What Makes A Hero?

Rating: 7/10 (30 July 2008)

I inevitably compare "Hero" to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" because both are Chinese made films, and thus the latter is the only real reference point to which I compare the former. I enjoyed "Hero" more than I enjoyed "CTHD," largely because I thought the story was easier to follow. Like "CTHD", "Hero" is filled with beautiful photography, brilliantly choreographed martial arts scenes, and excellent stunt work and special effects. That latter strength, however, is ironically one of the weaknesses I found with both movies. While I'm sure it's a cultural issue, I find the flights of fancy in the martial arts scenes distracting, as people soar through the air and walk on water. To me, that lends an air of unbelievability to the fight scenes, which should be the heart of the movie. Instead, they just come across as fantasy. In this case, though, a very good story helps overcome that problem.
The story is set during the time when the ruler of Qin sets for himself the goal of unifying various warring kingdoms and creating a unified nation, which would become China. To do that, he has to overpower the strongest of his enemies, the neighbouring kingdom of Zhao. Zhao is powerful, and has three assassins constantly trying to kill the king, until one day, a low-ranking official named simply Nameless (Jet Li) is brought to court after apparently having defeated all three assassins. He weaves a story to explain how he accomplished this, but the king is suspicious and offers what he believes is the real story. Both stories are told through the use of flashbacks.
In the end, as the title implies, we deal with the question of what constitutes heroism. Who is the hero here? The unknown official who apparently vanquishes the assassins? The assassins themselves, fighting for the very existence of their nation of Zhao? The king who understands that the constant warfare and suffering of the people can only be stopped by the even more ruthless warfare required to unify the country? There are a variety of possibilities. It's an interesting story - and an interesting moral question about war and violence. 7/10