Hero
photobucketIt was one of those very rare occasions that I watched a movie on a local TV station last night. Not that I have any misgivings about their programs as such but that the commercial interruptions (too many, too frequent and too long) mar one’s enjoyment to the point of exasperation.
Under Yimou Zhang’s sleek direction, Hero unfolds with Nameless being summoned by the Emperor of Qin who wants to hear from him how he eliminates three highly skilled swordsmen who are bent on a mission to assassinate the king.
With unfeigned modesty, Nameless weaves his heroic deeds to his sole listener. The emperor listens with intent and, unexpectedly, interjects the presenter’s account as fabrication. Told from two sides of the same tale, Nameless and the Emperor spin their respective versions of how each believes events unfold through a series of cleverly conceived flashbacks that are clearly Rashomon in effect. It culminates with the assassin getting within striking range of the king to kill him. The assassin, however, underwent an ideological conversion at a critical moment, convinced that “all under one heaven” was for the collective good of the country.
Hero is reputedly the most expensive Chinese movie ever made and has on board illustrious names to boot. Apart of that, I have no idea of the storyline and was not in any way disadvantaged by it. In fact, with no anticipation of what was to follow, I was forced me to think and be more alert.
The filming was handled with unusual skill with the end result that it was an unforgettable experience of unparalleled imagery. The bold use of the four primary colours to denote the vibrancy of emotions that humans are ruled by, as well as to demarcate and yet string segments of the story together is the stroke of a genius. One is treated to sheer cinematography.
The movie has everything in it – love, betrayal, politics, calligraphy, patriotism, despondency, melancholy, and carries a provocative message. Whether atrocities are justifiable as a means to an end is highly controversial. Was the director taking a dig at the communist regime and the Tiananmen Massacre?
I do not think the voices of Tony and Maggie are dubbed. because their diction sounds a little different from that of Jet Li and Zhang. Despite the ability of today's costmetic industry to enhance if not transform a person's looks, the studio did nothing to minimize open pores on Jet Li's face. Zhang’s role as Moon in the plot is insignificant except that, if not for her, we wouldn’t get to see the beautiful autumn duel between her and Maggie. And I was pleasantly surprised to read in the credits that the melancholic yet lyrical solo violin was rendered by Pincas Zukerman, or was it Itzhak Perlman?
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