Special Edition
Disney / Buena Vista | 2002 | 99 mins. | Rated PG-13
Awe inspiring. Even those new or indifferent to the martial arts genre have been blown away by Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s Hero, an internationally acclaimed cinematic masterpiece that continues to amaze, even seven years after the films initial release. Filmed against some of the most breathtaking backdrops in the world, Hero in high definition will be an early holiday gift for fans of the genre but also a great way for those not so interested, to witness what a great martial arts film can be. Like most martial arts movies, Hero sets a deliberate pace and contains the expected swordplay. However, aided by a memorable score by Tan Dan and a solid script, the film tells a rather poignant tale.
In ancient China during the Warring States, the nameless prefect of a small jurisdiction (Jet Li) earns an audience with a reclusive emperor (Chen Daoming) after defeating three deadly assassins. The script by Li Feng, Zhang Yimou, and Wang Bin takes almost a Rashomon approach as the warrior describes his physical and psychological battle with a spear-wielding strategist named Sky (Donnie Yen), the tricks he used to get rid of master swordsman, Broken Sword (Tony Leung), and the manner in which he took advantage of Sword’s confidant and lover, Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung). The emperor quickly suspects that the nameless warrior isn’t bring entirely truthful and shoots down various aspects of his story. Undaunted, the nameless warrior simply offers up a new version of his tale. Soon enough, as the king reveals details of his own encounters with the assassins, both men are forced to come to terms with their pasts and make a difficult decision that will affect their future.
Some contend that the script simply provides the vehicle to present incredible landscapes and stunning martial arts sequences. Others such as myself, contend that it’s a cinematic masterpiece; with its multi-layered narrative, artistry and thought provoking themes. Admittedly, the plot does meander at times but it never drifts off course, always keeping the ending in sight. Every detail in the nameless warrior’s story, truth or lie, offers a clue a clue as to his motivations. The films visuals offer even more; the deep reds, that swarm Broken Sword and Flying Snow’s romance reveals the nature of their spirits, while the crisp greens that undergird their failed attack on Qin’s palace showcase the conflict in their souls. Frankly, every inch of the production, from the sets to the music is rife with clues. Yimou brings it all together to create a film that is bound to resonate with many audience members for years to come.
Disney’s 1080p/AVC-encoded high definition encode is a solid, if not reference quality transfer. The colors are fabulous—reds pop, blues sing, and taut greens pierce the eyes–while contrast and black levels are even. Detail is soft overall but textures are revealing. The persistence of faint artifacting and other compression anomalies is noticeable and unfortunate. While the Blu-ray is far better than any previous release, some ardent fans are bound to to be disappointed by the digital anomalies.
Oddly, Disney and Miramax havegiven Hero’s English dub a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, yet given its original Mandarin mix a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track (640kbps); one that hinders the impact of Tan Dun’s score and the film’s sound design. Fans will nevertheless enjoy the sonic majesty of Zhang Yimou’s masterpiece regardless of which track they choose. Dialogue is bold, intelligible, and nicely prioritized, and lighter effects – arrows and spear thrusts, — are clean. Ambience and interior acoustics are strong as well.
The Special Edition Blu-ray release of Hero arrives with the same supplemental package that appears on the concurrently released 2009 DVD.
• Hero Defined (SD, 24 minutes): Standard EPK with interviews and film clips.
• Inside the Action (SD, 14 minutes): A conversation between Hero star Jet Li and Kill Bill director Quentin Tarantino.
• Close-up of a Fight Scene (SD, 9 minutes): The cover art touts the addition of this exclusive featurette, but it provides little more than a glimpse into a handful of Hero’s action sequences.
• Storyboards (SD, 5 minutes): Several scenes are compared to their corresponding storyboards.
• Soundtrack Promo (SD, 1 minute): A quick commercial for the film’s soundtrack.
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