"Hero" - A Chinese Martial Arts Movie

by Margie Steinbrucker
(Netherlands)

I like movies which use symbolism, subtext and metaphors because I prefer movies which provoke thought and discussion.

A very good example is 'Hero', a Chinese martial arts movie with a difference. Most martial arts movies have rather thin plots while the fight scenes are well-choreographed; in fact, the production company is likely to have spent more on the choreography than almost anything else.

'Hero' is also very well-choreographed; it has to be so, because a badly choreographed martial arts movie would look very messy and this would draw the viewers' attention to all of the wrong places.

The difference is in the use of colour to symbolize emotions and convey meaning. This gives the viewer something beautiful to look at as well as something to think about and interpret.

Set in ancient China, the story of Hero is about a young warrior who fights to defend his king from three assassins. His king is under permanent threat from the other six kings in the surrounding area, and the three assassins are sent to kill him.

Our hero, who refuses to be named and so goes by the moniker Nameless, recalls to his king how he annihilated the three by besting one and using the love between the other two to defeat them.