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Hero
(2004)
Starring:
Jet Li, Zhang
Ziyi, Tony Leung, Donnie Yen
Director:
Zhang Yimou
Rating: PG-13
Distributor:
Miramax
Release Date:
08.27.04
Review
Posted: 09.27.04
By
George Schmidt
"Rashomon" meets "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"
Although foreign
films are not my forte I do attempt to catch any buzz worthy flick no
matter if it's subtitled or not. Attempting to broaden my cinematic
horizons I was pleasantly surprised and rewarded with the latest Asian
action flick cum romantic fantasy from master filmmaker Yimou Zhang
("Raise the Red Lantern").
With a nod to
Sergio Leone, the film begins with a stern faced warrior with No Name
(literally called Nameless) played by stony stoic Jet Li who sets out
to assassinate the king of pre-unified China, Qin, for vengeance and
freedom but in order to do so he must pass a series of basically
Mother May I, in being allowed by the leader no less (!), to advance a
number of paces after telling him the story of how he came to his plot
to waste him and the only obstacle is the truth. Should he lie the
king's armed soldiers - all awaiting for just the right time to do
just that, will immediately kill him.
Nameless has a
vivid imagination and gets most of his story right in the way that he
enlists a triumvirate of notoriously fierce swordsman (and woman) to
join him in overthrowing the stranglehold of the emperor by jousting
to the death (or so it would seem) to have him as a murderous proxy.
What follows is the various viewpoints that is told several times a la
Kurosawa's classic tale of chicanery "Rashomon" where small details
are changed and new layers are revealed.
What is most
striking about the film is the amazing production design by Tingxiao
Huo and Zhenzhou Yi in displaying each summary in astounding primary
colors - blue, red, yellow, white and green - that practically sear
the viewer's corneas with such vibrancy and textures. Equally
impressive is the beautifully rendered cinematography by Christopher
Doyle and impeccable art direction by Tingxiao Huo. All are Oscar
worthy candidates in arguably the most handsomely filmed epic in some
time.
Zhang has a
commanding presence incorporating David Lean epic with Kurosawa's
assured hand in presentation and character including the trio of
fighters including Chiu Wai, Cheung and Yen, the former duo
impassioned lovers who love the sword only slightly more than one
another and the latter a quiet yet impressive marksman. Li adds his
own flair with the atypical flights of fancy that echo "Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon" which have been all the rage lately in both
Eastern and Western film and admittedly are running on fumes yet here
they do add more to the story that seems fit.
The battle
sequences with literally thousands of the nastiest arrows ever set in
a quiver are astounding in their CGI splendor and add visceral moments
of anxiety as to where they will meet their targets.
One of the year's
best foreign films and best films of any genre for that matter.
Film
Rating:
κκκ1/2 (out of
4)
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