Hero
Rating - ***'
Visual - ****
Music - ***
Screenplay - ***
Acting/Characters - ***
Plot - ***1/2
Hong Kong/China, 2002
In Theatres: 8/27/04
Length: 1:36
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Violence, Sex)
U.S Distributor: Miramax
Director: Zhang Yimou
Cast: Jet Li, Zhang Ziyi, Tony Leung, Donnie Yen, Chen Daoming, Maggie Cheung
The best way to start this review is with a grateful nod towards Quentin Tarantino (and not just for Pulp Fiction ^_^), who prodded Miramax to release Hero here in the States; otherwise it is doubtful as to whether or not Hero would have achieved the wide release it did, if any at all.
It bothers me a little bit that foreign language films usually recieve limited distribution in America; because of this reason, the impulse for many viewers is strong to compare Hero to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Despite similar "wire-fu" technology and the martial arts genre, I feel Hero and CTHD are unique in their approach and intent.
Hero begins when a nameless warrior (Jet Li) is summoned by his king (Chen Daoming) for a reward for his acts of bravery; it seems that he has defeated three deadly assassins who seek the life of the king amidst a period of strife amongst the kingdoms of China. Hero uses a series of flashbacks, which I found reminiscent of Kurosawa's Rashomon, in which the warrior and the king unravel the mystery of what occurred.
I've heard some people felt confused by the plot of the story, since there are mutliple accounts given, but in my opinion the plot flows steadily and fluently throughout the movie. At times, credibility is stretched, such as points where the characters fight hovering above pools of water or when simple blade slaps with a sword sends someone flying backwards. Then again, Hero's purpose isn't concrete realism, but allegory and flavor.
The most noticeable and developed aspect of Hero are the visuals; Zhang Yimou includes not only lush and stylistic environments and costumes but also the use of invigorating and vivid color schemes. Whether it be the fiery passion of the reds or the honor and loyalty dormant within the blues, each hue is a motif in Hero, and when the story suceeds, the colors enhance the experience and make it more searing. In many ways, however, Hero uses its images as a more obvious way of storytelling, than say, speech or development of character. As I mentioned before, the visuals of the film are a direct credit to Yimou's distinctive style in that area, one which we have already seen in his past movies like Raise the Red Lantern.
From a character-driven point of view, Hero can be a very difficult movie to watch; often times, development is thin, and they can be very detached or abstract. Hero seems to oscillate back and forth between epic brushstrokes that definite its characters (similar to those in Lord of the Rings or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) to subdued and vague depictions. Similarly, the acting is simultaneously passionate and distant. The "bond" that comes between the characters and the viewer is hard-fought and hard-won.
Nevertheless, the culmination of every aspect of the film completes a whole that is astonishing, flavorful, and filled with imagery. With regard to the story, Hero finishes strongly, and its presentation of the needs of the state versus the individual and the sacrifices that must be made for the greater good is quite poignant. And in a larger sense, Hero ruminates on a unique part of human nature, symbolized in the film by the warrior, whose ultimate ideal is twofold. First is the desire to exist peacefully and in unity with both his fellow bretheren and his country. Second is the wish to live simply yet contently in harmony with nature and oneself. In this area, Hero pierces the mind and soul like the arrows of the Qin archers, and is not easily forgotten.
-Joseph Young, 2004
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