Zhang Yimou's "Hero" at DVinfo.net

Keith Loh · August 27th, 2004, 05:57 PM

I've seen it twice on DVD. Now it finally opens in theatrical release in North America today:

Rotten Tomatoes reviews

I will try and see it in the theatres for the week or so it will be open. It certainly is one of the most sumptuously filmed movies ever made with glorious cinematography by Christopher Doyle. I won't spoil the rest. Go see it for the visuals.

Shawn Mielke · August 27th, 2004, 08:29 PM

I was very into Zhang's films ten years ago. Raise The Red Lantern had an enormous impact on me. I think it was it's spareness that I found so compelling.

Keith Loh · August 27th, 2004, 09:51 PM

I really loved his films from RED SORGHUM, JU DUO, RAISE THE RED LANTERN up to THE STORY OF QUI JU. Then I lost track of them until HERO.

Kevin Lee · August 27th, 2004, 10:06 PM

Hero was backed by the State... If i'm correct, the first Zhang's film to be so.
A good info to know when one reads the story told.

I feel this is very different in spirit and intention to the old Zhang's flicks.

Shawn Mielke · August 27th, 2004, 11:22 PM

Sigh...

Shanghai Triad was the last one I paid attention to. I shall have to take a look at his work again.

Keith Loh · August 27th, 2004, 11:48 PM

ALL of his films have received state money. The state just wasn't forthcoming when it came to distributing his previous films because they were perceived as criticism. 'Hero' was made in a new time. The government is different, the market is different, and Zhang Yimou is different. The Chinese state is no longer monolithic. Whereas, Zhang Yimou himself as he has gotten older may be feeling closer to the taoist philosophy.

Kevin Lee · August 28th, 2004, 12:39 AM

Taoist philosophy? Erhm. That didn't quite translate for me.
On the surface maybe.

Nonetheless, i enjoyed this beautifully crafted movie with my popcorn.

Keith Loh · August 30th, 2004, 02:34 PM

Really good interview with the cinematographer Christopher Doyle. A lot of good ideas and thoughts. Not just a fluff interview.

http://www.reverseshot.com/doyle.html

Shawn Mielke · August 30th, 2004, 06:32 PM

Thank you very much for that interview article, Keith. I'm off tonight to see Hero!
The idea of being as sensitive to location as possible,
and that location is as much character as anyone else, is also very important to me. Cimema is an exploration of the outer as well as the inner world, the two uniting and representing in just the same way that dreams do. Excellent stuff.

Keith Loh · August 30th, 2004, 06:56 PM

I'm glad to see articles like that. Frequently we are absorbed with the technical aspects and not too aware of the spiritual, artistic aspects that ground our ideas.

Shawn Mielke · August 31st, 2004, 07:51 PM

Alright, well I've now seen Hero. I don't see many films at theaters these days, certainly not big movie action fictions, so the sprawling enormity of it all just in itself was very moving for me.

I liked it very much. I wanted to see it boiled for longer into art, I wanted to see more of it's dialogue and narrative told even more visually and poetically. I wanted it's sense of itself to be more, I don't know, innocent. But it's emotional livelihood, for the most part, was as strong and mature as it's use of color, it is giving way to interesting ideas, for me, and I'm going to see it again tonight! Yimou has served the genre very well. (I haven't seen Crouching Tiger...) Can't wait to see his other films again.

Yi Fong Yu · September 1st, 2004, 10:36 AM

i think the american release of it is the edited 96min edition. there is a 120min edition on DVD somewhere. it's more detailed/character, etc. it's also even slower (if you can believe it) than the current one.

i think it's a typical wuxia movie nothing special (except for the brainwashing but other than that...).

Paul Tauger · September 1st, 2004, 11:49 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Kevin Lee : Hero was backed by the State... If i'm correct, the first Zhang's film to be so.
A good info to know when one reads the story told.

I feel this is very different in spirit and intention to the old Zhang's flicks. -->>>
I agree. I was a huge Zhang Yimou fan for his earlier films. I think he started going downhill when he and Gong Li broke up. Since they stopped going together, her career has faded as well.

I guess Zheng Ziyi is being touted as the "new Gong Li." She's certainly very pretty, but she seems to lack Gong Li's fire (I don't think I'd ever want Gong Li mad at me ;) ).

Shawn Mielke · September 1st, 2004, 08:10 PM

"i think the american release of it is the edited 96min edition. there is a 120min edition on DVD somewhere. it's more detailed/character, etc. it's also even slower (if you can believe it) than the current one."

You know, it really did feel rushed where it mattered most, something I noticed more so on the second viewing, as though the story and it's themes weren't allowed to breath enough. I'm glad that wasn't entirely a conscious decision on the part of the filmmakers.

Nothing special? No, perhaps not, but, again, I don't see films of this sort, so I dug into the mixture of philosophy portrayed in a physical, yea action, form.

Brack Craver · September 3rd, 2004, 06:50 PM

I saw it today. Visually it was astounding. A lot of the scenes reminded me of Sandy Skoglund photographs. That final scene where Jet Li (was he the Nameless guy?) is walking down the steps and everything is gray punctuated by that red- breathtaking stuff. Or that little shrine in the lake. Or the fight between Moon and Snow where everything turns red. Wow! Really, there were so many amazing things visually about this movie. Also, the sound and score were great. However, the script was way too melodramatic for my taste.

August 27th, 2004, 05:57 PM	#1
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	Zhang Yimou's "Hero" I've seen it twice on DVD. Now it finally opens in theatrical release in North America today: Rotten Tomatoes reviews I will try and see it in the theatres for the week or so it will be open. It certainly is one of the most sumptuously filmed movies ever made with glorious cinematography by Christopher Doyle. I won't spoil the rest. Go see it for the visuals. __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

August 27th, 2004, 08:29 PM	#2
Shawn Mielke Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Santa Rosa, California Posts: 745	I was very into Zhang's films ten years ago. Raise The Red Lantern had an enormous impact on me. I think it was it's spareness that I found so compelling. __________________ Breakthrough In Grey Room

August 27th, 2004, 09:51 PM	#3
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	I really loved his films from RED SORGHUM, JU DUO, RAISE THE RED LANTERN up to THE STORY OF QUI JU. Then I lost track of them until HERO. __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

August 27th, 2004, 11:22 PM	#5
Shawn Mielke Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Santa Rosa, California Posts: 745	Sigh... Shanghai Triad was the last one I paid attention to. I shall have to take a look at his work again. __________________ Breakthrough In Grey Room

August 27th, 2004, 11:48 PM	#6
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	ALL of his films have received state money. The state just wasn't forthcoming when it came to distributing his previous films because they were perceived as criticism. 'Hero' was made in a new time. The government is different, the market is different, and Zhang Yimou is different. The Chinese state is no longer monolithic. Whereas, Zhang Yimou himself as he has gotten older may be feeling closer to the taoist philosophy. __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

August 27th, 2004, 10:06 PM	#4
Kevin Lee Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 224	Hero was backed by the State... If i'm correct, the first Zhang's film to be so. A good info to know when one reads the story told. I feel this is very different in spirit and intention to the old Zhang's flicks.

August 28th, 2004, 12:39 AM	#7
Kevin Lee Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 224	Taoist philosophy? Erhm. That didn't quite translate for me. On the surface maybe. Nonetheless, i enjoyed this beautifully crafted movie with my popcorn.

August 30th, 2004, 02:34 PM	#8
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	Interview with Christopher Doyle Really good interview with the cinematographer Christopher Doyle. A lot of good ideas and thoughts. Not just a fluff interview. http://www.reverseshot.com/doyle.html __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

August 30th, 2004, 06:32 PM	#9
Shawn Mielke Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Santa Rosa, California Posts: 745	Thank you very much for that interview article, Keith. I'm off tonight to see Hero! The idea of being as sensitive to location as possible, and that location is as much character as anyone else, is also very important to me. Cimema is an exploration of the outer as well as the inner world, the two uniting and representing in just the same way that dreams do. Excellent stuff. __________________ Breakthrough In Grey Room

August 30th, 2004, 06:56 PM	#10
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	I'm glad to see articles like that. Frequently we are absorbed with the technical aspects and not too aware of the spiritual, artistic aspects that ground our ideas. __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

August 31st, 2004, 07:51 PM	#11
Shawn Mielke Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Santa Rosa, California Posts: 745	Alright, well I've now seen Hero. I don't see many films at theaters these days, certainly not big movie action fictions, so the sprawling enormity of it all just in itself was very moving for me. I liked it very much. I wanted to see it boiled for longer into art, I wanted to see more of it's dialogue and narrative told even more visually and poetically. I wanted it's sense of itself to be more, I don't know, innocent. But it's emotional livelihood, for the most part, was as strong and mature as it's use of color, it is giving way to interesting ideas, for me, and I'm going to see it again tonight! Yimou has served the genre very well. (I haven't seen Crouching Tiger...) Can't wait to see his other films again. __________________ Breakthrough In Grey Room

September 1st, 2004, 10:36 AM	#12
Yi Fong Yu Trustee Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vulcan Posts: 1,564	i think the american release of it is the edited 96min edition. there is a 120min edition on DVD somewhere. it's more detailed/character, etc. it's also even slower (if you can believe it) than the current one. i think it's a typical wuxia movie nothing special (except for the brainwashing but other than that...). __________________ bow wow wow

September 1st, 2004, 11:49 AM	#13
Paul Tauger Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Los Angeles (recently from San Francisco) Posts: 954	<<<-- Originally posted by Kevin Lee : Hero was backed by the State... If i'm correct, the first Zhang's film to be so. A good info to know when one reads the story told. I feel this is very different in spirit and intention to the old Zhang's flicks. -->>> I agree. I was a huge Zhang Yimou fan for his earlier films. I think he started going downhill when he and Gong Li broke up. Since they stopped going together, her career has faded as well. I guess Zheng Ziyi is being touted as the "new Gong Li." She's certainly very pretty, but she seems to lack Gong Li's fire (I don't think I'd ever want Gong Li mad at me ;) ).

September 1st, 2004, 08:10 PM	#14
Shawn Mielke Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Santa Rosa, California Posts: 745	"i think the american release of it is the edited 96min edition. there is a 120min edition on DVD somewhere. it's more detailed/character, etc. it's also even slower (if you can believe it) than the current one." You know, it really did feel rushed where it mattered most, something I noticed more so on the second viewing, as though the story and it's themes weren't allowed to breath enough. I'm glad that wasn't entirely a conscious decision on the part of the filmmakers. Nothing special? No, perhaps not, but, again, I don't see films of this sort, so I dug into the mixture of philosophy portrayed in a physical, yea action, form. __________________ Breakthrough In Grey Room

September 3rd, 2004, 06:50 PM	#15
Brack Craver Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Blacksburg Virginia Posts: 50	I saw it today. Visually it was astounding. A lot of the scenes reminded me of Sandy Skoglund photographs. That final scene where Jet Li (was he the Nameless guy?) is walking down the steps and everything is gray punctuated by that red- breathtaking stuff. Or that little shrine in the lake. Or the fight between Moon and Snow where everything turns red. Wow! Really, there were so many amazing things visually about this movie. Also, the sound and score were great. However, the script was way too melodramatic for my taste.