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IMDbPro

Hero

Original title: Ying xiong
  • 20022002
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
181K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,750
344
Hero (2002)
Trailer
Play trailer1:52
3 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Drama
A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
181K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,750
344
  • Director
    • Yimou Zhang
  • Writers
    • Feng Li(screenplay)
    • Yimou Zhang(screenplay)
    • Bin Wang(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Jet Li
    • Tony Chiu-Wai Leung
    • Maggie Cheung
Top credits
  • Director
    • Yimou Zhang
  • Writers
    • Feng Li(screenplay)
    • Yimou Zhang(screenplay)
    • Bin Wang(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Jet Li
    • Tony Chiu-Wai Leung
    • Maggie Cheung
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 894User reviews
    • 158Critic reviews
    • 85Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 46 wins & 48 nominations total

    Videos3

    Hero
    Trailer 1:52
    Hero
    Hero
    Trailer 1:45
    Hero
    Hero
    Trailer 1:52
    Hero

    Photos451

    Maggie Cheung and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung in Hero (2002)
    Ziyi Zhang in Hero (2002)
    Maggie Cheung in Hero (2002)
    Jet Li in Hero (2002)
    Maggie Cheung in Hero (2002)
    Jet Li in Hero (2002)
    Tony Chiu-Wai Leung in Hero (2002)
    Maggie Cheung in Hero (2002)
    Donnie Yen at an event for Hero (2002)
    Clive Owen at an event for Hero (2002)
    Clive Owen at an event for Hero (2002)
    David Carradine at an event for Hero (2002)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jet Li
    Jet Li
    • Namelessas Nameless
    Tony Chiu-Wai Leung
    Tony Chiu-Wai Leung
    • Broken Swordas Broken Sword
    • (as Tony Leung Chiu-Wai)
    Maggie Cheung
    Maggie Cheung
    • Flying Snowas Flying Snow
    • (as Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk)
    Ziyi Zhang
    Ziyi Zhang
    • Moonas Moon
    • (as Zhang Ziyi)
    Daoming Chen
    Daoming Chen
    • Kingas King
    • (as Chen Dao Ming)
    Donnie Yen
    Donnie Yen
    • Skyas Sky
    Zhongyuan Liu
    • Scholaras Scholar
    • (as Liu Zhong Yuan)
    Tianyong Zheng
    • Old Servantas Old Servant
    • (as Zheng Tian Yong)
    Yan Qin
    Yan Qin
    • Prime Ministeras Prime Minister
    Chang Xiao Yang
    • Generalas General
    Yakun Zhang
    • Commanderas Commander
    • (as Zhang Ya Kun)
    Ma Wen Hua
    • Head Eunuchas Head Eunuch
    Jin Ming
    • Eunuchas Eunuch
    Xu Kuang Hua
    • Pianistas Pianist
    Shou Xin Wang
    • Musicianas Musician
    Heizi
    • Seven Qin Guardsas Seven Qin Guards
    • (as Hei Zi)
    Hua Cao
    • Seven Qin Guardsas Seven Qin Guards
    Lei Li
    • Seven Qin Guardsas Seven Qin Guards
    • Director
      • Yimou Zhang
    • Writers
      • Feng Li(screenplay)
      • Yimou Zhang(screenplay)
      • Bin Wang(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The "red fight" between Moon and Flying-Snow was filmed in a forest in Mongolia. Director Yimou Zhang had to wait until the leaves turn yellow, and hired local nomads to gather even more yellow leaves in order to cover the ground completely. In fact, he was so fanatic about the leaves, that he had his crew separate the leaves into four different "classes" which were each put at increasingly farther lengths from the camera.
    • Goofs
      At the beginning of the movie, subtitles state that China was divided into seven warring states. At the end, the subtitles then state that "the King of Qin" unified China, without specifying which one. Historically, the king that was the one to unite all of the Chinese states was Ying Zheng (later changed name to Shi Huang Di) who inherited the throne from his deceased father at age 13 (as opposed to the age of the king in the movie). At the time, Ying Zheng began to rule China, the seven states were already reduced to two larger states (Qin and Chu) which was later dominated by Qin when Ying Zheng was 22 years old. It is therefore impossible for the same king shown in the movie to be the king that united all the Chinese states, although the end-note is semantically correct.
    • Quotes

      King of Qin: I have just come to a realization! This scroll by Broken Sword contains no secrets of his swordsmanship. What this reveals is his highest ideal. In the first state, man and sword become one and each other. Here, even a blade of grass can be used as a lethal weapon. In the next stage, the sword resides not in the hand but in the heart. Even without a weapon, the warrior can slay his enemy from a hundred paces. But the ultimate ideal is when the sword disappears altogether. The warrior embraces all around him. The desire to kill no longer exists. Only peace remains.

    • Alternate versions
      The Director's Cut was 107:15 minutes, compared to the theatrical version at 96:23 minutes.
    • Connections
      Edited into Ying xiong: Cause - The Birth of Hero (2002)

    User reviews894

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    A most beautifully questionable film
    After two years of hearing about the myth of the most expensive Chinese film ever made, Hero has finally floated on to British cinema screens. As it flies, it trails a coloured cloth that carries the film's numerous morals and messages which descend upon you like a soft layer of fabric. This is a film that can lift your spirits and have you laughing out in sheer joy as you gaze in wonder at the perfection of the mise-en-scene and cinematography. That is, if you let the film take you on a journey, without pondering the films questionable plot points.

    Hero is two sides of a tale as presented by Nameless (Jet Li), a mere Prefect who defeated three deadly assassins, and the King of Qin (Daoming Chen), the man the assassins wished to kill. Nameless weaves his heroic though modest story of how he killed the assassins, but the King remains unconvinced, spinning his own version of how he believed events unfolded.

    Director Yimou Zhang takes us through Nameless' story first, spreading the battle sequences thick, allowing them to take their own time. In the King's version, certain battles are then revised, which is remarkably brave considering that some battles are utter fabrications. In one such fictitious fight, in a faultlessly designed set, Nameless and Sky (Donnie Yen) close their eyes and fight out the battle within their minds. Screen time is being spent lavishly on showing how two characters contemplated a fight, whilst fighting each other in a battle that never occurred. It is confusing certainly, but perhaps Zhang wished for his audience to get lost in the plot's design so that they would not question the warrantability of half of the battle sequences, which make up most of the film.

    Yet, it is difficult to ponder these details when they are made so utterly insignificant when viewing such a spectacle. The sheer beauty of the battles, the gentle floating of the assassins as they fly around their arenas (which range from a forest full of orange leafed trees, crisp leaves falling down to the ground like rain, to the crystal clear and calm of a mountain lake), the costumes of characters at varying stages in the story line (red for passion, green for youth, white for truth, blue for love), the amazing army scenes which feature thousands of arrows being fired into the sky to create a black cloud that descends right on top of the camera, all these elements combine to produce a faultlessly perfect image on the screen, each frame a worthy photograph that gently reminds you why cinema is the greatest art form of the twentieth century.

    And characterisation is not lost in this beauty as one may have feared. Despite the irritating two dimensional performance of Zhang Ziyi as Moon, the other actors carry off fine performances, especially Tony Leung Chiu Wai as Broken Sword and Daoming Chen as the King. Their performances are especially credible as they are often drowning in the memories of the King and Nameless - they need to change slight mannerisms in order to reflect whose mind they are now in.

    The script too is of an impressively high standard. The moments of clarity that the warriors feel are experienced by the audience also, and there are some very informed outlooks of the emptiness of warfare, communicating that to achieve peace, sometimes war is the only option. These messages of course seem fitting in our current times, underlining how ancient some of the methods of our governing body truly are.

    Hero is undoubtedly a most beautiful and awe inspiring film. What it lacks in plot substance, it makes up for with structure and script. It elaborates on the ground work created by 'Crouching Tiger' and is an experience that I would encourage you to seek out, as long as you are willing to submit to the film and let it guide you through its world on its own terms.

    Rating: 4/5
    helpful•120
    49
    • the_usual_suspect
    • Dec 24, 2004

    FAQ11

    • Why did the king tell his own version of events if he didn't even know what happened until just a few moments ago when he realized Nameless' plan?
    • Was the king a dictator?
    • Did the king really had to kill Nameless at the end?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 27, 2004 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • China
      • Hong Kong
    • Official site
      • Miramax (United States)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Mandarin
    • Also known as
      • Jet Li's Hero
    • Filming locations
      • Dunhuang, Gansu, China
    • Production companies
      • Edko Films
      • Zhang Yimou Studio
      • China Film Co-Production Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $31,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $53,710,019
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $17,800,000
      • Aug 29, 2004
    • Gross worldwide
      • $177,395,557
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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