A Feast for the Eyes

Rating: 9/10 (28 December 2004)

I was never a fan of martial arts films until Ang Lee turned the action sequences into art with "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon." Here, with Yimou Zhang's epic "Hero" we get the idea of action as art taken to a whole new level. The film has an interesting "Roshomon" style of storytelling in weaving its tale of three proud warriors plotting to assassinate a tyrant, and it's more historical and epic where "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" was mythic and intimate. The visual palate is astounding. The use of colors is nothing short of amazing. The film's plot may not speak to your core, but there are lasting impressions here ingrained in the memory of your eyes: women in red sword fighting amongst swirling golden leaves, two men dancing across a crystal clear lake painting their sorrow with drops of water from their swords, rich tapestries falling to the palace floor as two fighters dart to and fro. The sumptuousness of the visuals are painstaking and almost make the viewer ache. The music, cinematography, and acting are all perfectly intertwined. Those who missed the film on the big screen may have missed out on a once in a lifetime experience. As good as the DVD transfer is, it just isn't the same overwhelming experience as seeing it where it was intended to be seen. Truly the kind of grand spectacle the movie gods had imagined when first creating the art form.