Hero
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Movie Reviews of Hero
Movie Review: The hero according the East gaze!
Summary: 5 Stars
This film may be disturbing for many people accustomed to the usual patterns of the Western vision about the meaning of the hero .
Hero according the Greek meaning has nothing to do with this special hero.
The difference is overclear. The hero in the West World works out under individual considerations . Even if you may argue the Heracles ' twelve works , the hero never acts under a collective sense .
And this is the clue . The Oriental hero will act under a collective criterion :To unify the people and the land . But beware about this point ; the real hero never acts under any ideology because he does not know the rules of the game ; he is a nature force and his actions are out a rational concept . Consider the case of Sigfried in The Ring for instance : He dies precisely when he enters to a conventionalist world with rules and agreements ; those terms are nothing for him.
That's is less than understandable for a hero who suddenly resurrected in China .
Any other argument is invalid to justify this strange behavior. Every one of the rivals who fight with our hero know they are uncapable to reach the goal because they lack the noblesse and purity of spirit ; as they act under the passion , they know they are not the adequate messengers and obviously they accept involuntarialy he is the only one capable to show the King the hidden desire , the collective voice of that enormous community .
The visual splendor illuminates the screen all along the film .
The highlights sequences of the movie are in the field when the yellow leaves are falling and swept by the wind in the female conflict and the other in the Palace under the green curtains falling .
Yimou Zang is actually the most remarkable chinese film maker .
Watch this amazing fable and convince by yourself the role of the hero has never been reach the throne ; hero's role goes beyond that goal . He is born to intend to change the world no matter how expensive be the prize . And the death is a fellow partner due it will be very hard for any one of us to find a hero writing his memories . His life is brief , his origins are always unknown and his fate will never be the same of the common man .
That is his bliss!
Movie Review: a new Kagemusa adapted for the age
Summary: 5 Stars
When I was little kid I saw Kagemusa - I did not understand all the details of cinematography but it had a profound effect on me. It was lyrical and the colors still show up in my dream. I almost had the same effect when I saw "Hero" - this is splendid, fascinating - could not have been better.
Please do not use the English dubbed version - please listen to the Chinese version with English subtitles.
Starting with the plot which deals with 3 versions of the same incident is quite unique - now listen to the voices as they narrate the version - the tones change , the confidence level change in the tone of the voices (this is why you have to listen to the chinese version and not the dub).
The story is about a rebel and the emperor - it is the tactics used by the rebel to reach to the emperor and convey the message of his heart (lets not reveal all the twist).
Part 2 - look at the sets and the canvas. The sets are amazing - every costume has been designed with care to match the canvas - the dark forces are in black and the rebel forces in orange. (When Tolkein writes the same in Hobbit we praise him - don't we).
Part 3 - look at the movements - the same as we have seen in Battleship Potemkim - the dark forces are static while the rebel forces are dynamic - the dynamic forces cut through the static lines - this is an age old riddle that many artists have worked with
Part 4 look at the martial arts - they are movements to convey the emotions and as you wiull notice in different versions of the same situation the fight is different and the costumes are different - they match the mood of the incident
Part 5 - it actually talks about peace - "our country" the main theme of the movie is a message of cohesiveness which is so much needed in today's world. It talks about a united country with better communication among it's people
The color combination used in every canvas or frame is just mesmerizing. Most of these are computer effects but I have never seen in movie industry the computer being used to create this level of art, this movie brings HK movies to a new age , new generation like Citizen Kane did for English movies. I promise you will enjoy it
Movie Review: ravishing aesthetic beauty.
Summary: 5 Stars
"Hero" is a spellbinding movie, certainly one of the most visually gorgeous ever. The dazzling colors, incredible scenery, superhuman battle choreography -- it's nothing less than visual poetry. Virtually every scene in this film is a marvel, but some stand out in particular -- two female warriors fighting amidst swirling leaves which symbolically turn from yellow to red; Nameless battling the first assassin in the falling rain, with the tip of a sword driving forward through a crystalline raindrop; the two green-clad assassin lovers battling through hundreds of the king's monochromatic legions, a martial dance of perfect athleticism and deadliness; Flying Snow using her vibrant orange robe to deflect hundreds of arrows in the attack on the caligraphy school; and my favorite, the scene where Broken Sword and Nameless do battle on the surface of a pristine emerald lake, gracefully running across the placid water surface, an enrapturing tranquillity barely disturbed by the loud ringing of clashing steel.
So beautiful.
The sound in this movie is also outstanding. It is my belief that great sound is an unfortunately undervalued commodity in film making, but "Hero" is a visceral sonic experience to complement the stunning visuals.
I found the story and the style of narrative interesting. Nameless, a warrior with preternatural fighting prowess, earns an audience with the evil king for defeating three powerful assassins. The story unfolds in a series of flashbacks as Nameless relates the events, and each story is like a self-contained chapter, again and again offering one exquisite scene after another.
Although I was bothered by the ideological stance of the film, it didn't do much to diminish the pleasure experienced while watching it. Hopefully it doesn't bother people -- it's not like this movie is going to turn you into a communist, unless you're an idiot in the first place. I found the ending of the movie very tragic (mostly for Flying Snow, who is essentially betrayed twice in her quest for justice). Communist movies can have emotional resonance (and I'm an anarchocapitalist, so trust me).
Just enjoy the beauty of it all.
Movie Review: Well-told, well-filmed martial arts drama
Summary: 5 Stars
Zhang Zimou's "Hero" represents the best of the martial-arts dramas, in that it combines Chinese philosophy (honor, loyalty, and stoic suffering) with brilliantly filmed fight scenes. The story takes place during the Qin dynasty. A Nameless assasin (Jet Li) approaches the Emperor Qin with swords from three assassins. For these three souvenirs, Nameless can walk within 20 steps of the Emperor. Nameless tells the Emperor how he killed Sky (Donnie Cheng), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), and Broken Sword (Tony Leung). But the Emperor is skeptical about Nameless's story, and the film is really a search for the True Story. Is Nameless really a Qin fighter, or is he in fact an assassin trying to kill the Emperor?
I've read some reviews that say Hero is defending Communist China. I really don't agree. I think Hero defends the martial-arts philosophy, much the same way Western movies defended a certain kind of life viewpoint. Love of country, loyalty to one's people, and stoicism in the face of death are glorified in Hero. Some of director Zhang Zimou's films have been banned in China, so I don't think this movie is a defense of the Chinese government.
The movie, like House of Flying Daggers, has the virtue of good acting. Jet Li is properly stoic as Nameless, but to me the acting palm goes to Maggie Cheung as the beautiful warrior Flying Snow. Like most martial arts heroines she is a woman of few words, but her face is very expressive. She manages to convey emotion and intent with her face. I was a bit disappointed in Zhang Ziyi's character, Moon. Moon doesn't really have a place in the story, and her character seems extraneous, like something Zhang Zimou wrote in simply because Zhang Ziyi is his current muse. (It used to be Gong Li.) For a better example of Zhang Ziyi's charm as an actress definitely see House of Flying Daggers. I also enjoyed watching Tony Leung as Broken Sword.
So in other words, if you want a martial arts movie, then Hero is a great example of the genre. The fact that it's sparking a philosophical/political debate is in my opinion a testament to its unusual depth and the strength of its storyline.
Movie Review: A Dazzling Adventure with a Blood Trail...
Summary: 5 Stars
In the ancient Chinese civilization before China was united there was seven provinces that relentlessly tried to oust each other out of power. This was done without consideration of the people who were the true victims of the provincial leader's power struggle. In the northern province of Qin, the King ruthlessly began a campaign against the other provinces as he led a supreme military force toward victory, which gave him numerous enemies. Three of the Kings of Qin's (Daoming Chen) most powerful and feared enemies were Sky (Donnie Yen), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), and Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu Wai). However, these three assassins that King of Qin feared so much fell under the sword of a great warrior called Nameless (Jet Li). Nameless has been summoned by the King of Qin as he has heard of this remarkable feat and he wants to hear how Nameless defeated these three enemies since his troops had been unable to capture or kill them. In the King's presence Nameless begins to tell the tale of how he beat the three mighty assassins, which brings the audience through a brilliant cinematic event.Director Zhang balances the complex story line between several factors that make this film brilliant such as cast, cinematography, sound, and mise-en-scene. When Hero was casted the actors brought out their best performances as Zhang wanted to portray his vision of the story. The cinematography is outstanding as it enhances the cinematic experience through great camera movement, use of angles, and vibrant colors that mesmerize. The sound of the many situations in the film enhances the moment as it provides a realistic and gripping effect on the audience. Last, but not least, the mise-en-scene is brilliant as it is rich on detail and central to the story as it improves the audience's understanding of what Zhang is trying to convey in his vision of Hero. When Zhang ties all the aspects of the film together it leaves the audience with a brilliant cinematic experience as Hero has several layers of themes hidden in the plot that intrigue the audience through a maze of emotions, which offers reflection as well as entertainment.