Picture This! Reviews Hero

Reprinted from NotesFromHollywood.com

The world has never seemed smaller than the present time. Living in the 21st century with satellite communication, we can talk to friends in other countries via the Internet with instant translations. We can witness catastrophic storms on different continents in real time. If time or money permit we can travel and explore earth and beyond, something not thought feasible not many years ago.

If we keep our minds open to differences in culture, we can learn and observe others unlike ourselves thus gaining a true understanding of human nature. This is hardly a new concept to this century but a way of better understanding human nature at any time.

“Hero” is a Chinese action film steeped in symbolism and told at far different a pace than any American film. The main character, Nameless [Jet Li], holds court with Qin, the king of the Northern Province. His private audience with the leader is facilitated by his defeat of three of the king’s adversaries – Broken Sword, Flying Snow, and Sky. The challenges of the warrior’s journey are described in flashback, almost in the old documentary “talking heads” style. The two men discuss the journey Nameless has made. Subtitles come fast and furious in this picture. I would love to see it again without subtitles, not because my command of Chinese goes beyond ordering at the corner restaurant, but because this is one of the most visually satisfying pictures ever made.

Cinematographer Christopher Doyle’s imagery of the gentle rain in the courtyard, the golden leaves on the trees changing colors, and the dazzling hand to hand battle on the lake create a surreal aura. The contrasting set designs and costumes of red, blue, white and green, each symbolizing a different state of being, contributed to the basic simplicity of purpose for the hero – truth and enlightenment.

Released in China in 2002 (and finally picked up by Miramax for distribution in the US), “Hero” is the most expensive Chinese film ever made.

Boasting a large cast of extras and using innovative special effects, “Hero” is basically a simple story told by a nameless man. What’s not so simple is the feelings that linger long after the closing credits have rolled.

Rebecca Redshaw is the Arts& Entertainment Critic for www.NotesFromHollywood.com. She can be reached at r2redshaw@hotmail.com.