The film hasnt reached theatres in India yet. But I was fortunate to get hold of a very good VCD print.
The phrase ’’reel magic’’ is justified by the Chinese epic, Hero. Written, Directed and Produced by Zhang Yimou, Hero is not a mere action movie
and calling it one, would be defacing a masterpiece. Hero is best categorised as ’’visual poetry’’, though words fail to catch the exact breadth of
the movie. Some things are to be seen to be understood.
Its a mote, literaly plucked from the immense history of China(when China was divided into the 7 kingdoms, Qin, Zhao, Han Wei, Yan, Chu and
Qi), telling the story of the King of Qin, three legendary assassins and one enigmatic county sheriff in the time period somewhere between 475
BC- 221BC.
The Martial arts in Hero is beautiful. You can almost see the rhythm in the movements. The actors are not at all unfamiliar in the ancient art of
the defences, and coupled with expert action choreography by Action Director Tony Ching Siu Tung, the output is nothing short of elegance.
In Zhang Yimou’s own words: ’’If you look at the history of Chinese martial arts literature¨, he says, ’’the plot always hinges on revenge. For years,
this has been the only theme in Chinese martial arts films whether its Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan. I wanted to take the genre in a new direction. In
my story, the goal is to downplay violence. The characters are motivated by their desire to end the war. For real martial arts heroes, the heart is
far more important than the sword.’’ - https://herothemovie.com
And in Hero, we can easily see that Zhang Yimou has followed his heart.
Calligraphy and sword play seem to be distinctly related to each other in that both requires dexterity of the hand. As the character
Nameless(played by Jet Li) succintly explains it to the King of Qin- ’’There are 19 different ways to write the word ’Sword’. I asked Broken Sword
for a 20th way. Both calligraphy and swordplay rely on one’s strength and spirit. The 20th way would reveal the essence of his swordsmanship.’’
Color plays a major role in the story-telling as does the elements, Wind and Water, and the changes in Nature also play a key role in conveying
the mood of the scenes. Red seems to stand for anger and jealousy while green signifies love and passion and white, honour and duty. Zhang
Yimou has made the film just as an artist paints on the canvas. His use of vibrant colors to induce and symbolise emotions is reminiscent of the great
Impressionistic artists. And I must say it has payed off handsomely.
Blood and gore are totally absent in this movie, with the exception of one scene where you get to see a single drop of blood dropping from a
sword in blissful slow-motion. Even the most horrific deaths(being impaled by hundreds of arrows) is dealt with elegantly, leaving the viewer to
imagine its savagery and be saddened by it.
The film is well endowed with beautiful cinematography by one of the most important cinematographers in Asian cinema, Christopher Doyle.
The vast army of marching soldiers of the King of Qin, the red flags carried by soldiers on horsebacks giving a catchy contrast against the pale
grey of the sand and the distant mountains could very well rival the epic battle scenes of the LOTR trilogy. One of the most beautiful scenes is
the picturisation of a battle of the minds between Nameless and BrokenSword over the serene waters of a lake situated in a picturesque valley.
I dont know how much CGI had an influence in some of the effects shots, but if there are any, it was done in the most eloquent and seamless
manner(with the exception of the thousands of arrows the soldiers fire and also in showing the advancing army which seem to stretch on and
on).
Acting is subtle with no actor and no part causing disharmony. Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung Zhang Ziyi and Donnie Yen, all perform true
to their role with the right amount of histrionic skills. One aspect of Hero which I find worth mentioning is that the performance of the actors
seem to be boosted by Zhang Yimou’s ’’visual poetry’’.
The most captivating thing about Hero, is that you are pulled into that era. The sheer magnificence, soothing music, and martial arts creates a
moving experience. In the end, you dont think about flaws in the plot or think about the impossibility of the flying stunts. You will just sit back
and be swept away by the beauty of everything. The Director’s visual style is all that matters and the rest is ’’All Under Heaven’’.
With a beautiful blend of Chinese philosophy, history and culture, Zhang Yimou has created a sweeping tale of love, honour and duty. A film
worth watching. The only regret I have is that I dont know the Chinese language and had to be satisfied with the poor and blurred sub-titling.