After \Kill Bill"" and ""Crouching Tiger,"" martial arts films are enjoying a renaissance with American audiences. With ""Hero,"" the trend shows no sign of slowing. The film tells of a pre- unified China, during which time several different rulers waged war with rival territories within the country. The King of Qin (Daoming Chen) dreams of a unified country, and uses what could be construed as tyrannical means to combat his enemies. A lone, nameless citizen (Jet Li) enters the King's palace to tell him that he has killed three assassins who previously attempted to take the King's life. Using a series of flashbacks told from varying perspectives, the battles involving the assassins and the nameless one are told and dissected.
""Hero"" is a more nationalistic film than other martial arts pictures, as the plot is focused on the history of China and ultimately the decisions that the King and the nameless one make in regards to the good of kingdom and country.
Unfortunately, there are some story elements that are a bit underdeveloped. The assassins' motives aren't fleshed out quite as well as they could be, nor is the psychology of the King. But story is often a secondary concern in martial arts films. That isn't meant as a jab or criticism, but as a generalization. Martial arts films are predominantly about staging and visuals. ""Hero"" sets itself up as a very serious film, which is why the plot should have more importance than other films such as ""Kill Bill Vol. 1,"" in which criticizing character development misses the point of the movie entirely. The story and characters of ""Hero"" are not bad by any means; just a little lean.
But, again, martial arts films are about staging and visuals, and any faults from the script are made up for in the look and style of the film. ""Hero"" hits its mark in its visuals, all of which are superb achievements of choreography by director Yimou Zhang. The blocking that goes into each fight sequence is painstaking and plays out as an elegant ballet. Credit must also go to cinematographer Christopher Doyle and Art Director Tingxiao Huo. This is a gorgeous film, each shot filled with carefully framed landscapes and meticulously designed color schemes. It is truly a wonder to stare at ""Hero,"" as every single shot is designed to enhance the wonder and the legendry associated with the history of ancient China. The film's fight sequences are some of the best-looking ever captured on film, a textbook example of how background and visuals can become as central as any character.
The story behind ""Hero's"" release in America isn't quite as adventurous as its plot, but it's still worth mentioning. After becoming a sensation in Asia and receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, Miramax acquired the rights to distribute it in the United States. Miramax reportedly wanted to cut some 20 minutes from the film, but Quentin Tarantino agreed to let his name be attached to it if the studio left the film uncut. So while it may seem a little dishonest for ""Quentin Tarantino Presents"" to appear in advertisements when he actually had no part in the production, ""Hero"" retains its integrity because of him. Sometimes the ends do justify the means.
