Hero

The controversy surrounding this weekend's release The Great Wall, isn't surprising. Here comes a giant action movie about defending China from dragons along arguably the country's signature architectural structure and the lead star and hero is...Matt Damon? The earlier trailers did not help the film at all, seemingly portraying Damon as the ultimate savior of China along with a marketing campaign featuring the actor's face above the predominantly Chinese cast. How is the film itself? That remains to be seen, but the choice of director is fascinating: Yimou Zhang. For film buffs, Zhang is one of the most reputable directors in China known for stunning cinematography, lyric historical epics, who was introduced to many Americans, including myself for 2002's Hero.

The movie opens with the arrival of Nameless, a Qin officer reporting to the king after slaying three of the king's would-be assassins. Eager to hear how this unknown warrior bested his greatest enemies, Nameless begins to tell a complex story of war, love, and betrayal that may or may not hold the key to his identity and his intentions.

Hero is an odd movie to recommend. That's not to say the movie isn't fantastic, it certainly is, but because it mixes so many seemingly contradictory elements. Thus instead of telling you whether the film is good or not, it is, you can determine if a mixture of these elements works for you.

Historical Melodrama

Like many films in Chiense cinema, Hero focuses on China's "Warring States" period, an era in which the Chinese nation did not fully exist. The players are the most powerful state (The Qin), and those opposed to Qin rule. However, instead of armies pitted against one another, the clash of ideals and armies is predominantly represented by a handful of powerful warriors debating their positions, battling each other, or making plans. The fate of China essentially hinges on four or five people so every small betrayal or change between two people holds an exceptional weight. It also means that Hero avoids the sprawling narrative that can kill the interest of the average movie-goer.

Intricate Wuxia Battles

Much like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the action choreography of Hero is split between furious one on one battles and a single warrior versus a hoarde sequences with era-appropriate weapons and skills that defy gravity. Each of these fights are beautiful, stunningly choreographed, and expertly shot with great camera work that lets the audience feel the emotion of each fight without losing track of the blows. The notable highlight is a fight in the minds of Donnie Yen and Jet Li with a minimal score and water effects. It's a great mixture of skill, choreography, and storytelling.

The Rashomon Effect

Taken after the Akira Kurosawa film of the same name, the Rashomon effect refers to any film that tells the same story from a different perspective or in Hero's case, tells a completely different version of the same story. The changes in the narrative and mood are emphasized by dramatic changes in color ranging from striking reds and yellows, to more subtle whites and blues from scene to scene. It means that each sequence or rendition of Nameless' story stands out from the rest. Combined with Zhang's expert cinematography it's breathtaking.