Hero
From Karate, Kungfu, Wrestling, Mixed Fighting Information Source
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Hero is the most talked about Chinese martial arts film of 2002 and 2003 directed and produced by Zhang Yimou. It presents a bold visual statement with stunning photography from Christopher Doyle, vivid art direction, and meticulously staged swordplay that possesses more dazzling, theatrical dance than screen combat. The story is seductively simple yet peels away in colorful layers of complex tapestries woven by the threads of trust, revenge, and ultimately sacrifices. [edit] SynopsisThe King of Qin, soon to be China's first Emperor is threatened by three assassins. Nameless (Jet Li), a master swordsman is chosen to stop them, but conflicting accounts of how he does so paints a different picture. The story begins with Jet Li recounting to the King how he defeated the three assassins as played by Donnie Yen, Tony Leung, and Maggie Cheung. Using the assasination attempt of the historical figure, Chin Shi Huang Di (The first emperor of China) as a backdrop, this film attempts to explore and develop a better understanding of the Chinese concept of a hero. In a Chinese cultural context, it hopes to explore the preconceptions and misinterpretations of heroism and heroes. At the height of China's Warring States period, the country was divided into seven kingdoms: Qin, Zhao, Han Wei, Yan, Chu and Qi. For years, the separate kingdoms fought ruthlessly for supremacy. As a result, the populace endured decades of death and suffering. The Kingdom of Qin was the most determined of all. The Qin King was obsessed with conquering all of China and becoming her first Emperor. He had long been the target of assassins throughout the other six states. Of all the would-be killers, none inspired as much fear as the three legendary assassins, 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. But defeating the killers is a near impossible task. For ten years no one came close to claiming the prize. So when the enigmatic county sheriff, Nameless, came to the palace bearing the legendary weapons of the slain assassins, the King was impatient to hear his story. Sitting in the palace, only ten paces from the King, Nameless told his extraordinary tale: For ten years, Nameless studied the way of the sword and resolved to challenge the three assassins. Using the secrets of swordsmanship; Nameless defeated the mighty Sky in a furious showdown. Following this initial victory, he destroyed the famed duo of Flying Snow and Broken Sword. This time using a weapon far more devastating than his sword - their extraordinary love for each other. The King hung on every detail of this curious story. But then something most unexpected happened - the King has a different story to tell of how Nameless really came to sit there, face to face with the King! It appears that everything was not so simple. In the centre of the intrigue sits Nameless -a solitary ranger and the King of Qin - the ruler of the Kingdom, with only ten steps between them. Within those ten steps holds an earth-shattering tale of love, honour and duty, a story that moves beyond the reaches of history. [edit] Martial Arts in the FilmWhen it comes to the film's combat scenes, veteran action director Ching Siu-tung delivers fine wirework that emphasizes flowery movements. The more esoteric internal arts are depicted in the scene where Maggie Cheung kicks up a storm of leaves against Zhang Ziyi. The flashbacks, both real and imagined allow for match-ups between just about everyone including the Emperor, but the stunning encounter between Jet Li and Donnie Yen is the film's first and finest. These two wushu experts are perfectly matched and have never been as beautifully filmed doing what they do best. This fight does not represent the best of their careers in terms of movement or form, but the scene is so crisp and clear in its execution, that one cannot but be in awe of the spectacle. |
