Zhang Yimou returns to epic filmmaking with a wonderful story, brilliant cinematography and acting.

Rating: 9/10 (27 November 2002)

Hero has to be a labor of love for China's preeminent filmmaker, Zhang Yimou. Based on a Chinese legend about China's first emperor Qin Shihuang and the assassins sent to assassinate him. Zhang Yimou returns to epic filmmaking last seen in To Live (1994), employing a style that that is so unique and distinctly Zhang.
Hero is definitely the most ambitious Zhang film in over 8 years, with a story of historical proportions encompassing honor, love, determination and sacrifice. Set over two thousand years ago, during the time of China's Warring States period, the King of the Qin kingdom set out to unite Qin with the other six kingdoms. It was his determination to carry out his mission that made him a target of assassins from the other kingdoms. Even though he has managed to escape previous attempts, he has become fearful of three legendary assassins - Broken Sword, Falling Snow and Sky.
Hero opened with the arrival of what seems to be China's new hero, Nameless, to King Qin's palace. Nameless has succeeded in defeating the other three assassins and was promised significant wealth as his reward.

In Hero, Zhang has succeeded in constructing an epic tale of honor, love and intrigue. The story is told as a conversation between the King and Nameless and in a Rashomon-esque style, Zhang brought to live a wonderful landscape filled with color and sound as the audience is magically transported back to ancient China. Zhang's directing and cinematography is impeccable and the acting was superb. Zhang has brought together a world renowned cast consisting of Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung - the two were simply amazing as Falling Snow and Broken Sword. Zhang Ziyi has also proven herself as a force to be reckoned with her powerful performance as Moon, Broken Sword's loyal student and servant. Finally, veteran actor Chen Daoming gave a strong performance as King Qin.
Hero is an amazing movie. The directing, acting, cinematography, story, editing and music will leave you in awe and begging for more. There will many who will want to compare this to Crouching Tiger. I have been a fan of Zhang for almost ten years and I firmly believe Zhang did not intend to copy Crouching Tiger. You will be enthralled with the martial arts in Hero as you were in Crouching Tiger but the focus is not on the martial arts but the drama and the intrigue. The "fighting scenes" seem to flow like the soundtrack, complemented by the most wonderful use of color.
Hero is testimony of Zhang as one of the world's most talented director. I would not be surprised to see Hero's nomination for the Academy Awards.