Hero (film)
- For other meanings of the word, see hero
The movie is set during the Warring States Period. It tells the story of assassination attempts on the king of Qin by legendary warriors. The king expresses his dreams of unifying all China and the written language, and the assassins consider him likely to fulfil these ambitions: a vision both desirable and terrible to the patriotic assassins. In the subtext at the close of the film, the king is identified as Qin Shi Huangdi, born Ying Zheng (lived 259–210 BC, who reigned 246–210 BC). In 221 BC he did manage to unify China under his command and became its first Emperor.
The film was Zhang's first attempt in this genre. Segments of the different versions of the story were told by different characters. Each segment used a different bright color theme, depending on the narrator. The different versions of a story remind the audience of Rashomon. The color theme changes remind the audience of the Matrix. The bright color themes remind the audience of many other Zhang Yimou's movies.
The film is rather moody, reflecting the thoughts of its six main characters who come to realize that the fate of China depends on their own decisions and actions. This feeling of responsibility seems to conflict with their own personal desires, emotions, and relationships to each other. This gives the film a sense of drama and somewhat approaches the sense of a classic tragedy.
Though inspired in part by the success of movies such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the film failed to be as successful as its makers hoped, mainly due to criticism overseas at a perceived pro-totalitarian subtext. For example, many state that the ulterior meaning of the film is the triumph of security and stability over liberty and human rights.
See also: Cinema of China