For those who think that the only movies coming out of China are kung-fu films, Hero is only further proof; but for those who are convinced that kung-fu films (and action films in general) are comprised of wanton, gratuitous acts of violence, Zhang Yimou's 2002 offering begs to differ. The picture serves up not only striking beauty in every frame (as my professor challenged us...'find one frame that you could not frame as a poster on your bedroom wall') but also depth and profundity not often associated with the genre.
Hero's beauty, from the first scene to final fadeout, can be attributed to numerous sources. Impossible to ignore, the film's stunning choice of colors paints each frame with vibrancy and fills each shot vitality. One memorable scene pits Moon (Zhang Ziyi) against Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), both dressed in red against the back drop of golden leaves that turn crimson as the final blow is struck. Christopher Doyle's work behind the camera also definitely deserves a mention. Every angle is carefully calculated to evoke strong emotions in the audience: when the camera cuts to the stone wall and pans slowly across to the gate-turned-pin cushion littered with arrow shafts you can't help but hold your breath and hope that Nameless will mystically evade death as he is clearly capable, even though you can feel the cold clench of inevitability somewhere in your gut. Only skill comparable to Doyle's could have conveyed this painful certainty by showing merely the silhouette of a man and elicited a stronger response for it.
This brings me to my next point, the depths of this film. I already mentioned the use of colors once, but it deserves a second mention for the motif it brings to the film that would give my high school English teacher cause for pause. Now I'm not a Lit major so I can't elaborate upon the meaning of each of those colors (also I imagine culturally China may believe certain colors to represent different emotions than we would associate them with in America), but it is evident that every tint and tone was exhaustingly labored over before being settled upon.
The film bears a heavy message: sacrifice for the greater good. Many suggest this is in line with communist values or promotes China's territorial designs on Tibet and Taiwan. I haven't gotten this feeling after seeing Hero three times, but rather than argue with this existing viewpoint I'd rather laud the movie for reaching audiences around the world with the same message, even if that message is interpreted in many different ways. Hero also speaks with Machiavellian undertones of unification of China under the kingdom of Qin. This is a controversial stance suggesting that the violent and bloody means are justified by the ends of joining "all under heaven" beneath one flag.
There's really much more that could and should be said about this film, but two words will have to suffice: watch it.
1 comment:
This is a very thorough review on "Hero." Indeed, the cinematography is beautiful and Doyle deserves recognition. Besides highlighting all those beautifully framed shots, you also pointed out important ideas that the film is presenting should as sacrifice for a greater good. By the way, I have just skimmed over some of your other film reviews. You should try to keep up doing this, even if it is once in a while. Your analyses and reviews are keen and fun to read. Thanks for your comments.
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