Hero main backdrop
Hero main poster

7.5/10 • 2.3K

2002-07-221h 39m

DramaAdventureActionHistory

One man's strength will unite an empire.

During China's Warring States period, a district prefect arrives at the palace of Qin Shi Huang, claiming to have killed the three assassins who had made an attempt on the king's life three years ago.

Directors
Zhang Yimou
Editors
Vincent Lee

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Jet Li

    Jet Li

    Nameless

  2. Tony Leung

    Tony Leung

    Broken Sword

  3. Maggie Cheung

    Maggie Cheung

    Flying Snow

  4. Donnie Yen

    Donnie Yen

    Sky

  5. Zhang Ziyi

    Zhang Ziyi

    Moon

  6. Chen Daoming

    Chen Daoming

    King of Qin

  7. Liu Zhongyuan

    Liu Zhongyuan

    Old Scholar

  8. Zheng Tianyong

    Zheng Tianyong

    Old Servant

  9. Qin Yan

    Qin Yan

    Prime Minister

Reviews1

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badelf Avatar

badelf

Feb 1, 2025

8/10

Hero: Zhang Yimou's Cinematic Poem of Movement and Meaning In "Hero", Zhang Yimou transcends the martial arts genre, transforming physical combat into a language of profound philosophical discourse. What begins as a seemingly simple narrative about an assassin becomes a breathtaking meditation on individual sacrifice and national unity. Drawing from Kurosawa's multi-perspective storytelling in "Rashomon", Zhang creates something entirely his own. Each retelling of the story is not just a different perspective, but a different visual poem - choreographed fights that are less about violence and more about inner emotional landscapes. The film's fight sequences are revolutionary. They aren't mere action, but abstract ballets where movement, color, and spatial relationships communicate complex philosophical conflicts. A battle in a chess pavilion or a dance of warriors in falling leaves become metaphors for human connection, political ideology, and personal destiny. Zhang's visual language is extraordinary. Color isn't decoration, but narrative - each sequence bathed in a different chromatic tone that reflects emotional and philosophical states. Red speaks of passion, blue of melancholy, white of purity and sacrifice. "Hero" represents an elevation of Zhang's gift for storytelling: a narrative film that is simultaneously a political allegory, a philosophical inquiry, and a visual symphony.

Media

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  • Hero poster
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Status
Released
Original Language
Chinese
Budget
$31,000,000.00
Revenue
$177,394,432.00
Keywords
martial artskung furight and justicecountrysideloss of loved onepatriotwuxiawarring states period3rd century bcgrandadmiring