"The Ice Storm" is director Ang Lee's first truly American film. A large part of the film's success comes from the excellent script. It is necessary to plan a strong drama tension to accumulate the ups and downs of family affairs that happened in a night, the ups and downs of handling, and the outbreak of contradictions. Under this tension, the director still uses his usual gentle style, using the soundtrack to mobilize the ideological fit of family members, and successfully shaped a typical American middle-class family.
The seemingly peaceful family in the film is actually full of crises. The seemingly harmonious and divorced middle-aged couple, the absurdly changing spouse, the adolescent rebellious and confused daughter, the preoccupied son, there is no cultural conflict in Ang Lee's early films, only repressed hypocrisy and blind action. On the eve of The Ice Storm's arrival, all the undercurrents were surging, seemingly calm. As the storm came to lead the climax, it not only took away a teenager, but also seemed to bring new hope to the family facing collapse. This storm seemed to be accidental, but it brought about an inevitable result. Ang Lee took over a tragedy for the first time. There was no happy ending, no humorous understanding, two parallel clues, all based on every minute. Scene scheduling to reflect technical skills.
The film of "The Ice Storm" can best reflect the drama of the film and the sense of distance from the director. In the 1990s, looking back on the morality of 20 years ago, the original work has serious reflective significance.
