Hero review

By simply referring to Hero as a martial arts film would be to reduce it to its most elemental state. It would not convey the film's stunning visual beauty, its balletic grace or philosophical weight. As befits a film dealing with codes of behaviour and honor in ancient China, Hero is a spacious work of quiet strength, filled with an imperious dignity bestowed on it by highly acclaimed director Zhang Zimou.

That a subtitled film should top the US box office is almost as surprising as the fact that it took so long to reach American audiences. In the two years since Hero (or Ying Xiong to give it its proper title) was first released, it has become China's top grossing film of all time and along the way picked up numerous awards, including an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film. Following its huge success in Asia, the film was picked up by Miramax, but never found a release. It was only after the film gained almost cult-like status as a result of imported DVD copies, and Quentin Tarantino added his endorsement, that it finally reached the cineplexes.

Within minutes it's clear why Hero, like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon before it, has transcended the normally limiting confines of its genre. Beautifully shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle, its rich palette and scale are intoxicating. The fight sequences are stylized and choreographed as much for their elegance as their excitement. Set in mystical landscapes of lakes and red leaved forests, they play with time and gravity, slowing duels down, freezing moments and lunging combatants effortlessly through air. There is none of the blood and gore traditionally associated with martial arts films, instead the violence is implicit rather than explicit.

Set two thousand years ago, when China comprised seven regions, the story centers on the titular character, referred to as Nameless (Jet Li), and his encounter with the leader of one of the regions, the King of Qin (Chen Dao Ming). Nameless arrives at the King's imperial palace, preceded by tales of his heroic slaying of three of the King's feared enemies, Broken Sword (Tony Leung), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung) and Long Sky (Donnie Yen). Such apparent valiancy is rewarded with an audience with the King. As Nameless recounts his deeds, the events are shown in flashback, but his fabled retellings often differ in their account of what really happens. With each story he is beckoned ever nearer, but as he finds himself closer to the King than anyone else has in years, Nameless' true motives are revealed.

Hero makes symbolic use of colours throughout such as red for imagination, blue for perceived reality and green for peace. Included also is imaginative use of the traditional Chinese art of calligraphy, which is given a key link with swordplay. There is also the magical and blatant use of effects. They are used to accentuate the action not to deceive. As if to prove the point, in some scenes that required thousands of extras, the roles are filled by real people rather than CGI figures, greatly enhancing the impact.

Whether a martial arts fan or not, there is much to admire. Hero may be sparing with its words, but its eloquence comes from its wondrous imagery.