2008 Woodie Awards
Hero
Justin Lyman
Issue date: 9/23/04 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Many people, including myself, were surprised to find out that Hero is actually not that new of a movie. Ying Xiong is the actual title and it was originally released in 2002.
I was skeptical of going to see this movie because it had a "Produced by Quentin Tarantino" stamp on it. I'll be honest, I never have and most likely never will be a Tarantino fan. In fact, I actually cheered his death in From Dusk 'til Dawn. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found out all he did was bring the movie to the USA.
The movie itself is very well done by director Yimou Zhang. Hero tells the story of a nameless warrior that goes before a king who had been tormented for many years by three different assassins. The warrior then tells his story; a twisting tale of how he defeated different warriors. However, the king is still wary of this man and doubts the veracity of his claims.
The movie does require much thought. The beauty of this movie is in the color imagery. As more and more of the story is revealed, you begin to understand the different uses of color in the movie. During the first segment, the majority of it is in very muted colors such as black and grey. However, as more is revealed the colors change, eventually ending in a pure white. Hero is also a mouthpiece for the futile nature of war. Once all is revealed and the ending is complete, you realize the only winner in war is the person who didn't fight.
I was skeptical of going to see this movie because it had a "Produced by Quentin Tarantino" stamp on it. I'll be honest, I never have and most likely never will be a Tarantino fan. In fact, I actually cheered his death in From Dusk 'til Dawn. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found out all he did was bring the movie to the USA.
The movie itself is very well done by director Yimou Zhang. Hero tells the story of a nameless warrior that goes before a king who had been tormented for many years by three different assassins. The warrior then tells his story; a twisting tale of how he defeated different warriors. However, the king is still wary of this man and doubts the veracity of his claims.
The movie does require much thought. The beauty of this movie is in the color imagery. As more and more of the story is revealed, you begin to understand the different uses of color in the movie. During the first segment, the majority of it is in very muted colors such as black and grey. However, as more is revealed the colors change, eventually ending in a pure white. Hero is also a mouthpiece for the futile nature of war. Once all is revealed and the ending is complete, you realize the only winner in war is the person who didn't fight.