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Last night, courtesy of a mate, I obtained a copy of a film I've been trying to see for almost 2 years since I heard about it over the net.
It's been released in pretty much every country but here, mate bought me the DVD in Belgrade whilst visiting her family.
Directed by Yimou Zhang, Hero (aka Nameless/Ying xiong) tells the story of an man called "Nameless" (Jet Li), who arrives at the palace of the King of Qin to tell him how he has killed the King's three main enemies that have sought to slaughter him. The enemies, Broken Sword, Flying Snow & Silver Spear are the greatest assassins known in the land, and the king is intrigued as to how Nameless managed to defeat them.
So begins the film.
Nameless' stories are told in flashback form as to how he bested them.
And each flashback is colour co-ordinated, to seperate from each other.
Visually it is absolutely incredible, one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen.
One of the stories concerning Broken Sword & Flying Snow is red. All characters wear red, the decor is red, the sky is red...stunning and absolutely, incredibly beautiful.
A showdown in a forest, a fight amongst falling leaves and petals and, at the finale, the entire forest turns blood red.
Imagine Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - but with a visual imagination I've never, ever seen before, even in Chinese cinema.
The first encounter is between Nameless and Sky in a chess-house.
The fight is conducted "in the mind", and it puts any supposed cutting-edge CGI effects to shame.
Nameless running through frozen-in-time droplets of water, Sky upside down fighting.
It has the traditional wire-work, but it's done with style and panache with a showdown on a lake, swords breaking the water's surface only slightly etc.
Don't dismiss wire-work simply because The Matrix has introduced it to Westerners. To see Chinese cinema using it to show traditional character's movements through air and water, to demonstrate their harmony with the environment is a work of art.
The closest comparison I can think of, and it is ugly and clumsy and does not do Hero justice, is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
The end of the film, with them fighting in the tree-tops, rivers and clearings. Think that for 90 mins, a genius/amazing/beautiful/unbelievable work of cinema.
The assualt on Zhao Calligraphy school ranks as one of my personal favourite scenes of the last I-don't-know.
Thousands upon thousands (no CGI here, this is an epic) of archers (using their feet) launch hundreds of thousands of arrows towards the school.
A swarm, a black cloud of arrows flying, and Nameless and Flying Snow fighting them away.
Of course it's unbelievable, of course these people shouldn't be able to fight on a lake etc but that's the traditional Chinese folklore of these warriors. That's why the wire-work is amazing, because it's not just to make them flip really cool through the room, it's to enable them to run across mountains, skip over water and climb walls in mid-combat.
Hero/Nameless/Ying Xiong - if you are even slightly a fan of Chinese cinema or just incredible works of visual poetry, then try and find this film and get it.
If you think "Kung fu, wot like The Matrix? Wire work? Seen it", then stick with Kill Bill et al.
This isn't a kung-fu movie, I can't think of one instance of chop-socky.
This is swordsmanship, magic and beauty.
Here's some stills to try and show you what I mean by visual poetry:
http://outnow.ch/Media/Img/2002/Hero/
It's been released in pretty much every country but here, mate bought me the DVD in Belgrade whilst visiting her family.
Directed by Yimou Zhang, Hero (aka Nameless/Ying xiong) tells the story of an man called "Nameless" (Jet Li), who arrives at the palace of the King of Qin to tell him how he has killed the King's three main enemies that have sought to slaughter him. The enemies, Broken Sword, Flying Snow & Silver Spear are the greatest assassins known in the land, and the king is intrigued as to how Nameless managed to defeat them.
So begins the film.
Nameless' stories are told in flashback form as to how he bested them.
And each flashback is colour co-ordinated, to seperate from each other.
Visually it is absolutely incredible, one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen.
One of the stories concerning Broken Sword & Flying Snow is red. All characters wear red, the decor is red, the sky is red...stunning and absolutely, incredibly beautiful.
A showdown in a forest, a fight amongst falling leaves and petals and, at the finale, the entire forest turns blood red.
Imagine Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - but with a visual imagination I've never, ever seen before, even in Chinese cinema.
The first encounter is between Nameless and Sky in a chess-house.
The fight is conducted "in the mind", and it puts any supposed cutting-edge CGI effects to shame.
Nameless running through frozen-in-time droplets of water, Sky upside down fighting.
It has the traditional wire-work, but it's done with style and panache with a showdown on a lake, swords breaking the water's surface only slightly etc.
Don't dismiss wire-work simply because The Matrix has introduced it to Westerners. To see Chinese cinema using it to show traditional character's movements through air and water, to demonstrate their harmony with the environment is a work of art.
The closest comparison I can think of, and it is ugly and clumsy and does not do Hero justice, is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
The end of the film, with them fighting in the tree-tops, rivers and clearings. Think that for 90 mins, a genius/amazing/beautiful/unbelievable work of cinema.
The assualt on Zhao Calligraphy school ranks as one of my personal favourite scenes of the last I-don't-know.
Thousands upon thousands (no CGI here, this is an epic) of archers (using their feet) launch hundreds of thousands of arrows towards the school.
A swarm, a black cloud of arrows flying, and Nameless and Flying Snow fighting them away.
Of course it's unbelievable, of course these people shouldn't be able to fight on a lake etc but that's the traditional Chinese folklore of these warriors. That's why the wire-work is amazing, because it's not just to make them flip really cool through the room, it's to enable them to run across mountains, skip over water and climb walls in mid-combat.
Hero/Nameless/Ying Xiong - if you are even slightly a fan of Chinese cinema or just incredible works of visual poetry, then try and find this film and get it.
If you think "Kung fu, wot like The Matrix? Wire work? Seen it", then stick with Kill Bill et al.
This isn't a kung-fu movie, I can't think of one instance of chop-socky.
This is swordsmanship, magic and beauty.
Here's some stills to try and show you what I mean by visual poetry:
http://outnow.ch/Media/Img/2002/Hero/
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Excellent - I was trying to think of the name of this film the other day and was preparing to submerge myself in the old threads to find this topic.
It really does rule.
Even though I've got it on DVD, if I get the chance to see it in the cinema I'll be there.
It's visually one of the finest films I've seen since...well...ever.
Stunning choreography, incredible set-pieces and it's just bloody vast. Even a shot like Nameless approaching the palace at the beginning...thousands of monks line the stairs. Not CGI Computer Man, but thousands of real people.
The Archers of Qin...the forest episode...the finale in green...
But be warned, if you didn't like the "flying fights" in CTHD, you'll hate this movie.
People deflect thousands of arrows by spinning and dancing, they face-off on the surface of a lake and bound across the surface, suspend upside down from the ceiling and continue to swordfight without losing a moment, freeze time and burst the water droplets (Revolutions *borrowed* this, I'm convinced of it).
Fantastic film with a real heart amongst the stunning swordfights.
NOT kung-fu, it's master swordsmen/women.
Even though I've got it on DVD, if I get the chance to see it in the cinema I'll be there.
It's visually one of the finest films I've seen since...well...ever.
Stunning choreography, incredible set-pieces and it's just bloody vast. Even a shot like Nameless approaching the palace at the beginning...thousands of monks line the stairs. Not CGI Computer Man, but thousands of real people.
The Archers of Qin...the forest episode...the finale in green...
But be warned, if you didn't like the "flying fights" in CTHD, you'll hate this movie.
People deflect thousands of arrows by spinning and dancing, they face-off on the surface of a lake and bound across the surface, suspend upside down from the ceiling and continue to swordfight without losing a moment, freeze time and burst the water droplets (Revolutions *borrowed* this, I'm convinced of it).
Fantastic film with a real heart amongst the stunning swordfights.
NOT kung-fu, it's master swordsmen/women.
That sounds pretty awesome actually. Any news of it being released over here, or will I have to import if I want to seen it?
Not sure if my brother's DVD player is multi-region, mind.
Not sure if my brother's DVD player is multi-region, mind.
Goatboy wrote:
> Last night, courtesy of a mate, I obtained a copy of a film I've been
> trying to see for almost 2 years since I heard about it over the
> net.
> It's been released in pretty much every country but here, mate bought
> me the DVD in Belgrade whilst visiting her family.
http://www.monkeypeaches.com/HERODVD.html#B $12.99 delivered. Bought.
This is the dvd 9 version for $5.99
It goes down to $1.99 for a vcd.
Bloody hell.
And its region free. Sweet.
Thanks for reminding me about this Goaty.
> Last night, courtesy of a mate, I obtained a copy of a film I've been
> trying to see for almost 2 years since I heard about it over the
> net.
> It's been released in pretty much every country but here, mate bought
> me the DVD in Belgrade whilst visiting her family.
http://www.monkeypeaches.com/HERODVD.html#B $12.99 delivered. Bought.
This is the dvd 9 version for $5.99
It goes down to $1.99 for a vcd.
Bloody hell.
And its region free. Sweet.
Thanks for reminding me about this Goaty.
cdwow.com does the 2 disc official edition for 10.99
quite a lot of HK/Japan/Korean movies found on the net are actually just mass pirate copies that look the part.
i bought this ages ago...i was actually in hong kong when the film was released in the cinemas, but never got to see it because i had too many places to go.
quite a lot of HK/Japan/Korean movies found on the net are actually just mass pirate copies that look the part.
i bought this ages ago...i was actually in hong kong when the film was released in the cinemas, but never got to see it because i had too many places to go.
beanz wrote:
> cdwow.com does the 2 disc official edition for 10.99
Aye, but its a region 3, and although I think I can handset hack my player, I can't guarantee it.
> quite a lot of HK/Japan/Korean movies found on the net are actually
> just mass pirate copies that look the part.
Well, the site says it is copyrighted, but if its not, to be honst I'm really not that bothered. I paid in good faith. ;)
> cdwow.com does the 2 disc official edition for 10.99
Aye, but its a region 3, and although I think I can handset hack my player, I can't guarantee it.
> quite a lot of HK/Japan/Korean movies found on the net are actually
> just mass pirate copies that look the part.
Well, the site says it is copyrighted, but if its not, to be honst I'm really not that bothered. I paid in good faith. ;)
But Mel Gibson isn't in it, so Jet Li can't be grrrrevil enough.
Pandaemonium wrote:
> (some useful stuff, including a link)
*****
Bought.
*goes to watch Futurama while he waits*
> (some useful stuff, including a link)
*****
Bought.
*goes to watch Futurama while he waits*
Timmargh wrote:
> *goes to watch Futurama while he waits*
And a frustrating wait 'twill be. }:(
I hate ordering from abroad.
Still. I will have spaced 1 and 2 next week, to tide me over.
> *goes to watch Futurama while he waits*
And a frustrating wait 'twill be. }:(
I hate ordering from abroad.
Still. I will have spaced 1 and 2 next week, to tide me over.
I have a dog I can throw a ball for - that usually kills an hour or two.
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