Hero



Zhang Yimou's Hero (2002) is opening in theaters everywhere today. I've already seen it thanks to the wonders of import DVD, but I will be making it out to the theater too. It's an incredible movie.

The main character is Nameless (Jet Li), a swordsman of no reputation who has killed three famous assassins (Donnie Yen, Maggie Cheung, and Tony Leung) who threatened the Emperor Qin (3rd century B.C.E.). For this service Qin, who has been living in an empty palace and wearing armor all the time for fear of an attack, rewards Nameless by allowing the swordsman to drink with him. He asks Nameless to tell the story of how he defeated three assassins, which turns out to be only the start of the story telling.


"Message for you, sir!"

I won't say why more than one story is needed, because it more interesting to just watch the movie unfold. There's a certain element of Rashomon (1950) here, but Yimou and cinematographer Chris Doyle differentiate the stories by having a unique color scheme for each one. It's an audacious idea, and Doyle makes the movie beautiful to look at.


Feeling blue? Pick up some tea!

For once, the action is not choreographed by Yuen Woo Ping, the man who did the Matrix movies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2001). Rather, it's by Ching Siu Tung, and it's rather refreshing to see some big budget wirework by someone other than Yuen. That, and Ching Siu Tung is probably every bit as good. The action is fluid and exciting.

Comparisons to Crouching Tiger are inevitable, but Hero stands up well. I think the plot is more involving than Crouching Tiger, and the action may be more thrilling, with epic battles featuring whole armies. I think the only places Hero falters are when it emulates Crouching Tiger too closely. Zang Ziyi is cast in Hero, but her role seems throwaway, and there's a tragic romance subplot that doesn't work nearly as well as the one in Crouching Tiger. And finally the music in Hero is also by Tan Dun, who sometimes sounds like he's recycling his Crouching Tiger score.


Early leaf-blower technology.

These are small quibbles. Go see Hero. If it does really well, it increases the chances that Yimou's next movie, the martial arts film House of Flying Daggers (2004), will get a wide release later this year.

Posted: Fri - August 27, 2004 at      

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