Epic Storytelling, Beautiful Directing
Highlight Poetic Hero

Those who go to see Hero expecting to see another Jet Li action film like The One or Romeo Must Die will be sorely disappointed. This is not an action film, it is a work of art. More to the point, it is a thing of beauty and spirit that combines a 2,000 year old epic story with a cinematic canvas dipped in rich color.

Hero begins with a procession leading to the palace of the king of Qin, one of the warring states that would one day comprise China. The King of Qin (Daoming Chen) has sent for a man who, it is rumored, has killed the three assassins who threatened the throne. For this accomplishment, the Namless man (Jet Li), is given great honor and wealth and asked to drink with the king. When he sits at the foot of the throne, he is asked by the king how he killed the three assassins, Sky, Fallen Snow, and Broken Sword.

Nameless begins tells the king his tale, and the audience sees in magnificent detail his confrontation with the first assassin, Sky (Donnie Yen). The duel is beautiful not for its swordplay or choreographed moves. It is beautiful because of the details that are included that would be overlooked in a Hollywood film. Everything from the old man playing music to the rain falling on the courtyard is essential to building the scene.

Under the watchful eye of director Yimou Zhang and cinematographer Christopher Doyle, every confrontation in the film becomes a painting, each one unique with its own color and texture. Each struggle is a stanza of a poem. Each death punctuates the end of a chapter.

When Fallen Snow (Maggie Cheung) is attacked by Moon (Ziyi Zhang), the apprentice of Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), the setting is a wooded clearing where the leaves of the trees are are bright yellow of autumn. As the battle rages and the yellow leaves fly, there is a moment where the very wind seems to be a part of the struggle. When one of the women dies, the leaves turn red -- and the scene is transformed into a canvas of blood.

The story within the story takes many twists and turns, as any good story does. Layers of truth are exposed slowly and Nameless reveals to the king his struggles with Sky, Fallen Snow, and Broken Sword. The relationships in the film are complex, made more so by the slow uncovering of truth, which changes the audience's perception of the characters. Those who appear evil at first become heroic, and vice versa.

Despite the choreographed fight scenes with great attention to detail, this is not an action film. The overall plot does not rely on battles to carry forward the story. The true momentum of the film is the story itself, and the drama between Nameless and the king, between Fallen Snow and Broken Sword. To understand the heart of the film, one must understand the beauty of the culture from which it sprang and the unyeilding human desire for peace.

MY RATING: 9 out of 10.

RATED: R
RUN TIME: 96 min.