Poetic and cool and definitely not for everybody

Rating: Null/10 (28 August 2004)

I'm not exactly sure what I thought of "Hero"; I was distracted for much of the movie because the crowd at Loew's Jersey Gardens Cineplex kept heckling it. Sure, these naysayers were dumb, loud teenagers and their comments were easy to dismiss (they didn't even seem to understand that the movie tells the same events from multiple points of view), but nevertheless I feel obliged to point out that "Hero" is clearly not mainstream. Those of you who are seeking gory summer action fare must seek elsewhere; even the fights are not exactly thrilling, and are more memorable for their balletic choreography than copious spurts of blood (of which there are none).
Yeah...I did like it, notwithstanding the rubes in the front row. I enjoyed the surprising pacifist message and the touching love scenes (even if they were a tad over-the-top). The sets, costumes, and cinematography are all quite gorgeous. It's good stuff - if you know what you're in for. Which is subtitles. And symbolism over realism. If that sounds unappealing, please stay away.
Two side notes: Firstly, this seems to be an alternate version of the same historical events portrayed in the even-better film "The Emperor and the Assassin"; I was intrigued by the two very different portrayals of the same emperor in these two very different films. Secondly, Zhang Yimou has directed some of my favorite dramas ("Raise the Red Lantern," "To Live," "Shanghai Triad"), and this film - though cool - is not his best work. It's a bit silly that it's higher rated than his earlier stuff, but I suppose we're all still in the mindset that Chinese movies must = kung fu action. Oh, well.