One of the great action epics of Asian cinema, Zhang Yimou’s breath-taking Hero updates the Wuxia classics of the 1960s and 70s in what is one of the most visually arresting films ever made.
In Hero, Jet Li plays a nameless warrior granted an audience with the king, so that he can relay how he defeated the great warriors known as Broken Sword (Tony Leung), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung) and Moon (Zhang Ziyi). Interspersed with some of the most breath-taking, balletic fight sequences ever committed to film, Nameless’ tale is interrupted as the two argue over the truth of the warrior’s story, in the process exploring the forces that forge history, myths, and nations.
Shot in incredible colour by master cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Zhang Yimou’s film is an extraordinary conflation of violence and grace. One of cinema’s most extraordinary big screen experiences, Hero is presented here from a luscious 35mm print.
This programme takes place as part of the BFI’s nationwide Art of Action season, a BFI FAN initiative supported through National Lottery.
