That frustration led him back to the Chinese world and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. While on that film, he felt under great pressure, and it had been a lifelong dream of his to make a kung fu epic. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon challenged the conventions of the traditional Chinese martial arts genre, and though it won him many accolades in the end, the process was tough.
這個挫折，使他再次回到華人世界拍攝《臥虎藏龍》時，背負著莫大壓力，而拍武俠片又是李安從小的心願，《臥虎藏龍》挑戰傳統中國武俠類型，結果帶給他殊榮，過程則讓他極端痛苦。