One of the best films so far this decade

Rating: 8/10 (22 December 2004)

Some films are heavy on style and lack substance somewhat, other films have a lot of substance but lose out in the style department. Ying Xiong, however, doesn't lose out in either; it is the perfect fusion of style and substance.
The story of the film, is most definitely secondary to the amazing visuals and stunning direction, but it is not incidental; the plot of the movie is also very important. The film is set in ancient China, which at that time was divided into seven kingdoms. The ruler of one of the kingdoms, Qin, has found himself under threat from assassins; the three greatest of which are named Sky, Broken Sword and Falling Snow; stupid names? Indeed. When a young man claims to have defeated all three of these martial art masters, he is summoned to the palace in order to tell the king his story. The way that the plot pans out very much resembles the classic Japanese film, Rashômon; in that several people end up giving their versions of events. The film switches back and fourth from past to present effortlessly, and manages to do it without being convoluted or confusing. The narrative of the film is very well structured in that way, and despite the relative complexity of the plot; the film never becomes challenging for the viewer; but that's not to say it isn't thought provoking either.
If someone was to ask me what Ying Xiong was about, I would predominantly say sacrifice. All of the characters in the film sacrifice something, whether it be their love for another character, or their life for the cause that they believe in. Their actions are always explained, and nothing seems out of place or like it's happened by accident, which makes the story flow well and allows the film to be strong in the story department. The thing that will stick out in the viewer's mind once the credits role is without doubt the vibrant use of colour that Zhang Yimou delights in portraying. The fight scenes are spectacularly beautiful; they're well choreographed and extremely aesthetically pleasing. I'm not a fan of the use of slow motion in fight sequences as it detracts attention away from the action, but Ying Xiong manages to use slow motion in a way that it ends up being of benefit to the movie. Most of the time it looks fake, and like the movie is trying to be overly arty; but here it adds to the beauty.
Ying Xiong is one a few films released so far this decade that is set to achieve classic status in years to come, and it demands that you see it, if only for that reason. This film is not one that you will want to miss.