Force of Poetic Expressionism

Rating: 10/10 (26 June 2003)

By all means, this is a remarkably well told and beautiful movie.
When I saw this movie I finally understood the meaning and function of the extreme flying and jumping in some of these Eastern martial arts movies. I've never really figured the point of it before - and it has been quite distancing to me, hindering identification and full appreciation of other similar movies.
In Kung-Fu and Tai Chi there is something called Chi, dealing blows where you invest "psychological power" into you blows. This is what this spectacular jumping and flying comes to stand for: The protagonist investing some sort of psychological desire into beating the opponent, by jumping, flying, kicking and hitting their adversaries.
Hero is also a vastly superior movie to most Chop Socky films. It ranks alongside Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Barefoot Kid as one of the best Martial Arts movies made. This really is because it is much more than merely a kick and jump movie. The Rashomon-like narrative of an historical drama, makes this movie transcend most of the genre. Best foreign movie I've seen in some time. Better than Crouching Tiger...