Quentin Tarantino Presents: Hero [DVD] [2004]

A foreign-language film with subtitles becoming No1 at the American box-office? Impossible, you may feel, but Hero managed it. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon had opened up a new market for Western audiences, and Hero was one of many films to benefit.

The plot? A lowly official (Jet-Li) is brought before the Emperor to be rewarded for killing three martial-arts experts who had previously attempted to assassinate the ruler; Sky (Donnie Yen), Broken Sword (Tony Leung) and Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung). The Emperor invites him to describe just how he managed to kill all three when his own army had failed. We then see in flashback the fights that took place, but the Emperor is dissatisfied with the explanation and offers his own interpretation...

This film is a visual work of art. The style is like to Crouching Tiger in that the abilities of the characters are beyond reality - they can fly through the air and walk on water - a wuxia film, but this has been taken to epic proportions - including using the Chinese Army as extras firing thousands of arrows into the sky! Colour is of particular importance here - as most of the fights are shown in flashback and are revisited to show another perspective, the characters and scenery are colour-coded and change with each version. The soundtrack too, from Tan Dun and Itzhak Perlman, is very haunting and memorable.

The director went on to direct House of Flying Daggers after this which is also a visual treat. That film seems to get more attention but out of the two, whilst I like them both, I would actually put this one first as, to me, Daggers seems to run out about two-thirds through whereas the non-linear narrative in this film keeps the interest in the story going. Try it and see.

Finally, in this edition, you can select to watch a dubbed version - instead of with subtitles if they're not your thing.

Director Zhan Yimou is a great director of drama. But he has never directed an action film before. So I went into this with some trepidation. But he has shown with 'Hero', that he is an overall great director. This movie was very well cast and directed.

Jet Li plays a nameless warrior who presents to the Emperor of Qin the weapons of the three greatest assassins. All of who had sworn to kill him. We are taken on a trip through the stories of the Nameless and how he killed the three assassins. And then once again when the emperor tells us his interpretation of what he perceives happen. Ever perception of the story has its on emotions, visually displayed by its own primary color. The filming is also epic; they were able to use the Chinese army to fill in as extras for the emperor's army.

The conflict shows us the emotions involved with what that emperor was trying to do; unite the seven provinces under one rule. It does delve into both side's reasons and how one person's assassin is another's hero. And what we learn is both sides of any conflict have its heroes. But the main theme this movie tries to get across is that it is a great hero who thinks of his land before his own desires.

For the martial artist we are treated to Jet Li and Donnie Yen fighting each other. It is a wonderful fight. And I hope we do not have to wait years to see them paired up again. This fight alone is worth watching the movie for.

I will not review the film itself but will comment on the Blu Ray version
After I swapped my House of Flying Daggers DVD to Blu Ray I was very upset with the upscale to High Def and as Hero was the only one left of this type of film I wanted on Blu Ray I feared the worst. However i can bring you great news that the picture quality in High Def is jaw droppingly beautiful and great sound to match.
Subtitles in English, French & Spanish, Audio DTS 5.1-HD English