best Chinese martial arts movie in my book

Rating: Null/10 (28 January 2006)

The low-ranking county official and warrior, Nameless (Jet Li), is given an audience with the King of Qin, for single handedly defeating three of the deadliest assassins; Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu-Wa), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk), and Sky (Donnie Yen).
The battle with Sky is told as an account of it's own; what is possibly the greatest fighting scene of the whole film. Rather than continuing a physical battle, the two warriors stand with their eyes shut; listening to nothing else be the rain drops, and the music of the old blind musician. Nameless's voice over explains how, view the battle within their minds, martial arts and music are similar; where you are one with the activity. This refers to traditional Asian philosophy, where training and practice of any art bares the goal of where the art itself becomes a state of mind, and part of any action. This is also evident in the idea that Broken Sword's powerful sword play comes from his skill in calligraphy. With this, it may be said that "Hero" is more than just another martial arts film with physical struggle between persons, but deals with more of the psychological. The main psychological struggle is between Nameless and the King (Chen Dao-ming), where Nameless reveals the tale while the King tries to decipher the truth.
Most of the criticism were political; some saying that the King's intentions of unification implied Tibet and Taiwan to Mainland China, or pro-totalitarian. However, one must recall seeing the Zhou people in the calligraphy school defending their culture by continuing to write while under siege). Another view was that the concept of self-sacrifice for a larger cause is against human rights. So it may seem to some Western individualist viewers, however one must realize that the concept of "All under Heaven" is as old as the Warring States period itself which referred to the wish for a single unified country. Personal sacrifice for a higher cause than one's self is a Confucian ideal in ancient China, as well as Japan, or Korea;especially when it comes to being a warrior. These are ancient ideals that have existed long before the Communist Party of China.
If we were to step away from the political...viewers can appreciate the fine scenery, colours, and shots of epic proportion(namely the siege on the Zhou city by the Qin archers, or the horde of eunuchs moving together as one body and speaking as one voice (much like a chorus in Greek theatre)) The different versions of the story are simply divided into 3 colours or red, blue, and white. Though they maybe interpreted as clever means of setting the atmosphere; red, the fiery passion of jealousy between Broken Sword and Flying Snow; blue, the cool and calm nature of their loving relationship; and white, the clear truth of the story, or, the for-shadowing of death(white being the colour of mourning).
This film also deals with conflicts; Flying Snow's sense of duty to her late father and her falling kingdom; Broken Sword's concern for the land as a whole, at the expense of his own kingdom; Nameless's struggle as to whether or not kill the King or allow for "All under Heaven" to take it's course and for a land "without sword"; and even the King's own struggle with criticism of tyranny and attempts on his life versus his goal to end the chaos and bloodshed. The title itself, "Hero", may suggest how the film also deals with the matter of what it means to be a 'hero', specifically a Chinese one. It may be also said that there is no real villain in the film, and not even the King; though he is possibly the most debated figure in Chinese history. Each character has their own reason or motive for their actions; some of which may be, in their own way, 'heroic'.
This film consisted of one of the best directors and among the best actors and martial artists in China. Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung did fantastic jobs, despite the fact that Madarin is not their native language. I believe this to be Jet Li's best role in a Chinese film yet; in terms of acting, as well as martial arts. It's a shame one doesn't see all out sword play in most martial arts movies. Chen Dao-ming was the most impressive as the King. Having a career full of playing kings and emperors, he has a power of presence and command of voice that truly adds to the character. Though some Westerners may say that his acting was simply shouting, those more familiar with portrayals of Chinese kings and emperors in film or TV would agree that he is among the best...i don't really know what the point of having Zhang Ziyi in there was but oh well.
One must also appreciate the fine score by Tan Dun, as well as the international talent; such as the fiddling by Itzhak Perlman, costume design by Japanese designer Wada Emi, and cinematography Christopher Doyle. Now how can critics claim implications of "Our Land" with such variety? Of course many have already compared "Hero" to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". What i believe is that "Hero" is more than simply another wuxia type film where warriors band together and fight for justice. While martial arts is merely a tool to help tell the story, the film to me is more about Chinese, or Asian, ideology and values of duty, self-sacrifice and heroism; not simply in the sense of the Chinese warrior but as a person in general.