Hero (2004)

Hero

My thoughts on the movie that has not already been shared:

1) The original movie with the subtitles (Far East version)
was edited for Western distribution (aka Quentin Tarantino)
and all important Chinese character which gave the tie-in
for movie was re subtitle and really threw the meaning way off.

2) Also, for whatever reason the Western Distributor messed up and the movie was not enter for the Oscars for Best Foreign film.
November 9, 2008

Yimou Zhang - what else?

As I read the others reviews - very accurated - and do not dare to say more about this " another-masterpiece " from the master Zhang Yimou.
I will just say that I saw it at the movie. That I had one copy, that some friend borrowed and I could not ' not-have ' - one copy to review and review.
No. I am using this chance to say that thanks to the cybernetics I can buy from the most serious and correct seller of this planet: I bought the dvd with an estimated delivery time of october 1st - and received it today, sept 18th !!! Perfect! Brand new! Hot! Crisp! That's Amazon ! September 19, 2008

Surprisingly good despite the hype

Hero genuinely impressed me, much to my surprise - I'm not a fan of the humourlessly one-note Jet Li, who has always struck me as a character from Mystery Men who didn't make the final cut (useless `super' power - the ability to wave a flagpole around very, very fast) and after all the fuss made over the tedious, overlong and undernourished Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was expecting the Western critical praise to translate into another tired and overfamiliar movie that appealed mainly to people who hadn't seen much Eastern cinema. Boy, was I wrong. A gorgeous looking epic with a real sense of scale and amazing visuals allied to a complex plot, I was kicking myself for not seeing this one on the big screen. Not everything is successful (the duel on the lake never quite works), but more than enough is to guarantee repeat viewings. Li's limitations are used well for once and while Ziyi Zhang's petulant acting still doesn't entirely convince me, it's surprising to find the weakest performance coming from the film's best actor, Tony Leung Chiu Wai. Never at his most convincing in fantasy swordplay movies (the introspective Ashes of Time excepted), he seems a little underpowered for such an iconic role. But these are minor quibbles with a major delight.

Be aware that there is an extended director's cut available in China (the disc has English subtitles though there is a curious intermittent trademark watermark in the top of the screen), although Miramax seem in no hurry to release it here. August 24, 2008

Who Moved My Hero?

Red version: Hero is the story of one man's quest (Nameless, played by Jet Li) to destroy the three assassins (lovers Broken Sword played by Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Flying Snow played by Maggie Cheung, and Sky played by Donnie Yen) who tried to kill the King of Qin (Chen Daoming). Nameless bests Sky in combat, and Broken Sword and Flying Snow betray each other, all the while fighting off the King's entire army, until Nameless finally kills Snow. At least, that's the story Nameless tells the King, who is privileged with advancing within ten paces of him.

Blue version: The King disagrees. He knows the assassin lovers and doesn't believe the story. He instead believes that the three assassins sacrificed their own lives to allow Nameless the audience with the King, and thus a chance to commit regicide himself. He has developed a special move, the King theorizes, that can kill a man at ten paces.

White version: Now the truth comes out. Nameless explains who he is, where he came from, and why he is in the King's palace. Nameless has a technique that can skewer a person while missing all their vital organs, making the blow look fatal. He used it on Sky and he uses it again on Flying Snow. Surprisingly, Broken Sword is against the entire notion of assassinating the King at all, a decision that harkens back to the duo's first assassination attempt. It failed only because Broken Sword chose not to kill the King.

Throughout the movie parallels are made between calligraphy and martial arts, and specifically the symbol for the word "sword." There are deeper meanings within the brush strokes, a form of enlightenment that Broken Sword achieved and that the King discovers in his conversation with his would-be assassin. Nameless' decision and the effect it has on the other assassins provides the twist to the tale.

Hero is a breathtaking movie, filled with balletic martial arts, lovely scenes in vivid colors, and natural settings reflecting China's ancient history and beauty. It's entertaining and moving, and the relationship between Broken Sword and Flying Snow anchors the piece. The three different tales, each depicted by a particular color scheme, provides different backdrops for heroics, drama, and warfare.

On the other hand, Hero is a Chinese cinematic version of "Who Moved My Cheese" - it reinforces the status quo with a sinister charm. Killing kings is foolish, says Hero, because it only leads to more war. Nameless' decision is one of sacrifice, one for the many. Were this only a fable, the story wouldn't be politically charged. But the King of Qin went on to become the Emperor of China, who did a lot of great things. So, you know, killing him would be bad because China wouldn't be nearly as great without him.

The question becomes whether or not that matters on a greater moral scale. Hero clearly makes the point that we should feel sympathy for the poor King in his enlightened state. Revenge never gets anyone anywhere. And yet by reducing the course of history to the assassination of one man, Hero makes many assumptions: about the importance of said man, about the progress of China, about our own human failings. It's a very Chinese movie, which makes it either more authentic or less palatable to American audiences. It all depends on your definition of the term "hero."



August 16, 2008

Gorgeous settings, score, story, but what an ending

Not going to ruin the ending for people, but even with the sad ending, this is one of the best movies with Jet Li. It reminds me a lot of Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince. From the philosophy of how to become a good king and betrayals thereof. Everything about this movie is pure aesthetic, and art for arts sake. The backdrop is so illuminating and dreamlike. How in one moment, the scenery is very green, then very red, that it gets really fun to guess what the next color will be. Overall, an awesome movie you don't want to miss. July 28, 2008

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