Dec 28, 2004 02:39 AM
4238 Views
(Updated Dec 28, 2004 02:39 AM)
If one were to describe Zhang Yimou's ''Hero'' in one word
that word would be astounding.
Rarely is a martial arts movie (yes yes even the over hyped
'Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon) so moving and hypnotic as is
'Hero'
It intoxicates the viewer like an old bottle of wine.
Its rich, deep and exquisite.
Even for those like me who find the flying in air style
of fighting a bit too much to swallow, 'Hero' taught me
that a martial arts film can have a soul.
The story begin's with Nameless (Jet Li) a prefect
who asks for an audience with the king of Qin claiming
that he has killed the three assasins who sought to murder
the king.
Qin dreams of uniting all the warring kingdoms of China
under his rule. A quest which will undoubtedly let flow a river
of blood thro the land.
Three assassins have vowed to kill him: Broken Sword (Tony Leung),
Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung) and Long Sky (Donnie Yen)and in comes
Nameless claiming that he has killed all three of them.
This gains him a rare honour of sitting within 10 paces of Qin which
after an attack on Qin by Snow and Sword is prohibited.
The king wants to hear his stories. Nameless explains that martial arts
by itself was not enough to defeat such formidable enemies. Instead,
he used psychological methods to discover their weak points.
Broken Sword also being a calligraher the style of his swordplay was betrayed
by the style of his calligraphy. Sword and Snow were lovers, so jealousy could be used.
Snow could discover Sword making love with his disciple the beautiful Moon (Zhang Ziyi),
which would sunder their alliance. As Nameless talks, there are flashbacks to the
scenes he describes.
The stories are interesting but Qin is not a fool and since he himself
has fought Sword and Snow, he knows that they are strong in character and
would not be parted so easily.
So he makes his own interpretation of the stories ( again in flashback)
and spells out thing as they really might have happened and concludes that
all of this is an elaborate scam by Nameless to get close to him as to
assasinate him.
What happens after this I leave the viewer to see.
Let me say that I found it to be much better than CTHD
Full marks to cinematographer Chris Doyle for the breathtaking visuals.
Equally contributing to overall look of the film are costumes, sets and effects.
The fights, although the same flying in the air kind,
are done quiet differently, each battle leaving a different mark
in the viewers mind.
I really recommend this movie to those who love watching a good movie.
Not just for the martial arts but also for the wonderful experience
that is 'Hero'
