hero
"Hero"
By Daniel G. Jennings
"Hero" is a great film that deserves to reach a much wider American audience than it will probably will.
Sadly, the American audiences that will enjoy this film the most will probably stay away because it is a Chinese action extravaganza. Yes, this is a Hong Kong film but it's nothing like the overtop action flicks of the 1980s and 1990s or the crude Kung Fu films of the 1970s. Unfortunately, memories especially of the dreadful poorly dubbed 1970s Kung Fu pictures will prevent those who would appreciate this beautiful piece of art from seeing it.
For Hero is a beautiful piece of art that owes more to John Ford than John Woo. As in Ford's great westerns the real star is the scenery, the beautiful landscapes of China. Director Zhang Yimou wisely lets the action and the actors get overshadowed by natural beauty giving the movie an epic quality.
Yes, all the pieces of a traditional Chinese sword opera are there the evil emperor, the noble hero on a quest to avenge his family's deaths, the beautiful female assassin, the epic fight scene and the climatic showdown between good and evil. Yet they're put together in a new exciting way that makes an adult film and a true work of art. Just as John Ford turned the traditional Western, the staple of the Saturday Matinee, into an art form in the 1940s and 50s.
Zhang gives ancient China a noble and poetic quality that reminiscent of the Old West as portrayed by John Ford and Sergio Leone. He also gives us an interesting and entertaining rumination on violence and revenge that is reminiscent of John Ford's "the Searchers" or Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven." The old and still highly effective plots of a ruthless loner seeking vengeance and a burnt out old warrior trying to forget his violent past are twisted into an intriguing story.
Despite the presence of Hong Kong legends Jet Li, Maggie Cheung (still the most beautiful actress on Earth for my money) and Tony Leung this isn't a martial arts movie. Nor is it a blood soaked action film, there is lots of action but little blood, making it more like a 1950s western than a recent action epic. That of course makes it all the entertaining and effective for the movie is delightfully old fashioned in its own way.
Younger action fans and martial arts nuts may not like Hero but movie buffs and older fans will like it. In particular the conservative fans who flocked to see Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" and "The Passion" and Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" would enjoy this film. There are some great historical sequences of the remorseless ancient Chinese military machine on the march and the attack history buffs should love.
Conservatives should also enjoy the moral focus of this story. The Hero has to learn to put aside his selfish desires for the good of his country and the authority figure is shown as working for the common good rather than selfish purposes. The Heroic act is self sacrifice for the nation, not mindless battle of evil. Obviously this movie couldn't get made in today's Hollywood unless Mel Gibson was directing it.
Hero gives us some interesting insights into Chinese culture and popular opinion in the world's most populous nation. The Empire and the Emperor are shown as good things and Imperial military conquest is glorified. (Keep in mind this movie was produced by the Chinese government). This movie which did huge box office business in China is a glorification of Imperialism and military conquest. Americans ought to take note of that, especially if China's growing industrial capacity and economy are channeled for military purposes.
Finally, Hero shows us the sorry state of the American movie industry, it would be almost impossible to make an artistic and entertaining movie glorifying America's past or to get major Hollywood stars to appear in it. Nor would it be possible to make such a big budget epic in Hollywood without injecting nihilistic political propaganda of right or left into it. Or for that matter to make a serious and adult big budget action film in which the characters behave like adults. (Okay maybe Clint Eastwood could do it)
The fact that Hollywood's top directors spend much of their time emulating often shamelessly the techniques of the top Chinese directors proves that Hollywood may loose its position as the world's entertainment capital sooner than we think. (even "The Passion" borrowed heavily from Hong Kong cinema) Hero is cutting edge entertainment with sophisticated production values a product of real filmmakers.
Unfortunately this important movie will be ignored here in the US because it's being marketed as just another action film. Hopefully, word of mouth will undo the damage and get this film the American audience it deserves.