| Tweet |  |
|
HERO / Ying xiong, Jet Li (2002)
| Tweet | |
Synopsis of the DVD Movie: HERO / Ying xiong
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. A story about what it means to be a HERO
DVD Movie Rating for: HERO / Ying xiong
Rating 3 stars out of 5
Movie Plot of: HERO / Ying xiong
In ancient times China was divided into seven kingdoms. Qin, the king of the northern province, is under permanent threat of assassination attempts. His greatest fears are the warriors "Broken Sword", "Flying Snow" and "Sky". One day one of the magistrates of his kingdom enters the palace, claims that he defeated all three of the emperor's adversaries and tells his story; how he beat "Sky" in a duel and used the love between "Broken Sword" and "Flying Snow" to subdue them.
DVD Production Details of: HERO / Ying xiong
Starring: Jet Li, Donnie Yen
USA DVD Release 30 Nov 2004
Encoding: Region 9
Rated: Unrated
Studio: GDFACE
"Hero," nominated for the foreign-language Academy Award for 2002, is director Zhang Yimou's saga of China some 2,000 years ago.
DVD Easter Eggs
None
Cast of the movie: HERO / Ying xiong
- Jet Li .... Nameless (Jet Li's Biography and Filmography)
- Tony Leung Chiu Wai .... Broken Sword
- Maggie Cheung .... Flying Snow
- Ziyi Zhang .... Moon
- Daoming Chen .... King of Qin
- Donnie Yen .... Long Sky, Silver Spear
Photo Gallery of the movie: HERO / Ying xiong
Click on one of the thumbnails to see the full size, high resolution photographs
The Hero photo gallery has over 40 high quality photos of this great movie, therefore this photogallery is split over three pages
- Part I of the Hero Photo gallery
- Part II of the Hero Photo gallery
- Part III of the Hero Photo gallery
Reviews of the movie: HERO / Ying xiong
After political (Raise the Red Lantern), sexy (Ju Dou) and reflective (The Road Home) films, writer-director Zhang Yimou embraces the aerodynamic action of digitally enhanced kung fu swordplay made famous in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The object here is to outdazzle that genre landmark and, perhaps, to outdo it at the box office.
It's probably too late and too familiar a technique to do either, but there's plenty to admire despite those limitations, for which it has already received critical and award level acclaim. At the time of this writing, it is one of the 2002 Oscar nominees for Best Foreign Language Film.
The poetic allegory takes for its basis one of many legends surrounding the reign of the tyrannical King of Qin, Chin Shi Huang Di (Daoming Chen), in the third century B.C., the distinguishing characteristic of which are the many attempts to assassinate him. It seems these folks know what they'd like to do with an evil ruler (Iraq, are you listening?). But, after three of the most renowned sword masters in the kingdom try and fail, the wily king, no swordplay slouch himself, puts out a contract on the assassins' lives.
As the movie begins, a heretofore unknown swordsman with the name of Nameless (Jet Li) arrives at the castle gate claiming to have fulfilled the seemingly impossible assignment and is brought into the presence of the king, at a considerable, safe distance.
With his telling of each swordfight victory, he provides the vanquished assassins' swords as evidence of his successes, and with each story the small town lawman is allowed closer to the throne. With this ever diminishing proximity, we begin to suspect that Nameless himself is an assassin with a plan cleverer than his predecessors'. Gain an audience with the highly protected king with the only strategy available: Get closer to him than his guards; slit throat.
But the king, in a bit of allegorical mind-reading, catches on as swiftly as we do, and in Rashomon-like retelling, imagines the scenarios of battle with different colorations than those of the martial arts storyteller. Even then, despite the deceptions, the king can't help respecting the full package of skills this sword master has brought before him.
Yimou's cast is as thoroughly charismatic as it is athletic, with Tony Leung (as Broken Sword), Maggie Cheung (as Flying Snow), and Donnie Yen (as Sky) making possible the gravity defying choreography by stunt specialist Siu-Tung Ching. Jet Li's composure is magnetic in a role far more compelling than his Cradle 2 the Grave appearance. Completing the ensemble is Ziyi Zhang as impetuous, beautiful Moon, Broken Sword's devoted disciple, similarly accomplished in exploiting the stunt harness that sends these combatants over trees and into the skies with poetic exhilaration.
Unfortunately, it's overdone. Subtleties have been abandoned in much of the fight gymnastics, allowing you to virtually "see" just how the actors were suspended in space by the digitally deleted cables. The technique is a great addition to the lexicon of fight dynamics on film, but its practitioners are well advised to tone it down before it gets embarrassing.
While action is the main attraction here, one also savors moments of sustained silence when stoic Li and his adversaries arrange their pre-combat thoughts in Zen-like concentration. Such directorial choices contribute to the film's uniqueness of style and character, artfully revealing that there is an unwritten "code of combat" among these preeminent competitors. Cinematographer Christopher Doyle takes full advantage of the splendor of the material and the inspiration of an exceedingly visual director by enhancing the magnificence in art direction (Tingxiao Huo) and staging.
While comparisons to Crouching Tiger might be expected, this is an allegory with its own integrity, told with a spirited and accomplished ensemble, and it should be regarded on its own terms. It includes a political polemic Yimou is pushing, and one might hope the right people receive the message about the comparative efficacies between tyranny and governance… a provocative thought to pose in such a contentious framework.
In "HERO," a soldier with no name (international superstar JET LI) is on a mission of revenge against the army that massacred his people. Now he must take on the Empire's most ruthless assassins to reach the enemy he has sworn to defeat.
"HERO" spotlights one of the most awaited martial arts matchups in film history, with superstar Jet Li engaging in an epic cinematic showdown with martial arts sensation DONNIE YEN ("Iron Monkey" "Shanghai Knights"). As heralded in the Asian edition of Time magazine, "The high-flying martial artist Yen, known from his rhythmic, graceful style, pits his gravity-defying leaps against Li in a scene that will have audiences roaring for more!"
"HERO" represents an unprecedented assembly of China's most renowned acting talent, including Hong Kong megastars TONY LEUNG CHIU-WAI and MAGGIE CHEUNG MAN-YUK, fresh from their award-wining performances in "In The Mood for Love", and international superstar ZHANG ZIYI in her latest action role following such in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Rush Hour 2."
"HERO" also boasts an all-star lineup of Asian talent behind the camera. Two-time Academy Award nominated director ZHANG YIMOU is joined by award- winning producer BILL KONG ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), director of photography CHRISTOPHER DOYLE (winner of the Cannes Film Festival's Technical Grand Prize), Academy Award-winning costume designer EMI WADA and Academy Award-winning composer TAN DUN.
The film's thrilling action segments comes from one of the most renowned action directors in the world, TONY CHIUNG SIU TUNG, straight from his roaring success on "Shaolin Soccer."
Thursday, 2 eptember 2004
After sitting on the shelf for nearly two years, "Hero" arrives in theaters, providing audiences with a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale end to the summer movie season.
"Hero" features some breathtaking action sequences and exquisite cinematography. It also has some good work by Jet Li and Zhang Ziyi from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."
The film tells the story of a nameless assassin (named, appropriately enough, Nameless) played by Jet Li. Nameless has arrived at the castle of the soon-to-be first emperor of China. At first it appears as if Nameless has come to collect rewards for eliminating three of the emperor's main enemies, but as the story evolves, his real motive for visiting the Emperor begins to take shape.
"Hero" was directed by Zhang Yimou, who showed in the film "Raise the Red Lantern" that he was a filmmaker with a keen visual eye.
Yimou still has the visual spark, but has obviously been influenced by "Crouching Tiger," creating an action film with a grand visual spectacle and a sense of almost ballet-like fantasy.
Some of the best moments of "Hero" include swordplay that involves dancing across ponds and whisking through tree tops. Sure, "Crouching Tiger" set the standard, but the style still seems fresh, thanks to Yimou.
Jet Li has a quiet confidence as the lead and gives a performance that emphasizes the fact that his talent has not been utilized in most of his American films.
On the down side, the time-shifting storyline is sometimes difficult to follow, and I really thought the film went on a little longer than it should have. Still, it's worth seeing, especially if you were a fan of "Crouching Tiger." It might not be groundbreaking cinema, but in a week that includes the release of sequels to "Anaconda" and "Baby Geniuses," it sure seems like it.
