If you can find it, the Director's Cut really makes the story make a lot more sense. It adds only 20-30 minutes but frankly I'm not sure why those scenes were cut while the long boring parts of the father in the hospital remained. It clocks in at 3 hours though so it is quite long.

This is one of my all-time favorite films. While it's not perfect it still makes me cry in all of the same places, especially the ending. For me Ying was the most important character and the hero of the film. But I am a sucker for unrequited love stories and characters who give up their loves because it's best for everyone.