Hero Review
by Bob Bloom (bob AT bloomink DOT com)August 31st, 2004
HERO (2003) 4 stars out of 4. Starring Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung
Man-Yuk, Zhang Ziyi, Chen Dao Ming and Donnie Yen. Director of photography Christopher Doyle. Music by Tan Dun. Violin solos and fiddling by Yitzak Perlman.
Story by Zhang Yimou, Li Feng and Wang Bin. Screenplay by Li Feng, Zhang Yimou and
Wang Bin. Directed by Zhang Yimou. Rated PG-13. Running time: 99 minutes.
Many films aspire to achieve epic status, but few succeed. Hero, directed Zhang
Yimou, does more than that. It raises the bar on future pretenders.
A magnificent blend of swordplay, martial arts, romance and drama, Hero tells the
legend of the unification of China and of the lone assassin who could determine the
fate of the fledging nation.
The story unfolds in a Rashomon-like manner as a enigmatic county sheriff called
Nameless (Jet Li) brings the legendary weapons of the three most deadly assassins
to the palace as evidence for the king that he has slain them. Nameless gains admission to the throne room where, sitting a mere 10 paces from the king, he unfolds his story.
Nameless explains how for 10 years he studied swordsmanship, resolving to challenge the trio of assassins. The king, who is drinking in every detail, surprises
Nameless by challenging his version of events and claiming to know the real reason
for his audience.
Hero is a visual feast. Yimou and his director of photography, Christopher Doyle, use
a specific color theme with each tale, giving the viewer a veritable rainbow of
emotions.
Some sequences are outstanding, such as a duel between one of the assassins, Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk), and Moon (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's
Zhang Ziyi) the servant girl of Flying Snow's lover, the assassin Broken Sword (Tony
Leung Chiu-Wai).
Done on a carpet of orange leaves, the scene slowly transforms to a blood red at
the climax of the flight.
The finale, in which Nameless concludes his business with the king, is shot mostly in
grays and blacks.
Some vistas are breathtaking, such as the peak where Flying Snow and Broken Sword share their fate, or the lake where Nameless and Broken Sword clash.
During the duel between Nameless and the assassin Sky (Donnie Yen), Doyle composes a slow-motion shot of a sword gliding through droplets of rain that is as
graceful as a ballet.
Hero features larger-than-life characters, performing superhuman feats, but making
very human decisions and sacrifices.
The performances are solid throughout. Cheung and Leung, who have worked together in films for director Wong Kar-Wai, bring a history and a tragic passion to
their characters.
Young Ziyi is as fiery and acrobatic as she was in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger.
Li's Nameless is a man of honor and vision, willing to do what he must for his
country.
A majestic score by Tan Dun, featuring violin solos by Itzhak Perlman, deftly
complements this saga.
Hero is a poetic masterpiece, a film filled with grace, nobility and action. Don't miss
it.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He can be
reached by e-mail at [email protected] or at [email protected]. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal and Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com or at the Internet Movie Database Web site:
www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom
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