absolutely, amazingly, beautiful

Rating: 10/10 (1 June 2005)

SPOILERS There's been a bit of a strange obsession for well made martial arts films in Western Culture recently. Films starring Bruce Lee and others have been around for years, but starting with "Wo hu cang long" (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) in 2000 the more artistically shot films have become a bit of an obsession. Proclaimed as being a film of beauty in 2002, "Ying xiong" (Hero) is another part of the love. Beautifully shot with some of the most magnificent colour techniques to be used for years, "Ying xiong" is another example of how the Far East can produce films so well.
A nameless assassin (Jet Li) is invited to visit the King of Qin (Daoming Chen) after apparently slaying three powerful warriors (Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung and Donnie Yen). As stories are told of these victories however, events begin to twist and turn as the truth comes to light.
It's hard to think of a film in the history of cinema that has used colour to such perfection. With scenes entirely red, or entirely blue, the film switches through colours like a masterclass performance. Mixing these passionate textures with stunning fighting and special effects, the film thrives on this beauty to bring you scenes where your eyes practically melt in happiness. "Ying xiong" isn't a film as much as a piece of pure, majestic, art. It oozes beauty and it never stops as you witness a fight in stunning computerised rain, all the way through to seeing hundreds of arrows flying in unison through the air. This truly is a piece of art to die for.
The amazing thing about this film as well is the way in which the plot isn't ignored. In a film where you are left in true, unashamed awe at the beauty on the screen, it would not be surprising for the plot and script to really become irrelevant and pointless. Writers Feng Li, Bin Wang and Yimou Zhang (also the director) haven't done this though. The story is immaculately well constructed and the plot never ceases to be powerful. There are twists, turns, and a conclusion which really is expertly laid out.
In fact, there is little, to nothing, bad which can be said about "Ying xiong". Some suggest links to communism and a glorification of a brutal history, perhaps. It is certainly true that talking about the many over the few is a communist philosophy. Yet, the question is whether these complaints are really worthy of comment. "Ying xiong" is a beautiful film, and whilst it does glamorise aspects of China which might be best left alone, it never forces these views on you, and allows you to come up with your own conclusions about a lot of the characters and their morals.
Beautiful from start to finish, "ying xiong" is a masterpiece in it's own right. Shot perfectly and vividly, it never ceases to impress and is a joy to watch. Hollywood might thrive on so many levels, but for pure beauty and colour, you can't look past Asia.