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| HERO (2002) | |
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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 feet 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. |
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Hong Kong / China |
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| REVIEWED | |
| 3/14/2004 | |
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The Internet Movie Database. |
