message in the movies By Rev. Bruce Batchelor Glader

            
          
Hero    Rated PG-13
Directed by Zhang Yimou. Starring Jet Li, Tony Leung

Photo © Miramax
Once upon a time the land we now know as China was actually made up of several different kingdoms, all at war with one another.  The king of Qin was constantly in fear of losing his life to the three brutal assassins who were continually trying to kill him.  One day the king hears that all three have died from the sword of a warrior who is known as Nameless, and the swordsman is invited into the king’s palace.  Once there, Nameless regales the king with the tales of his exploits, and the first half of Hero is filled with the depictions of their defeat, a combination of martial arts skill and psychological cunning.  But, after the stories are told, the king has his doubts.  He then tells Nameless what he thinks really happened, and we see these tales on the screen.  And then the king awaits Nameless’ reply.  Hero is as close to poetry as film can get, evoking many of the same emotions as Ang Lee’s 2000 film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (the beautiful Zhang Ziyi from that film plays one of the assassins here).  This film is also from China, with subtitled Mandarin.  Hero is primarily a visual feast, with colors, movement and choreography that must be seen to be believed.  There are battles in the rain, over a lake, in the air, in clouds of dust, and in the midst of blowing leaves. This story is rich and interesting, evoking some of the very best folk tales. Jet Li is the best known actor to American audiences (he was the bad guy in Lethal Weapon 4) and he shows us what a fine performer he can be with great material and a world-class director (Zhang Yimou’s films have been nominated for the Academy Award three times – including the 2002 nomination for Hero).  What more can I say?  Great acting, exciting martial arts, beautiful music and awe-inspiring cinematography (and a short running time as well – only 96 minutes) make Hero one of the best films of the year.  If you love movies, you really need to see this one.

Pitchfork Rating:  Three halos. (A beautiful martial arts film that is also a meditation on honor and courage.)   One pitchfork  (Stylized, non-bloody violence, one scene of implied sensuality.)

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