[Movie] Hero: The Movie- I saw it, and it was good. [Archive]

Chun Li

01-21-2003, 07:28 AM

EDIT: Spoilers ahead. Continue if you don't care.

*If you don't know what Hero is, don't ask. Save the time of the people who do know whats going on with Hero and go on the net and do some research yourself. Thanks.*

Well, I saw the movie today. And it was good. I really enjoyed it. I noticed some people on this board excited about it so I thought I'd post a little review with as little spoilers as possible.

There are 3 assasins trying to kill the emperor of Qin because he is trying to conquer the other 6 countries and unify China under his command. Jet Li plays "Wu Ming" and approaches the Qin Emperor to tell him that he has succeeded in killing the other assasins. The movie starts with Wu Ming explaining to the King how he killed the three assasins. Throughout the movie, the colors play an important part. There is Black, Red, Green, and White. In my opinion, I felt black symbolized Deceit, Red represented Betrayal, Green meant Justice, and White was Truth. Each color is a different essence of each emotion/moral, and the movie does a good job explaining why the characters wear those colors during specific parts of the movie. Anyhow, throughout the movie, the author is asking you... "What is the meaning of Ying Xiong?" (hero.) Is the Qin Emperor a hero? Is Wu Ming the hero? or are the assasins the hero? Is suffering for the greater good the ultimate sacrifice? Or is Justice something worth sacrificing yourself for?

I can't really say much else without giving some stuff away, so I'll just move on to something that was bothering me...

I read some reviews about people saying the movie was stupid. That is not true at all. The director Zhang YiMou even said that this movie is for Chinese people, not western audiences, and he wasn't lying. That means, if you don't have at least a minimal command of chinese history and language, this movie may just confuse you. This movie is asking the Chinese people about their perception of the first dynasty of China. People suffered so much during that era, yet that Era made China what it is today. So, the question is... mainly... was the sacrifice of millions of peoples lives worth having a country named China today? That's the question. And for people who know anything about Chinese history - they might not understand this movie. That includes all you ABCs out there, you know. It even includes "real" Chinese people who know nothing about their own history.... To understand this movie, you should understand Chinese history and Chinese culture to get the full effect!

It's just like how some people say the martial arts was so great in Crouching Tiger. Crouching Tiger wasn't even about Martial arts, it was about the "Jiang Hu" lifestyle and the right path... and if you don't know what "Jiang Hu" means.. I'm sorry to say, you kinda missed the message...

I really hope that people will understand what this movie is really saying, and not just say it was stupid to defend their own ignorance. It really bothers me when people outright label something is stupid just because they don't know anything about it. So, don't call his movie stupid if you don't understand its message!

loveablexlinda

01-21-2003, 07:49 AM

thats cool!

do u happen to know where they will be playing this movie...
cuz they didnt even mention it here..where i live....

--Linda

Chun Li

01-21-2003, 07:54 AM

China - December 19, 2002
Hong Kong - December 19, 2002
Taiwan - January 18, 2003
Singapore - January 23, 2003
Malaysia - January 23, 2003
Korea - January 24, 2003
Thailand - January 24, 2003
Philippines - February 5, 2003
Indonesia - February 6, 2003
Norway - March 13, 2003
Finland - March 28, 2003
Denmark - April 2, 2003
Japan - April 26, 2003
India - June 6, 2003

MiraMax bought the rights to release it in the US, but they're screwing the chinese over by CUTTING and EDITING IT!!!!! to "make is a better movie for american audiences." SEE? I told you americans wouldn't understand it. Totally pisses me off. Now they're going to cut it into a crap movie and make americans think chinese movies are just martial arts and no meaning. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid.

jAy is a s h y_ b o i

01-22-2003, 09:51 AM

i wanna watch it! i wonder when will the vcd get here... i don't want to watch an edited version!

Stanlore

01-22-2003, 10:02 AM

jayx8318x

01-22-2003, 08:28 PM

can't wait to see it so I can give my own analysis :)

min

01-22-2003, 08:32 PM

jayx8318x

01-22-2003, 09:45 PM

:-x
I went looking for more info about this movie, and stumbled upon a forum. damn those ppl!! they need to warn you before blurting out spoilers...now I know what happened to one of the characters... :oops:
Like they say...curiosity killed the cat :realsad:

Seiichi

01-22-2003, 10:39 PM

hhmm same thing happened with crouching tiger hidden dragon didn't it?
i remember wathing the dub version it was horrible horrible.........
i haven't watch the chinese version tho since the dub version totally screwed my idea about his movie....
btw can't wait to watch hero too
the review is all over tv and magazines

i dont think there was a dubbed(english version) of CTHD, the one that shown in the US theaters were all in mandarin chinese.

i saw hero already too..cant wait to buy it.

= )

miramax better have a unedited version on DVD...

min

01-22-2003, 10:50 PM

hmmm i'm pretty sure the one that i watched was dub into english cos i just walked out of the theatre after about 1/2 hour maybe..........
but it was here [uk] ^^

jayx8318x

01-22-2003, 11:04 PM

I saw CTHD the night it opened in Dallas, all in mandarin...I have the DVD too and can't stand watching it dubbed

Chun Li

01-23-2003, 01:59 AM

Chun Li.. i SO agree with you.. i borrowed a really bad quality, pirated version(you know.. the kind that ppl record secretly IN the theaters) but still, a good movie is a good movie.

I also agree with you with the color analyzations, but i thought Red was to do with Love

The fighting sequences were SO COOL ! I hope they dont edit this to be an Action Movie, cuz this is a Historical Drama, with really cool fighting scenes.

Really? You thought Red stood for love?
But don't you remember :
How they were killing each other out of jealously? So I thought red stood for betrayal, because that's when they were killing out of hate. Especially since Jet Li manipulated them to betray each other. Well, that's just my opinion. I also thought Blue stood for love, since that is when Broken Sword fought for love...

(highlight the above to read it, so people who dont what to know don't have to.)

oh, also, stanlore, do you know about QinShiHuangDi? Did you understand the historical references in the movie and everything?

Hyde

01-23-2003, 05:24 AM

when does it start in canada? we are so underrated.

Seiichi

01-23-2003, 05:32 AM

I saw CTHD the night it opened in Dallas, all in mandarin...I have the DVD too and can't stand watching it dubbed

you should never watch anything dubbed period! = ) unless you have no control over it. = P

like anime that are released in the theater. = P

Chun Li.. i SO agree with you.. i borrowed a really bad quality, pirated version(you know.. the kind that ppl record secretly IN the theaters) but still, a good movie is a good movie.

I also agree with you with the color analyzations, but i thought Red was to do with Love

The fighting sequences were SO COOL ! I hope they dont edit this to be an Action Movie, cuz this is a Historical Drama, with really cool fighting scenes.

Really? You thought Red stood for love?
But don't you remember :
How they were killing each other out of jealously? So I thought red stood for betrayal, because that's when they were killing out of hate. Especially since Jet Li manipulated them to betray each other. Well, that's just my opinion. I also thought Blue stood for love, since that is when Broken Sword fought for love...

(highlight the above to read it, so people who dont what to know don't have to.)

oh, also, stanlore, do you know about QinShiHuangDi? Did you understand the historical references in the movie and everything?

i think i understand the massage of the movie, but not 100%...i need to watch it again for sure.

the historical references i understood, i just felt there was a massage

Chun Li

01-23-2003, 06:50 AM

I personally thought that he was saying sacrifice is okay for the greater good. Pretty utilitarianistic of him. I do agree though... but suffering is never good for anyone. But if QinShiHuangDi didn't do that, there would be no China today.

tontamoo

01-24-2003, 06:46 AM

Yeah, I downloaded the movie online a few weeks ago. Again, it was one of those pirated versions, recorded in teh back of the theater. My Chinese wasn't good enough to understand it though. I was sorta lost in the entire story line. Man, I realize how much improvement I need in my Chinese. Anyway, the photography/sequences was really beautiful. My jaw dropped when all those arrows were flying... that was beyond description. I've never seen anything like it. Just the sheer amount of power that scene created... omg.. I created a layout based on the movie for my blog. hehe. http://tontamoo.cjb.net

BiG^rOn

01-24-2003, 06:58 AM

Spot the mistake ;)

Chun Li

01-25-2003, 12:46 AM

what is that walkie talkie doing ont he ground? hahaa. Is that a screen capture?

tontamoo

01-25-2003, 03:26 AM

haha! i didn't notice it til it was pointed out. haha!

jayx8318x

01-25-2003, 03:27 AM

Is that really in the movie or did someone just make it up? I'm gonna watch for it if it is real!!

Chun Li

01-25-2003, 10:30 AM

Heh,they call me eagle eyes... nice to meet your acquaintance! *snicker*

dude, I love the clothes back then. Thats why I watch Gu Chuan (period) dramas all the time. If I had those clothes, I'd wear them out. EVERYDAY!! I don't care!

XiaoQueen

01-25-2003, 05:26 PM

i wan to watch it too.. cos jay's idol is the male lead! whahahhaha but i really cant afford the movie money (still in debt) so i guess i cant give my comments or wadsoever. i hope jielun gets some free time off his work to watch it.. though. haiiii

ShunJing

03-12-2003, 12:55 AM

I saw the movie too! I thought it was so good. And I think that 'Hero' is going to be considered an award for a foreign movie title. I was so surprised at the scenes where they had millions of 'extras' performing as soldiers. Gosh, that was a big scene. And also the colors were so vibrant in that movie. And they used it to the extreme! No joke. The scene where Tony Leung (don't remember name) was wearing red, his whole room was red, the lights were also red too. Every scene they had worn the same color of clothing. I thought that it also meant for something. Red was for disloyalty, blue was for love, and white was honesty. The scene where the mistress fights the servant was such a great scene. They had a whole acre filled with yellow leaves, and they were wearing red. Such great scenes, imagery, and plot.

saint2sinner

03-22-2003, 09:17 AM

i thnk the movie's great.. as usual.. zhangyimou's movies are always great... i like the swift movements of the characters.. unlike other flicks.. he emphasises on alotta grace and elegance..
but what i didn't fancy soo much was the way the story was told.. y tell it 3 times??? :sleep:

Chun Li

03-22-2003, 09:33 AM

arrrrgh matey...thar be spoilers ahead... :pirate:

Throughout the whole movie I was wondering what Ziyi's character had to do with anything! I thought she was pretty pointless. But then I realized Moon's character represents devotion, "follow your heart" whether it is for a person, or a belief. Her name "Moon" uses the character that is used in Peng You (friend) right? ...her loyalty to Tony parallels the devotion of the other assassins to kill the king.

Karen, I agree that "Moon" represents devotion and loyalty, also tied in with Love. Notice how the Moon revolves around the earth? It's always there, whether we notice it or not, whether we take it for granted or not. It will always revolve around us, just like how Moon revolved around Broken Sword.

Anyone else notice the theme of water being used throughout? From the scene with Donnie, to the "imaginary" fight with Jet Li and Tony, and alot of other fight scenes. Water carries the idea of cleansing or catharsis I think, but I'm not sure how to tie that in directly...cleansing of what?

I was thinking about this, and I feel I need to watch the movie again so I can understand more of its symbolism. Water is usually used to purify, or to reflect. I think the idea of water reflects what is really going on inside their heads. Notice how it was raining when Donnie Yen fought Jet Li? they weren't moving or fighting each other at all, yet the fight happened in their minds when they closed their eyes to reflect and 'imagine' it. I need to watch this movie again.

Personally, I think this movie was better than CTHD. CTHD had great fight scenes, but this movie really makes you think, it's alot more profound than CTHD IMO..
Who do I think is the Hero?

I felt that each of them was a Hero in their own right. Each of them died for something that they believed in. And each of them contributed to the formation and unity of China. If it wasn't for them, there wouldn't be China. (I'm just saying, since these characters are fictional).

I don't think I need to know alot about Chinese history to understand what it is trying to say, but I'm sure that would have helped and made it an even better movie. I just wish they didn't cut out 18 minutes of it! I wonder what I missed...

I think since you went in knowing that the story is about the First Emperor of China and also the important, "Who is the real Hero" question, I think you were better off than a lot of people who watched it without any idea of what the movie is supposed to be about. (You read my short little review here, right?) Anyway, lots of people didn't understand what the significance of that Emperor was. Without that understanding, they have no idea how important the failures of his assasination was! The whole story revolves around what is right and just... AND the role of the first emperor. Wouldn't people who watch the movie without any inkling of THAT will just be complelety lost??

Sparkling_Jade

03-24-2003, 10:49 AM

hai.... im kinda dissapointed that hero didnt get an oscar for the best foreign film :-x . still havent seen it tho, but what i´ve heard it really good..

Chun Li

03-25-2003, 03:42 AM

I knew they weren't going to win. F*ckin Miramax screwed everything up. First, they postphone it's release. then they edit out 28 minutes. THEN they decide to put it up for best foreign film so NEXT year when Hero IS released, it will have no chance to enter the Oscars again. Miramax = F*ckin stupid

fieryred

03-28-2003, 01:06 AM

oh booooooooo. i didnt know about that whole thing with miramax. i bought hero from yeasia.com and i have watched it already. if you dont want to see the edited version, buy it from there. dont worry, there are chinese AND english subtitles for those who cannot understand chinese! :)

vashdestampede

04-06-2003, 07:33 AM

man...you guys love to dissect the movie...

doesn't it get a bit, not so good when you dissect it into tiny little pieces..

isn't it better to take the movie as a whole and leave it at that?

jayx8318x

04-06-2003, 07:38 AM

Not at all, for me it gets better when I examine every bit and piece of it. I can go back and watch the movie again and discover something new.

Everytime I watch Dumb & Dumber I get another joke I didn't before.
:D

Chun Li

04-06-2003, 09:53 AM

haha!! That's a interesting comparison!! using both extremes of the intellectual spectrum??

Number of jokes in Hero: -10
Number of jokes in Dumb and Dumber: 132946282

man...you guys love to dissect the movie...

doesn't it get a bit, not so good when you dissect it into tiny little pieces..

isn't it better to take the movie as a whole and leave it at that?

I can't even come up with an answer that could explain this to you. I'm sorry Vash, but your comment was one of the most ignorant and stupid things I've ever read.

jAy is a s h y_ b o i

04-06-2003, 10:37 AM

well i believe that over analyzing a movie will make it crappy and you'll get sick of it.

but this is a film. I saw it today. its a real work of art. tho the story was kinda "ehh" but the filming! absolute wonderful. i love how they used color in it too.

(i take classic film class and so yea i'm always doing stuff like analyzing movies blah blah and learning film techniques)

Quiet Boy

04-06-2003, 10:42 AM

Well I think that it depends on the type of movie. Some movies are made purely for entertainment (Isn't that the point of movies?) and a good laugh. But some movies are deep and theres actually more to them than what you first see, they make you think. Hero is probably one of these, although a Western audience with no knowledge of chinese culture would probably take it as pure entertainment.

When I first saw Hero, it was a crap-quality bootleg VCD with spanish subtitles, so i didnt enjoy it that much. But I still recognised the parts relevent to chinese history. And I thought the special effects were cool too :)

Chun Li

04-06-2003, 11:08 PM

Movies like Dumb and Dumber and Ace Ventura don't take a lot of analyzation skills. Those movies are made for pure entertainment and just 2 hours of passive watching.

Some movies don't have any in-depth meaning at all and you just sit there and laugh, which is good if you just want to relax. Other movies are made with deep storylines expressing the feelings of a writer, producer, actor, and director. If movies were all made on the level of "Dude, Where's my Car?" we wouldn't need anything like the Oscars. Moreover, we wouldn't even need anything like higher education since no one would have the analytical skills to even attempt to understand what it means.

You mean to tell me that you just sat there during the 3 hour Lord of the Rings movie and never questioned what the author is trying to say??
(this isn't directed at anyone, I'm just saying).

The point I'm making, I guess, is that you just have to understand what type of movie you're watching. And I'm apalled that people could watch Hero and not think there is a meaning behind all the elaborate usages of color and scenary.

I bet if people told Zhang YiMou, Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung, Zhang Zi Yi, and Donnie Yen that "Well, I didn't want to think about the meaning in your movie because that just takes too much time, besides, it's more fun if I just watch you guys fight," I bet it'd break their hearts and make them all want to commit suicide because all the hard work they spent filming that year has just proven to be a waste.

girl_next_door

04-07-2003, 12:42 AM

I'm not really into period dramas myself but i thought this film was really good. actually i was pleasantly surprised (even though i did have to read subtitles the whole way through as my chinese is quite bad! :roll: hehe)

the cinematography was amazing! really nicely shot and the whole colour theme was a nice touch! mmm at first i though that maybe the colours had a political theme to them i.e. right wing, left wing...but uhh i dun tink that concept quite works...hehe nvm...

vashdestampede

04-07-2003, 10:18 AM

jAy is a s h y_ b o i

04-07-2003, 11:34 AM

ok heres my guess at the colors.. i was thinking this while i was watching the movie.

the first color... all black.. don't need to really explain this that much. everyone knows what black symbolizes. lots of death...mystery... (how jet li told how he killed that guy... and how he killed all those other people....etc)

the next color... red. i think it was red?? i can't remember the order of the colors. well i was thinking that red symbolized rage...blood... you can tell that in that story it got pretty "bloody" and maggie cheung was completely engulfed in a jealous rage and killed tony leung.

blue... i thought it could mean grieving...sadness...tranquility....maggie dies... tony is sad... they're fighting at a beautiful serene lake.....

um....orange? was there an orange scene? i can't remember what happened there oops

um white.. loyalty. honor. tony says how he doesn't want to kill the emperor...

err ok thats all the colors i can remember along with the scenes. =T

what do you guys think the colors mean?

edit: i remember that there was also green. but i can't remember what i thought for that scene lol.

Chun Li

04-07-2003, 05:45 PM

To Chun Li:

Oh man....i guess i'll have to analyze the movie just to keep up with you guys.... :( so much work.....

just like english analysis all over again...ah well.. at least its something that's interesting :D

to everybody else (and Chun Li :)):

hmmm...does anybody know where i can find info about the deleted scenes cos i don't know if mine's edited or not

You don't have to analyze anything you don't want to, but obviously, to keep a discussion about MOVIE you'd have to do some analyzation, don't you think? Even if people were to talk about Barney and Sesame Street they'd have to do some analyzation. It's not that hard you know, if you use your brain.

Anyway, if you have the Chinese version of the movie, it shouldn't be edited, since Miramax seems to be editing the version for America.

satanrina

04-07-2003, 06:00 PM

vashdestampede:
If it's so much work for you to watch the movie, you might as well watch "Dumb & Dumber"? No offence, I just thought that movies were a form of leisure. Won't studying it, thus being too much work, defeat the purpose?

Maggie:
I must admit I did not like the movie when I first saw it. I went in expecting "CTHD" and was sorely disappointed. But I had to rewatch it as I was doing a review on it and the more I watched it, the more I fell in love with it.
At first, I thought the use of colours and the cinematography were all rather pretentious. It was on repeated viewings that I realised the various meanings behind it.

Red: As seen from Nameless pov. The color of passion and rage. Nameless is fueled by thoughts of revenge, and is driven to kill the ruler to avenge his family. Also, in his tale, passion was main the reason why CanJian and FeiXue turned against each other.
Blue: ShiHuang Di's pov. Befittingly, the color associated with high office. Also hope and faith. Perhaps that's why this part is focued on explaining the relationship between CanJian and FeiXue.
Green: CanJian's pov. The color of the peace and youth. This section explains CanJian's and FeiXue's romantic history, in a less tumultuous time.
Black & White: The stark view. The depressing view. Every character has had their point of view and said what they had to. Now is the time for the audience to express what they feel after seeing the actual events that took place. Thru this, they achieve enlightenment, like CanJian.

Of course, that's just my interpretation. There's many other with different views I'm sure. But in the end, who did you think was the real hero? CanJian, for sacrifacing his life for the sake of peace and his love? Nameless, for letting go of his hatred and thirst for revenge just so the nation could be at peace like before? Or even ShiHuang Di, didn't he do his part by uniting the countries and building the Great Wall? I'm sure they all are in their own right.

edit: I just realised that all these has been discussed before. Ugh. But since I spent such a long time on this, I just let it linger in the depths of this forum. And increase my post count at the same time.

sawmui13

04-08-2003, 01:56 AM

have you guys heard faye's song for the movie? i just dled the mv and she looked nice there. its a bad quality realplayer file though
but if anyones interested
yahooid: herotheme_faye
pw jaychounet

:offtopic:
btw..has anyone seen usokoi which in chinese is love from a lie? i really liked the other song, besides separate ways, but i can't find it at all. can't even find the name or group who sings it. apparently the series didn't do too good in japan which i guess is why its impossible to find the OSt to dl...
anyone?pleease?

Mike

04-08-2003, 03:21 AM

this movie is so good, worth buying... it's not even that expensive. I think it's better than Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, a lot better. Too bad it didn't wiin Foreign Film award in Academy Awards. It deserved it.

And that walkie Talkie is just plain funny.

But i don't remember seeing a scene like that in the movie..

ashley

04-08-2003, 05:11 AM

but what i didn't fancy soo much was the way the story was told.. y tell it 3 times??? :sleep:

i think that defined the beauty of HERO - the fact that it was narrated in so many versions (colours) and the fact that it tests the audiences' skills to dissect each one. it makes us want to remember each detail and compare the events in all the versions.

i watched it twice - here is how i saw it.

the black version was an introduction. it was where everything was neutral on the audiences' mind. no assumption and no predictions yet. just meek and accepting what was to be told.

the first story was the unpredictable plot .it was wild - even Broken Sword and FlyingSnow (was that the name?) was made-up to look ...well....wild and temperamental and their actions were unpredictable . totally fabricated by Nameless , this red version was told to get the Emperor's attention. just what the colour red will do usually. grab someone's attention.

and then there was the blue by the Emperor. his was a romantic version of love and sacrifice. serenity and tranquility like the blue seas.

the green was a picture of youth and immaturity. of ambitions and hope and dreams. and different expressions and reactions to the outcome of the attack on the palace.

and finally white. DEATH and sorow. and peace. because the audience now know the truth. and has become something like a piece of white, blank paper where , whatever is to be written on it , becomes the interpretation of each individual watching the movie.

jAy is a s h y_ b o i

04-08-2003, 06:00 AM

i thought it was told 3 times because first was Nameless' fabrication. 2nd was the emperor's guess. and third was the truth? was it not?

satanrina-- i think that nameless was a hero to me.
he was working toward killing the emperor the whole time and in the end he let it all go and stood and faced death like a true man.

Chun Li

04-08-2003, 07:20 AM

This movie really touched me and it bothers me that some people just wave it off.

Granted, everyone gets to have their own opinion, but even if you HATED the movie, you must admit that there are so many messages in this movie. Even if a person did not like Hero, they have to at least appreciate and recognize the fact that this story is asking you an ethical and moral question. If they can understand the movie thus far, then I can accept the fact that they hated the movie. But if they don't even understand that much, I really discredit their opinion of the movie completely.

I think what I really liked about the movie is this: It presents the view from three different perspectives, from people seeking Justice, Revenge, and also from the point of a Utilitarian. (There may be more, but this is all I remember. I have to watch it again!)

This movie really makes you wonder... who is right? And what would you do if you were each of these people? I wonder if people understand exactly what Wu Ming (nameless) had to give up to let this Emperor live? Not just his life, but his beliefs as well. I feel that he is a Hero just because he was *able* to do that. Nowadays, how many people do you really know that would sacrifice what they've believed their entire lives because they have faith that their *enemy* will do what is right?

Also, if you were the Emperor, what would you do? How do you justify to others that the only reason you're murdering the civilians now is because you want to accomplish a greater good?

And if you were Broken Sword, would you be able to let the Emperor live and put in his hands the lives of millions?

I just think the responsiblities that these people had were crazy. I don't think I would be able to stand if I had those decisions upon my shoulders.

Quiet Boy

04-08-2003, 07:24 AM

sometimes, nobody is right or wrong... history is hardly ever only black and white. It really depends on peoples viewpoints

ashley

04-08-2003, 07:52 AM

i forgot to add this earlier. have any of you watched "The Emperor's Assasin"? Gong Li also stars in it but I can't recall the male leads.

I watched The Emperor's Assasin before I did Hero. If anyone of you wants to understand ShiHuanTi's predicament, I strongly recommend that you gat this VCD/DVD. Perhaps after that, you will be able to relate to the character of ShiHuangTi in HERO more, to understand why he had tears in his eyes when he ordered that Nameless be killed (you can sense his reluctance ...ahh!...such fine acting..).

The word HERO in my Chambers dictionary is defined as "a person admired for his brave deeds". To me, all the main characters befit the title.

Chun Li

04-08-2003, 09:22 AM

I think I will watch that movie just to see how they portray QinShiHuang!

satanrina

04-08-2003, 10:08 AM

Ashley:
What's the chinese title of the movie? It sounds interesting.
Btw, love the interpretation. I like the imagery of white paper, and the way the audience leaves their own interpretation on it.
I think ShiHuang Di had to kill Nameless, no matter how reluctant he is, because it was the law. ShiHuang Di recognized that Nameless was a hero, but also an assassin. If ShiHuang Di didn't execute Nameless, it would only serve to encourage more would-be assasins. And that simply would not do.
I did write an online review for it once for some online mag/ website. But it seems to be lost in the depths of the world wide web. Shall look for it sometime. It's a more in-depth review than the one I posted previously.

Maggie:
Yes, although everyone is a hero in the movie, I admire Nameless the most. It takes alot for a man to forgo his lifelong mission for revenge for the sake of his country and it's ppl, and willingly be executed by his sworn enemy too. I don't think I could ever do that.

Chun Li:
You mentioned that there was -10 jokes in Hero. But I beg to differ.
You did mention somewhere about your preoccupation with your hair which reminds me of this scene in the movie where RuYue was duelling with FeiXue. RuYue sliced off FeiXue's hair as FeiXue was taking off, refusing to fight the brat. As the lock of hair fell to the ground, FeiXue decides that she will now fight RuYue to the death. I found that hysterically yet unappropriately funny. It's a classic case of "How dare you mess up my hair, bitch?". Vanity, no? I'm sure that's not the effect the director intended to have, but it sure looked that way to me. Did I also mention I hate RuYue?
*Places dunce cap on self*

ashley

04-08-2003, 10:52 AM

Satanrina, i don't read chinese but this is what the Internet says it's called - "ke ci qin wang".

anyway..
"The Emperor and the Assassin."

Starring Gong Li, Li Xuejian and Zhang Fengyi. Directed by Chen Kaige. Written by Wang Peigong and Chen Kaige. Produced by Han Sanping, Shirley Kao and Satoru Iseki. A Sony Pictures Classics

and ....."How dare you mess up my hair, bitch?"
that's how i saw it too. ^^

Chun Li

04-09-2003, 04:24 AM

Oh that's right!! I remember when I saw that scene I thought, "*gasp, no she DIDN'T!*

I didn't see it as a joke before, but now I can see how it could be a mockery of women and their vanity. Good catch!

ashley

04-09-2003, 05:06 AM

Zhang YiMou is trying to say Flying Snow can kick-ass and she's a respectable swordswoman but she's still a WOMAN. hah-ha!

anyway. i think that Moon character was unnecessary. Like they were casting ZhangZiyi just to make the casting list more 5-star.......not that the other casts weren't impressive enough. but each time she appears in all the versions, i just don't see any weight in her role (no puns intended). however, her acting is always a delight .

jayx8318x

04-09-2003, 05:08 AM

sickdoode

04-09-2003, 08:15 AM

i thought it was a good movie, but i'd understand why some people may not like. but damn... stupid king

ashley

04-09-2003, 08:57 AM

Sickdoode, I THINK it's unfair to call the greatest ruler ever -'stupid' . he achieved something that nobody else in history ever did.
(have you seen how big china the country is now?)

anyway, if you're only refering to the Emperor's character in HERO, and calling him stupid bcos he killed Jet Li, then .... i have nothing else to comment. :whistle:

Gwen910

04-09-2003, 09:34 AM

I saw the movie in HK and it was great to see it on the big screen. I think the acting was great and my favorite part was the cinematography and art direction; the movie is just gorgeous! The movie was well-written and directed as well and I don't think it would have been the same to just tell the story one way. All the different perspectives added to the drama of the movie.

You should defnitely watch this movie.

Oh yeah...and Miramax delayed the release because they were pushing Gangs of New York over the holidays.:P

satanrina

04-09-2003, 12:28 PM

I couldn't figure out what Moon's purpose was either, then I tried to find a reason just to satisfy my own curiousity...

Throughout the whole movie I was wondering what Ziyi's character had to do with anything! I thought she was pretty pointless. But then I realized Moon's character represents devotion, "follow your heart" whether it is for a person, or a belief. Her name "Moon" uses the character that is used in Peng You (friend) right? ...her loyalty to Tony parallels the devotion of the other assassins to kill the king.

Gee...I don't know. Perhaps it's Zhang Ziyi's portrayal of the character that pisses me off. It's a reprisal of her role in CHTD but much worse since there's not much meat in her "Hero" character.
As for the explanation that she represents loyalty? I'm not sure, all the scenes with her in them shows her screeching and screaming like a brat, which is not too far a stretch considering that she seems to be such a character in real life too. She's just a minor blip in the storyline, and her biggest show of loyalty to CanJian is to kill FeiXue. And I don't know, is that loyalty? To try to kill the woman whom your saviour loves?
To give credit to her, she probably made guys very happy with all the bedroom noises she made. And also, not to forget, made me very stupidly happy with the "How dare you mess up my hair, bitch?" scene. Other than that, nada. Did anyone know what happened to her in the end anyway? We saw her screeching and running up a hill, that's it. Is she so bad that Zhang Yimou had to cut her scenes out?

ashley

04-10-2003, 07:51 AM

yeah Moon was rushing towards the lovebirds and after FeiXue hara-kiri-ed herself, everyone got teary-eyed......and promptly forgot about her (Moon).

after all, nothing she does next would surprise us anyway. if she kills herself, we'd expect her to since she's a loyal servant without a master. and she has no one to fight with to avenge the master's death. ZhangYiMou too, i suppose, decided that it was not worth stretching that scene.

hm? bedroom noises eh satanrina? we didn't see or hear those. instead, saw some very unsmooth editing of BrokenSword grabbing at Moon and the next second, he was half naked and pushing her away. (darn!)

Chun Li

04-10-2003, 07:57 AM

Hmm, about Moon's role...

Maybe it represents FAILURE? What do you think?

Failure as Broken Swords lover, Failure at trying to kill FeiYue, Failure to beat Nameless...

She just failed about about every single thing she tried to do in the ENTIRE movie! And in the end, she even Failed to die, with everyone else! Have you guys noticed that she is the only one out of all the other assasins left standing? Maybe that means she failed to be a real integrate part of them, too.

I like Karen's idea at loyalty. It would be so much nicer if that's what Zhang YiMou intended instead of... failure.

satanrina

04-10-2003, 06:35 PM

Chun Li:
Yes, I think failure will more apt a represenatation.
Then I thought, FeiXue is not really that likable a character either. Notice how no one mentions her as a hero? Even till the end, she doesn't give me the impression that she understood why CanJian wished for "Tian Xia". Rather, she seemed just as deranged (and lovesick) as RuYue.
Perhaps RuYue is a smokescreen so that the main character FeiXue won't seem so annoying by contrast?

Ashley:
Inbetween the unsmooth editing of CanJian grabbing and the half naked and pushing her away pushing away scene was the bedroom noises. Don't worry, you didn't miss much. Even her bedroom noises annoyed me.
Btw, I can't find the video. The guys at the video shop didn't seem to understand what I was talking about. Arrghs.

Chun Li

04-11-2003, 02:06 AM

I think the only two "enlightened" characters by the end of the movie was Can Jian (Broken Sword) and Wu Ming (Nameless). I agree that FeiYue didn't seem to completely understand the meaning of "Tian Xia." Otherwise, she would have given up her goal of assasination, and she wouldn't have had that fight with Can Jian at the end. But, perhaps this shows that she is a Hero because she also kept her own beliefs? She could be a Hero because she refused to let any continue with the murders of innocent citizens and scholars. She may be a Hero from the perspective of the peasants.

I should watch it again.

aznboi08

04-21-2003, 12:56 AM

awww... me wanna watch that movie.
=P

satanrina

04-21-2003, 08:24 AM

Chun Li:
You forgot to mention the emperor.

Anyways, just thought you guys might want to know that a sequel is in the reworks. So far, the only confirmed cast member is Zhang ZiYi (RuYue) and Donnie (Qin ShiHuang). Arrghs, that whiny Moon again. Andy Lau has also been appraoched to star as a sauve pugilist. It sounds pretty bad, hopefully Zhang Yimou can turn it around.

Gwen910

04-21-2003, 08:33 AM

Sounds like a tragedy...but what do you think of Lau in Infernal Affairs? (I know, I know...different movie...)

the one

04-21-2003, 04:58 PM

the fight between nameless & sky in the chess court and nameless and broken sword at the lake was the best!!

my fave characters were jet li and tony leung!!

hero was a great movie overall..even better than crouching tiger, hidden dragon.. this one really conveys a deep message about true heroism..

i love the music as well..even bought the soundtrack to add to my collection..

Chun Li

04-23-2003, 02:37 AM

Donnie, as in Donnie yen?! I'm confused. What is the english name of the actor that portrayed the emperor? Donnie as well?

when is the sequel due out? dammit... no jet... at least zhang zi yi can do martial arts though.

Andy lau? all he does is swing the sword around and get a stunt double. I can't stand the fake wushu people. sigh.

Gwen910

04-23-2003, 09:02 PM

Whoo-hoo for Tan Dun...he's the guy that did the music. He's a very "clean" composer.

jjfgirl

04-23-2003, 09:30 PM

question...sorry if it's already been addressed--someone told me to watch for the color scheme throughout the movie...was it just that every story had a diff color to it?? am i making any sense?? other than that, EVERYONE should watch it! jet li somewhat redeems himself in my eyes after all those horrible movies he did in the U.S.

also, i just wanted to say...zhang ziyi didn't really do martial arts before....she was a dancer or something so i'm not too impressed by her. maybe by her stunt double. i can't stand fake wushu people either. (chow yun fat also comes to mind...)

if andy lau was really in it, i would soo not watch it.

jjfgirl

04-23-2003, 09:31 PM

oh, and i think in the end it's saying that there wasn't just one hero..they were all heroes. because more than one person sacrificed themselves. ::shrugs:: hard to say.

Chun Li

04-24-2003, 02:14 AM

Hi, please edit your post next time instead of double posting. Just click on the button on the right.

And the color schemes represent truth, justice, revenge,etc. It was discussed in the thread earlier.

Also, Zhang ZiYi didn't do wushu before, yes. She learned it for the movies. however, because she was a dancer before, she learned it quite well and she could, if she wanted to at this point, become a real "wushu" (martial arts) person. Unlike chow yun fat and maggie cheung who are not dancers or wushu practicioners, she as the ability to become one.
Michelle Yeoh was also a dancer before, and learned martial arts for movies. She turned out to be good at it, and now takes it seriously. However, I like it much better if it was the other way around. =)

ashley

04-24-2003, 04:57 AM

She turned out to be good at it, and now takes it seriously. However, I like it much better if it was the other way around. =)

are you saying, Chun Li, that you prefer someone with real martial art skills to learn more about dancing?

satanrina - a sequel? really?? too bad the real good actors have been killed in the prequel. but if they keep that actor who played the Emperor, i'll give it a chance. (Andy Lau ? <shivers>)

off topic: Michelle Yeoh has a Degree in Ballet and she stopped dancing when she injured herself. But her agility has helped her in her action-packed movie roles. I'm not sure whether she and ZhangZiYi really acquire martial arts skills or if they just did 'acted' it out.

Chun Li

04-24-2003, 08:06 AM

I read in several interviews with Michelle Yeoh that she takes martial arts seriously now. ever since her movie with jackie chan, she wanted to prove that she could do it herself and seriously tried to learn it. (I think it was some movie with jackie chan, either that or jackie was directing it).

actually, what I meant was I prefer it if they were just martial artists from the beginning. sorry, lack of sleep makes me skip sentences.

zhy378

04-27-2003, 10:46 PM

:rock: WEll, last week i just watched it, it was pretty kool :realcool: . I mean the plot was okay :mellow: but everything else made it great :happy: espeically the fightin' :ninja: scene, also i cried :sob: twice. PLus i love those movies that take place back then of old china. Though from my relatives, they said they had to watch it more than once to understand it, but i only saw it once. I get it but i'm not sure if i understand it, cuz since i'm not so good at mandarin, I just read the subtitles. :bigwink:

the one

04-28-2003, 02:13 PM

satanrina - a sequel? really?? too bad the real good actors have been killed in the prequel. but if they keep that actor who played the Emperor, i'll give it a chance. (Andy Lau ? <shivers>)

according to the jetli.com forums, it will be a prequel, not a sequel..

After the huge success of Hero, a sequel is now in the works. Director Yimou Zhang will be back behind the camera. As for the cast, Jet Li and Zhang Ziyi might be back and also Daoming Chen has the king. However, he has competition from Andy Lau, who has been also asked play to play the role of the king. The synopsis isn't clear yet, but it's said to be more of a re-telling than a direct sequel. The story will focus more on Zhang Ziyi's character this time and she will play a blind swordsman.

but, it hasn't been confirmed yet..

the one

04-28-2003, 02:18 PM

and guess what..

hero won seven awards at the hong kong film awards just recently..

- best cinematography
- best art direction
- best costume
- best make-up design
- best original film song
- best action choreography
- best sound design
- best visual effects

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=filmNews&storyID=2516084

cool, huh?

Chun Li

04-29-2003, 12:51 AM

Cool. I'm glad it got recognized with all those awards. Screw the oscars, they don't matter anyway. >={

also, in your quote it says "sequel" not prequel.

And next time edit your post instead of double posting.
thanks. =)

kAkA

04-30-2003, 07:03 PM

maggie zhang and tony leung are the perfect on scene couple! especially after 'in the mood for love'!!

hero mite have won the oscar if it came before crouching tiger hidden dragon. it's a bigger production. CTHD was a break through for chinese martial arts movies at the oscars last year, they wldn't give two foreigh awards in a row to chinese movies that are so similar in the western perspective.
but i though zhang yi mo seems desperate when he brought all these famous ppl together into hero. he shldn't have to do just to get ppl to see it eh? i mean wat was the point for zhang zi yi's role?

ai-ya the movie was great anyways! but i want to see it in the movies instead of the pirate copy vcd. ppl kept standing up and cough their lungs out during a fighting scene.

Chun Li

05-01-2003, 01:33 AM

Maybe he wanted all those people in there because he thought they'd fit the part?

kAkA

05-01-2003, 11:22 AM

they did fit the part but it didn't seem like they were the only ones who cld play them. i mean why didn't he let new ppl have a try. seriously there was not one unknown person in the movie.

Chun Li

05-02-2003, 01:41 AM

That's true. But I think Jet Li, Tony, and Maggie fit the role. I dont know how much of a difference it would be with other actors.

satanrina

05-02-2003, 03:46 AM

That's true. But I think Jet Li, Tony, and Maggie fit the role. I dont know how much of a difference it would be with other actors.
For example, Andy Lau?

ashley

05-02-2003, 05:04 AM

Andy Lau? eww.... (not to offend the fans, but EWWW!)

i see him like i see Bruce Willis - permanent smirk on the face in no matter what role. but he's a really good looking chap. i can't say he'll look good in guzhang movies.

Chun Li

05-02-2003, 08:02 AM

Yeah.. I'd prefer the original Qin Shi Huang from the first movie compared to Andy Lau. Wait, does he have a specific role that he wants in the sequel? Either a fighter or the emperor? I hope he doesn't become emperor...

kAkA

05-02-2003, 10:43 AM

huh? wat orignial Qin Shi HUang r u talking about? but ashley: andy lau has been in loads of cantonese guzhuang movies, u know the flowing long hair with white slings. *giggles*
i thought he looked pretty good in those not to mention the new one. wat was it? 'mouse falls in love with cat'?
he's got that cool/calm look that wld be perfect for a wuxia 'chuang jiang hu' dude role.

Chun Li

05-03-2003, 05:52 AM

But he doesn't do martial arts!!! He can't do anything! I watched the entire Hero movie wishing tony leung and maggie cheung really did martial arts. It kind of made the movie a little fake for me since I know they don't know how to do anything.

And satanrina said andy lau was going to be in the hero sequel. Therefore, I was wondering what role he would play: Emperor or Wuxia hero.

satanrina

05-03-2003, 07:05 AM

Well, sorry, I think I wasnt very clear in my post. The news articles says that Andy Lau has received a script for the Hero sequel/prequel(?). His agent says that the deal is not confirmed yet. But hell, do you think that any actor will pass up the chance to act in a Zhang YiMou movie?
Anyway, Andy will play the part of a suave pugilist. I have no idea why Zhang will want him, because looks aside, he's really not a very good actor. Donnie Yen will probably return in the movie too as the emperor, so I guess that's good news.
Also, I think they had to get actors and actresses who couldn't do real martial arts because there's a lack of those in the industry. HK producers do not care much for authenticity so they don't bother sending them to classes to build up a foundation needed for the role unlike in Hollywood. The mantra of the HK movie industry is: get load of beautiful and famous celebrities, the shoot the movie in the shortest period of time in the cheapest way.

ashley

05-03-2003, 07:43 AM

Anyway, Andy will play the part of a suave pugilist. I have no idea why Zhang will want him, because looks aside, he's really not a very good actor.

Pugilist? Andy Lau? Nahh... still doesn't sound good to me. His looks are far too chiselled to play any believable role in Hero. And I can't see why he's been given the scripts either. Maybe Zhang is not the producer? Producers can insists on the list of casts, right?

So we still don't know whether it's a prequel or a sequel? Hope it's the former - then we can at least hope to see the original casts. It sounds logic too bcos they may want to expand the storyline on (the green version) how BrokenSword met FeiXue. And they may want us to see how Nameless developed his lightning speed and laser-sharp accuracy. Or maybe we can learn more about Donnie Yen (what was the character he played again?) and come to understand his friendship with Broken Sword.

And Moon - we could also watch how she came to work for Master Broken Sword - since he's a homeless chap, wasn't he?

kAkA

05-03-2003, 09:05 AM

Also, I think they had to get actors and actresses who couldn't do real martial arts because there's a lack of those in the industry. HK producers do not care much for authenticity so they don't bother sending them to classes to build up a foundation needed for the role unlike in Hollywood. The mantra of the HK movie industry is: get load of beautiful and famous celebrities, the shoot the movie in the shortest period of time in the cheapest way.

aren't their still loads of martial arts schools around? like shaoling but not with monks. like where movie ppl get stunt men and stuff. :box: the place where jackie chan came from. just loads of fresh new faces waiting to be filmed! and they know real gong fu. plus they wont cost much since they're unknown. that way it will be at least partly authentic minus the computer special effects.
to kick off the movie in the cinemas, they could have famous supporting roles or something. i mean isn't this also what zhangyimo does best? make someone totally unknow famous?

satanrina

05-03-2003, 10:23 AM

to kick off the movie in the cinemas, they could have famous supporting roles or something. i mean isn't this also what zhangyimo does best? make someone totally unknow famous?
He could, but the movie is ultimately funded by the bigwigs. And it is probably them who will have the final say on the cast. That's why they considered Andy anyway, to bump up the star factor. Anyway, if he really had his own way, he would never had cut off those footages for the American market. No director can bear to see his precious vision being trimmed down. But he doesn't have the choice, since he can't possibly fund a blockbuster like "Hero" himself unlike his previous works.

Chun Li

05-03-2003, 10:25 AM

Ashley - that totally makes sense. I think they should make a prequel, it's just more logical. Plus the audience base for that is really big. If they make a sequel, then i'm assuming that Yimou is not the director.

I have this issue with wuxia (martial arts) movies and people who can't do wushu (martial arts - literal). Since I train in wushu myself, I really analyze how they fight. I mean, come on, I do the same forms most of the time. I get yelled at all the time by my sifu so it's impossible for me not to notice when they do something wrong.

For example, Matrix. God, keanu reeves just bugs because he can't do wushu at all. It's as if they don't deserve their fame. I would love it so much better if a no name actor who was really good at wushu landed the role. At least I know he can back up his role with real talent instead of just a pretty face.

kAkA

05-03-2003, 10:36 AM

diao! u do wushu? for how long? i've always kinda wanted to start but it's hard to find a good club in sweden. they're not that friendly at all. except this expensive taekwondo place, but that's not really wat i'm into. wat kinda wushu? don't mind me if that's a stupid question.

Chun Li

05-03-2003, 11:45 AM

I do northern chinese shaolin martial arts. its the same type jet li does. Ive been doing it for a few years now. That doesn't mean i'm good (-_-III) Anyway, I did karate as a kid for 4 years and it bored the hell out of me. I need the cultural stuff that comes along with wushu. =) Too bad I started it in college, otherwise I'd be able to do a lot more stuff, and a lot faster.

You should start. It's awesome.
And its never too late to start!

kAkA

05-03-2003, 04:46 PM

gah! u just totally motivated me! yes, i will start! but there is the small problem of WHERE??? there's like only one shaolin club and they don't look very friendly there.
how many times do u train per week? and how much are u paying for it? cuz it costs shit loads here, am not so sure it's worth it. half the times they're swedes who claim to know wat they're doing.

Chun Li

05-03-2003, 11:53 PM

I can go up to 5 days a week if I wanted to. And yes, it's also quite expensive, but in the end, you get to be acrobatic, stronger, healthier, and able to defend yourself. I think it's worth it.

I'm sure there's more wushu places than just one around where you live, right? Even if they look mean, you should go check it out because they might be really good. You should go look at the schools and how they train, how good the teachers are, etc. Plus, you're only 15. If you start training now, depending upon your natural ability, you have the chance of becoming really good. I mean, what do you like? Do you like offensive fighting? Do you like sparring? Or do you like butterflies and butterfly twists? (the acrobatic + graceful stuff).

kAkA

05-04-2003, 09:48 AM

am not too graceful since i cld barely bend down and touch my toes. but offensive fighting sounds good. and wat is sparring? sorry if i sound stupid cuz am not really 'zai hang' but i goes i'm mainly in for it cuz of the training and baeing able to defend myself, like get stronger and most of all have fun of course!!
do u recommend me doing shaolin? this place is called tianlong gongfu, or taekwondo. this one time i saw these 10 taewondo black belts trying to move a shaolin master and cldn't!!! maybe shaolin is better than? plus they're chinese then we can speak madarin.

Chun Li

05-04-2003, 08:01 PM

I don't like taekwondo mainly because it's ugly. I like forms, which means I like the pretty sword sets or fist sets that they have.

I took karate as a kid and I hated it.

Sparring means fighting with others. In wushu, there is sparring too, and Chinese boxing was one of the most famous types of forms in China.

There are different parts of wushu, as well. There is the self defense part (they should have a class for that), the forms, and the sparring. It really depends on what the school offers.

I don't know about you, but I would learn Chinese martial arts because of the cultural aspects as well.

kAkA

05-04-2003, 08:11 PM

it sounds kinda complicated. but will make sure i look into it. summers coming up, now i know something that'll take up my time!!
thanx for the info! oh one more thing, if u dont mind me being nosy. have u sompeted in any tornaments? i knew this guy who went to karate tornaments and won like gold medals or something.

zhy378

06-24-2004, 05:06 PM

hmm..just wonderin is the movie Hero gonna be in theatres in america? :wink2:

weiling

07-02-2004, 12:52 PM

It is a great movie. Besides, I can learn the old chinese language that has been used at that movie. Almost all the part of movie , I think, use the old language which now are rarely being used.

feixuan

07-02-2004, 05:07 PM

I repeated watching this movie for three times.
and i went to find out novel book, so thats mean i am really into this movie
no words can explain from my thought, cause i can only say that its fabulous!
Brilliant! and it s a must movie for martial art fans!

Smonkkey

07-05-2004, 08:07 PM

I loved this movie, I must have watched it 9 times already. I usta memorize the fight scenes >_<

I LOVE JET LI

kirasuran

07-06-2004, 12:38 PM

HERO!! haha how old is iT? a few years correcT? even thouigh im only 14 and live in austrtalia, when i went back to HK, it was at the cinemas so i watched it!! man it was sO GOOD!! even i understood the things...skill and masterfulness... :oops: haha my friends sed he saw a trailer for it in the cinemas here, so i dunno if i t will be released here but it will b crappier....as Chun Li sedd!!

cici bebe

07-06-2004, 08:52 PM

Kind of depressed with the ending.. And I didn't understand a lot of the beginning.. like the flashbacks and how they keep on getting stabbed. It was very very well done though.. good director.

iny

07-07-2004, 05:34 PM

i loved this movie!!! since i can't see any of these filme here a friend of my brother shipped it here. awesome!!! the photography of the movie was really good!! there is not much story but the colors the direcotr used, it was beautiful. don't even mention the actors, they were so good.! great film, i recommend it to anyone!

Chun Li

07-10-2004, 07:39 PM

Cici, a lot of the dreamlike states are kind of when they are talking to each other with their eyes. Since what Jet Li (nameless) told the Emperor were all lies, he was describing things that didn't happen, hence the dreamlike states of fighting. I cant even find this DVD in China! It's just not pirated for some reason!

zhy378

08-09-2004, 03:49 PM

ohhhhhhhhh.....Hero is gonna be in theatre in america, august 27th !!!! whoppee, aww too bad i already seen it like twice and have it too.hehe. guess i can let my friends borrow, hehe.

scarletwillow

08-09-2004, 04:33 PM

Yeah, I can't wait until its US release!
You're lucky though... you're in California...
It's only getting a limited release, right? = /
I probably won't be able to see it, since I'll be at my boarding school, which is in a REALLY small town.

I can't wait!!! I really wanna see this on the big screen...
The first time I saw it, I really didn't get it at all... the second time, I realized it was one of the best movies to come out of Asia these days. The special effects and martial arts are PERFECTLY integrated (except Zhang Ziyi really sucked in this movie at fighting, hehe)...
Casting was perfect as well. Jet Li proves that he's lost absolutely NOTHING over the years. Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung were sultry and kickass at the same time... they should join LQP :P

Donnie Yen is also one of my favorite actors/martial artists... his cameo in the beginning really helped set things off. The fights in the movie are absolutely art. This is what Arnold Scharzeneggar, Jean Claude Van Damme, and Sylvester Stallone CANNOT TOUCH.

I agree with Chun Li about it being a very Chinese film... the message in it is very, very true. In fact, it inspired me, a lot. Tian xia. It turned me into a nationalist.

I LOVE THIS FILM.

Apollo

08-09-2004, 04:49 PM

I think different parts of the world sharing their culture is great and all but... I don't think movies like this should even be released to Amercian and etc. I mean they don't grow up learning chinese culture like chinese people do and as much as I hate to say this, all Americans ever know about chinese people is that we eat rice.(And other cultures don't eat rice?) Hero was good, but they shouldn't bring it to the States and hope that Americans will understand it, because they won't, and prob won't even be bothered to try to understand. Just so annoying how companies bring movies over seas without even caring about how cultural differences will make the movie seem like crap, all they care about is money...

scarletwillow

08-10-2004, 11:56 PM

Yeah, I'm really scared about whether or not they'll be butchering the story.

And I think they will.
I HATE DISNEY
They're cutting a full 20 minutes from the damned movie.

http://alliance.hellninjacommando.net/cuts/hero.html

...
OMFG.
I just saw the commercial for it.

THEY STUCK QUENTIN TARANTINO'S NAME ON IT AND COMPLETELY BUTCHERED THE STORY.
They put in BIG BIG BIG WORDS: "QUENTIN TARANTINO PRESENTS"

WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!
He had NOTHING to do with this movie, maybe he supports it here, but they're giving the wrong message... he's NOT the director.
And they didn't mention the original director at all!

Phalanix

08-11-2004, 11:16 PM

Guess it's kind of like a catch 22. =\ For them to bring it over to NA, Quentin gets to put his name on it. *shrugs* But it's also a marketing strategy, guess they figure more people will go watch it if Quentin's name is on the movie. Especially after his success with Kill Bill. But I had the same reaction as you when I saw the trailer in the theatres - I was like, wtf?! o_O

I love this movie - the representation of colour in the different stories Jet Li tells the Emperor is absolutely beautiful.

scarletwillow

08-12-2004, 05:28 PM

= /
It's still inexcusable...
Jet Li's name and the beautiful cinematography should be enough to sell it -__-

Ugh!!!!!
So pissed -_-
Oh yeah, we should stick Wong Kar Wai's name on Titanic in Asia.

littlefishie

08-13-2004, 03:31 AM

Grrr... Stupid oscars... I'm still mad about it... Hero was soo much better than Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and that retarded movie got so many freakin' oscars while Hero got none... ><

scarletwillow

08-13-2004, 03:43 AM

CTHD really appealed to Western audiences, because Western critics are whores for internal character development. CTHD wasn't about flying and running around on trees as much as its character dynamic. There was a lot of tension... and I'm not just talking about sword-to-sword... I'm talking about social, sexual tension. CTHD was all about people who just can't express themselves. So it's pretty much an emotional thing... and that's what got people worked up--that you could choreograph every punch and kick and slash to have so much meaning... and still have a decent romance/action flick!

Hero, on the other hand, is very much a work of art. It's a very classical piece that Western audiences might have to strain a bit to understand. Anyone who's seen or heard of Akira Kurosawa's "Ran" also knows that its slightly derivative in its storytelling style.
Nevertheless, I consider it one of Asia's modern, understated masterpieces.

And Jet Li was ABSOLUTELY BADASS IN THE FILM!!!!!!!!!

roche

08-13-2004, 11:52 AM

i just watched House of Flying Daggers (starring takeshi kaneshiro :drool: and zhang ziyi and andy lau )

and it reminded me so much of hero....and crouching tiger hidden dragon as well...!!!!!!!!
there were so many scenes that looked so similar!!!!!
i guess its all zhang yi mou's style....

scarletwillow

08-13-2004, 05:57 PM

Was it good?
I heard it got some really bad reviews X_X

jakinni

08-13-2004, 06:01 PM

Funny I heard it got really good reviews, especially when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. :?

scarletwillow

08-13-2004, 07:27 PM

*reads a few more reviews*

Hmm, the reviews I've read are all by Western audiences, so that's probably why they've all been so-so. Oh well, they didn't like Hero much either -_-

natzo

08-14-2004, 12:27 AM

hero was a good movie. the only thing that bothers me is the fact that jet li is the hero. he didn't do jack! i think tony leung should have been the hero. he was the only one (out of them) who understood the war lord's actions and his visions affected jet li's decision in the end. but other than that, the movie was awesome. the cinematography was unbelievable.

LPx31

08-14-2004, 12:54 AM

Hero is a good movie. But I watched it on a DVD about a year ago. And now it's finally premiring in America. psshh. The movie was kinda confusing though. The characters died and came back to life. *shrug* I especially liked the end. When they shot the arrows and you can see the outline of the person on the wall. So diao. I heard som people saying that the makers of this movie was planning to change the ending to make a sequel, but I don't. It's probably not true.

littlefishie

08-14-2004, 01:24 AM

jakinni

08-31-2004, 06:30 PM

I just watched the movie again on my computer because of all the hype recently with it being releasedin NA!! It has gotten really good reviews (tomato meter = 94%). It's still so good to watch after all this time!!! Has anyone seen the longer director's cut version?? I'm thinking of downloading it and checking out what's different. This makes me want to watch it in the theatres now that it's out!!!!!!!!!!

Even though the stories are segmented, I think the whole movie really flowed well and the actors were able to portray such great emotion just from so few and simplistic lines. This is really great stuff. People can say it's has propagandistic undertones, but really, its ultimate message is still peace for "all under heaven" which is admirable. It may be saying that the greater good justified or excused the tyrannical ways of Qinshihuang, but perhaps it's also saying that if all of us, everyone in the world, thought of the greater good instead of only their own gains/hatreds/wants/needs, peace can really be achieved.

luvsfroot

09-01-2004, 03:30 AM

ooh i really want to watch it again, now that it's playing in theaters! i watched it after i watched the oscars last time and it was nominated for best foreign film. and i really liked it! i thought it was deep and i don't know if i really got the message from the first time i watched it so i need to rewatch it. i'm planning to do that sometime later this year. chun li, if you think knowing chinese history is that important, do you think i (or we, my friends and i are all gonna watch it together) should research it, so we'll understand the movie, the theme, the characters, etc. better? ... i can't wait to watch it again. it was so good (better than crouching tiger in my opinion). =D

bethie_me

09-01-2004, 03:52 AM

I was kinda pissed because I didn't realize that this film came out like two years ago and I could have just borrowed it from my friend instead of going to the theatres! There goes 11 dollars! But it is a lot more exciting on big screen. I thought it was a very attractive film with all the nice special effects and all. I love the part where Snow and Broken Sword's servant were fighting in the golden leaves. That part was so nice! Their costumes were very elegant too!

jessica

09-15-2004, 10:01 PM

yeah it finally came to the US... it was a box office hit for 2-3 weeks i think... it's different watching it in the theater because of better speakers... i just rewatched it a few days ago... i love how the director use vivid colors in this film.

neena

09-15-2004, 11:54 PM

I've seen this film!!! I rented it from a video store. Its very very good...especially the fighting scenes. And i also like how the colors they used during each fight....amazing film. i rather not go see it in american theaters...especailly if their gonna 'edit it' :-)

jessica

09-18-2004, 10:38 PM

i didn't go to the theaters to watch it yet... i might just wait for the DVD release of the amer. version... the chinese original version has the making of... too bad the subs are in chinese... i'll have to guess what the directors and actors are saying >.<

xinerz

09-19-2004, 04:19 AM

China - December 19, 2002

MiraMax bought the rights to release it in the US, but they're screwing the chinese over by CUTTING and EDITING IT!!!!! to "make is a better movie for american audiences." SEE? I told you americans wouldn't understand it. Totally pisses me off. Now they're going to cut it into a crap movie and make americans think chinese movies are just martial arts and no meaning. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid.

seriously~ that's what i heard from some of my azn friends too--my mom has it on dvd from wayyy back when when it first came out-so it's in chinese but i can understand it (i just haven't had a chance to watch it yet)

my white friends went and saw it and was like "wow, it was so beautiful. the chinese was gorgeous" =\......

yes yes yes!! it just makes americans think that EVERY SINGLE ASIAN MOVIE IS A FIGHTING MOVIE . :bang: gahhh!!! i was in my spanish class the other day (and it's spanish I, so it's filled with stoopid white underclassmen) and i was like 'balhblahalh, if i knew we were plain music, i would've brought in some azn hip hop, rap, soundtracks, etc etc" and this stoopid a## girl was like "you guys have RAP?!" ...... i responded with a "WE ARE A CULTURE, YOU KNO" i wanted to :ninjasta: her. GRRRR :rifle: and they didn't belive that we had SOAP OPERAS for heavens SAKE!!!