A Masterpiece that May Not be Recognised at Time of Release

Rating: Null/10 (4 December 2003)

Ying Xiong should be regarded as a masterpiece in film history. It may not be recognised by most at time of release and may even be disregarded as propaganda by some who look at film where they come from instead of what they are.
Like Marx Brothers' Duck Soup or Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, the film has failed to be received by some mainstream critics at time of release but is actually a masterpiece from a film auteur at his mature stage, one that is rare and only appear in film history only through a mixture of incidents.
First is the timing: the film was produced amidst terrorist strikes around the world and chaos and wars in Middle East. The unstable situation is not too different from the Period of Warring States in China. This background, I believe, has assisted Yimou in enriching the images and themes of the film which is mainly about how to establish peace amongst chaos.

Second is the pool of talents: action choreographer Ching Siu-tung, cinematographer Chris Doyle and star clusters like Maggie Cheung... assist the auteur director in materialising his dream, providng some philosophical answers for establishing peace, through the dialogue between King Qin and the Nameless, as well as some of the most beautiful images created in film history in the various subsequent stories unfolded.
These stories are actually stunning visual images. They are the best dreams of the director, some sweet and other nightmarish: shower of arrows; warriors fighting each other in temple of music and rains; duets above calm lake and in the lonely desert; female warriors flying and slicing each other in whirls of golden leaves; manhood built in a ritual mourning for the dead of the mutual beloved; ugly flocks of court and military officials, hungry for power, pressing for execution and for war.
In a Rashomon-like presentation, things unfolded are making things complicated, as how we see things in the 21st century. Lies are abound and truth are hidden. Reality is misunderstood by most, revealled only to some, to the enlightened like Broken Arrow, the noble like King Qin or the Unselfish like Nameless. They are the only three that can understand the three stages or layers of writing the Chinese word of sword or "jian" or mastering and pratising its spirit as analyzed through King Qin, with the assistance of Nameless - the first stage is with the sword in one's hand, the second, not in hand but in mind, and the final of sword not in hand nor in mind. This mastering the sword is the ultimate stage of wuxia (martial art), the skill to dissolve hatred and re-establish order through Chinese-style chivalry.
Through communication and analysis of his enemies, King Qin finally understand the Great Assassins in the names of Broken Sword, Flying Snow, Long Sky and Nameless before he could "unite" China. This unification is done through conflict resolution. Playing the King and the Great Assassins were all able actors at the top of the Asian cinema. They all play the parts of their complicated characters efficently, and with star qualities. Through these, the audience could share their thoughts, and their various paths either to their glory or tragic and suicide-like ends.
Well-acted, well-photographed, well-choreographed and well-intended all round. Ying Xiong is a masterpiece that is a must for someone who prefer to understand and communicate in a bewildered world of the 21st century.