinese mythology. That’s actually one intended way how to look at this; another is the fact that can also be found in Chinese mythology, that the whole film from the first minute to the last is based on the highest Taost’s ideal and dream of the so-called Spiritual Paradise - where immortals and deities dwell together in peace - It’s the correlation of the planets and symbols that relate to Chinese 5 elements: water, fire, earth, metal and wood, alongside classical yin and yang as moon and sun. Which all combined together form the ultimate piece of conjunction of everything not only elemental but also physical and abstract like people and ideals. The main point is that without the extremely well-researched spirituality and metaphysical conceptualized symbols this movie would have not even existed. Although, i think that only more educated viewers can fully comprehend the whole philosophical potential of this transcendent masterpiece.

To me, this is the most extraordinary movie i’ve ever seen in my entire life, and definitely the best of the filmmaker who accomplished this film.

To the previous quite infantile poster, i can only advise him to withdraw his daft comments just in order to avoid any embarrassment because of his severe lack of knowledge and insight that is very much required for this kind of a film. This is not some J.Woo or Z.Yimou film who are creating shots for the sake of the beauty of them, in this film every visual detail, aesthetics and texture of it has its own specific enlightening meaning that usually relates not only to the development of the characters and story but also to the Chinese modern art and culture. It's these metaphysical symbols and each individual viewer's own interpretations that subtly propel the story forward. Ironically, there doesn't exist any proper objective analysis or critique of this film, because it only depends on the subjective insight that's enriching this film as well as its own experience viewing it. In other words, it's up to the viewer's own thoughtful input how much the film can be rewarding.

This is not some personal bizarre conception of this film, this is the exact way how this bizzare film was really made and how it's supposed to be comprehended and watched. Even though i delved deeply into this film during one of my classes of Oriental studies where it was being screened for all of our students, i would rather suggest to read Joseph Campbell's instructive novel "A Hero With A Thousand Faces", and using his method applicating greater philosophical ideas to the given thematic subjects. Campbell's pattern itself about the hero's learning from the past experiences and resurrection in the spirit is very much resonating with the nature of this film, however, it's even more appropriate, as in my view this movie is mainly propelled by the ideas, and not the story itself.