We finally got to see Ying Xiong (“Hero”) this weekend.
The film was originally released several years ago and was a massive success all over the world. And it arrived right on the heels of the wildly popular Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The saga of bringing Hero to U.S. theaters is really quite ridiculous and demonstrates of the shortsightedness of distributors. Miramax originally acquired the U.S. distribution rights in 2002 after the film became an unparalleled sensation in Asia. But Miramax kept on putting off its release date. Unable to find an official U.S. version, Hero gained a cult following in the States via pirated copies of the DVD from other countries. Miramax then apparently cut much of the film because they feared it would be "too Asian and confusing" for Americans. Much later, I guess after Kill Bill made Miramax a pile of money, Harvey Weinstein made a deal with Quentin Tarantino (who had nothing to do with the making of Hero) that he'd release the film uncut if a "Quentin Tarantino Presents" tag were added to the marquee. Then, Miramax decided to change the title from “Hero” to “Jet Li's Hero,” to capitalize on the action-star’s global appeal. So now we have “Quentin Tarantino Presents: Jet Li's Hero.” Yarg…
Well, at least we can see it in theaters now. And, go figure, it took the weekend box office at number one.

Production-wise, Hero is sumptuous beyond belief, but the story is basically a centuries old “Whodunit?” I actually had a few problems with the narrative threads; it was confusing at times, and the overtly nationalistic ending made me slightly uncomfortable. After it ended, I couldn't help but feel a bit sucker-punched, as if I’d just been delivered a beautifully wrapped box of propaganda. Otherwise, the Rashomon-like framing was intriguing. And I appreciated the way the filmmaker Zhang Yimou (Shanghai Triad, Raise the Red Lantern) draws parallels between martial arts and the more gentle arts, music, poetry, and calligraphy.

Hero gives new meaning to the term “flying colors.” The ballet-like action sequences, taking place above a lake, in spectacular foliage, and in a crimson ink stained school are billowy and breathtaking and like nothing audiences have ever seen. In various re-tellings of the events, the characters' costumes go from red (imagination) to blue (perceived reality) to white (truth). In the final flashback, the costumes are green (enlightenment/peace). Poetry in motion. Fast-living Hong-Kong based expat cinematographer Christopher Doyle (The Quiet American, In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express) is my hero!

The familiar cast is comprised of staples of the Chinese cinema enjoyed by Westerners - Jet Li (Nameless), Tony Leung (Broken Sword), Maggie Cheung (Flying Snow), and Zhang Ziyi (Moon) – and they all put in smart, multi-faceted performances.

Incidentally, we’ll be seeing be seeing Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh reunited once again in the long rumoured Spielberg-produced Memoirs of a Geisha, now under the direction of Chicago-helmer Rob Marshall. I’m not sure how I feel about that – um, are there not any Japanese actresses available to cast? At any rate, I had mixed feelings about Arthur Golden’s book - apaprently he had never even been to Japan when he wrote the novel. So, whatever... Well, Chicago and Geisha do share certain themes.

Oh, and see Hero at the Uptown. I made the mistake of catching it at Georgetown. Actually, the visually-rich film would be spectacular there with the huge screen and more grandiose environs. I've had it with Loews Georgetown and screaming infants - several people walked out of the screening it was so bad. If I wanted that kinda excitement I'd go to AMC Union Station.

Comments

[Missy]

Visually, this one was a stunner. Even as my eyes feasted on the colors, I also marveled at Doyle's use of low lighting in many scenes. Plot-wise, I, too, kept thinking, "Rashoman", but that's not really a critique. And boy do I love Tony and Maggie. I love them so very much.