Hero

(2004, Dir.: Zhang Yimou, with Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung)

Zhang Yimou’s Hero is a complex parable, telling the story(ies) of a man who is, like Clint Eastwood’s eponymous Sergio Leone anti-hero, Nameless, and who has come to the ruler of Qin to claim the reward for defeating the most feared assassins of the neighboring kingdom of Zhao. The story unfolds over a series of flashbacks that call to mind Rashomon, even as the stark use of color evokes Ran (Zhang, presumably, was an admirer of Kurosawa).

Anti-hero, in fact, is a good description for Nameless (Jet Li), who serves as at least the main source for the title, though there are arguably others. His motivations are suspect, his words deceptive, and his actions devious. Or are they? By the end of the film your perception of Nameless is likely to have traversed the full 360 degrees. Working out the nature and purpose of Nameless is the key to the film’s themes.

Emotionally, though, the film belongs to the relationship between Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung) and Broken Sword (Tony Leung); it is their ill-fated relationship that provides human resonance to the greater political themes. Cheung and Leung’s chemistry, and their ability to evoke emotion, often with the smallest looks or gestures, are welcome counterweights to the more mystical and high-flying elements.

The cinematography, most obvious in its use of primary colors, is the most striking aspect of the film—the fight scene among a whirlwind of bright yellow leaves between Flying Snow and Moon (Zhang Ziyi) stands out—and to some extent its biggest flaw. At times Zhang appears to sacrifice the story and pacing to shots he can’t bear to leave out. Zhang’s sense of pacing also fails him in the half hour or so, where a good 10 to 15 minutes could easily have been trimmed with no harm.