Hero (2002)

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Hero (2002)

Since his debut in 1987 with “Red Sorghum” Yimou had been known for more grounded, tightly controlled dramas. In contrast, “Hero” was an amazing departure was at the time,  was reported at the time the most expensive film in the history of Chinese cinema. It was seen to be an attempt to surpass Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," a wuxia film that transcended the genre and would become globally influential for action movies in the 2000s. 

Similar to ‘Crouching Tiger’, the sets, costumes and special effects are of astonishing beauty. Compared to his other films which center on characters of humble social status in twentieth century China, Hero is set in ancient China during the Warring States period. It revolves around an attempted assassination of King of Qin. The film’s title “Hero” declares a question of who the exceptional warrior is who symbolizes the virtues of imperial China’s expansion.

    The story actually differs greatly from what is documented. No other protagonist in the film is a real figure in historical records except for King of Qin—as a powerful leader, his political wisdom may well be reflected by the color blue, which often symbolizes depth and wisdom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWPoQO7bMRU

yellow leaves bleed red 4:02-4:08

We truly encounter Yimou’s signature trademark with color in the fight between Moon and Flying Snow. The environment consists of falling leaves of yellow hue until Moon shouts “It was foolish what you did.” She collapses and the yellow leaves transitions to red, symbolizing a significant change in the story. Red is something we have encountered before, especially in Yimou’s  earlier work and it has become a defining element in this particular scene.

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Image Source: http://evanerichards.com/wp-content/gallery/hero_sd/hero12.jpg

The last shot of the fight between Moon and Flying Snow

What makes it so striking, is the dynamic choreography that shapes Yimou’s style. I compare tit to that of the great Japanese aueteur Akira Kurosawa, whose films are strikingly informed by his paintings. Late in his career, Kurosawa transitioned into color with his most memorable color film, “Ran” (1985). In this film, he uses a similar color pallete seen in “Hero” to distinguish each army and define who they are. Both films have epic scopes and they apply color to massive armies.

 Hero (2002)

Ran (1984)

Comparison to Kurosawa’s “Ran” proves the similar palette of colors used to distinguish the armies. Both films are very large in technical scale.

Image Source: http://photos1.blogger.com/img/119/3426/640/hero02.jpg

At the end of “Hero”, there is a subtitle that tells us that the king had accomplished the unification of China: In 221 B.C., the King of Qin unified China and became the first emperor in Chinese history. After the warfare came to an end, he ordered the Great Wall constructed to protect his subjects from being harassed by Northern tribes. The rising sun, similar to the sun in “Red Sorghum”, clearly announces the beginning of a new era—the founding of the Chinese empire, a triumph over the chaos of the past. But the camera instantly moves away from the sun; the promising moment does not last long. With this camera movement, the image of the Great Wall symbolically defines China’s history on the screen. While Zhang’s previous often examined social and political history, “Hero” is a period action film has a ton of stylization. Rather than having a straightforward idea of heroism, the story reveals a deeper contemplation in finding a real hero.