Hero

Hero is a martial arts epic film. Directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Jet Li the film is based on the story of Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin in 227 BC. The film became the second highest opening weekend, subtitled, foreign language film in the USA.

The gorgeous scenery of ancient China and the brilliantly choreographed action scenes make this film the instant hit. The highly charged political story although at times complicated only adds to the grandeur of this martial arts epic. The actors portray the depth, passion and honour of the characters exceptionally well and audiences were immediately able to identify with the situation in which the individuals find themselves.

The world of third century China is accurately shown in the film and Yimou stunning use of bold colours makes this a visual pleasure. Even viewers who were not fans of the genre were genuinely impressed by this film.

A lowly law enforcement officer is brought into the Royal Palace to receive a reward for killing three famous assassins who had previous attempted to kill the King. We then follow three similar stories each of which have a different view point and outcome. In the final scenes the King realises that that it is a great hero who thinks of his land before his own desires.

Cinema release 2002

Certificate 12

Available on DVD and Blue Ray