I got to see the movie "Hero" again on cable this past weekend and was reminded of how taken away and enchanted I was by this film the very first time I saw it.
Written and directed by Yimou Zhang, and beautifully shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle, this epic tale set in the China of around 2000 years ago is so stunningly and visually beautiful that the battles and fight scenes in it are almost secondary, so enrapt are you by the beautiful imagery. This movie was made in 2002, and became the biggest grossing movie ever in China.
Hero is the story of a king named Qin, who was obsessed with trying to gain power over all of China, which was divided up into 7 kingdoms, one of which was his own. Beset by assassins bent on stopping him from this goal, he is soon made aware of 3 in particular, Broken Sword, Flying Snow and Sky.
To anyone who defeated the three assassins, the King of Qin promised great power, mountains of gold and a private audience with the King himself. However, defeating these three killers is a near impossible task. Yet, a warrior called "Nameless" ends up defeating them all with his superior, life long learned swordsmanship. As each one says to him in their last dying words "your sword is so swift!" He calls attention to this in an audience granted him by the king. Little does the king know, however, he is Nameless next target.
The scenes are achingly gorgeous! I could watch this movie over again another five times and I highly recommend it for one of those days when you want to be swept away by a tale of honor, courage, and stark beauty. Jet Li in the role of Nameless plays the part with a quiet, strong dignity and all the other characters hold their parts strongly and well. Pop up some popcorn, grab a large drink, snuggle up in your blanket on the couch and pop this one in the DVD. You will be just as swept up by the beauty and magic of this film as I was. A definite 5 Stars!
The Cast:
Jet Li
Tony Leung Chiu Wai
Maggie Cheung
Ziyi Zhang
Donnie Yen
Daoming Chen
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