Movie Review: Hero

The film is unique and features rich and expressive colour symbolism… and a score that manages to be both serene and intense…

Written by Usman Bello

Published on March 27, 2023

Hero is a visually stunning martial arts film written and directed by the legendary Zhang Yimou. It follows a character referred to simply as “Nameless” (Jet Li), who recounts his heroic feats to the King of Qin (Chen Daoming).

Nameless

However, the plot is not as straightforward as this synopsis might suggest. Despite its complexity, I found the film’s narrative enjoyable and easy to understand. In fact, I would argue that the complexity adds to the film’s appeal, as part of the fun is trying to decipher the meaning of each plot and their background politics and philosophy.

Jet-li and Donnie Yen

Thankfully, the film’s cinematography makes it easy to follow along visually. The film is unique and features rich and expressive colour symbolism, epic costume designs, mesmerizing choreography, and a score that manages to be both serene and intense at varying and appropriate moments, all of which add up to a beautiful and satisfactory cinematic experience.

However, some barriers may prevent some viewers from enjoying the film. The first is that some of the characters can sometimes be somewhat stereotypical, with overly dramatic dialogue. Despite this, the actors, including Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, and Chen Daoming, deliver strong and memorable performances that are hard not to be moved by.

Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung

The second barrier is the film’s pacing. While I generally prefer slow-paced films, there were moments where I felt the narrative unfolded as if it could never run out of run time.

Zhang Ziyi

Overall, if you can look past these barriers and are in the mood to enjoy a film that delivers a masterclass experience in visual storytelling, then you definitely need to watch Hero.

Usman Bello

Two years ago, if you had asked me, I would have probably said that I wasn't a writer. I had imposter syndrome and considered myself just a reader. But what I didn't realize then was that I was a writer all along. Whenever I wrote anything, I felt liberated. The thoughts that were once jumbled in my head became clear words that captured my feelings and insights. However, my love for reading never diminished. Now, I believe I am a perfect blend of both—a reader who loves to write and a writer craving more to read. You'll find in this literary haven my thoughts, musings, and insights on books and literary elements. Through blogs and book reviews, I explore what works and what doesn't across the fantasy fiction genres, still learning and growing with each page read and written.