Hero (2002)

A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.

Director:

Yimou Zhang

Writers:

Feng Li (screenplay), Yimou Zhang (screenplay)

Stars:

Jet Li, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Maggie Cheung

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 46 wins & 47 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jet Li	...	Nameless
Tony Chiu-Wai Leung	...	Broken Sword (as Tony Leung Chiu-Wai)
Maggie Cheung	...	Flying Snow (as Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk)
Ziyi Zhang	...	Moon (as Zhang Ziyi)
Daoming Chen	...	King (as Chen Dao Ming)
Donnie Yen	...	Sky
Zhongyuan Liu	...	Scholar (as Liu Zhong Yuan)
Tianyong Zheng	...	Old Servant (as Zheng Tian Yong)
Yan Qin	...	Prime Minister
Chang Xiao Yang	...	General
Yakun Zhang	...	Commander (as Zhang Ya Kun)
Ma Wen Hua	...	Head Eunuch
Jin Ming	...	Eunuch
Xu Kuang Hua	...	Pianist
Shou Xin Wang	...	Musician

Storyline

Ancient China and the Qin Empire is out to conquer the six kingdoms. This makes its king a target for assassination. However, one man has single-handedly ensured the safety of the king, by killing the three most notorious assassins in the land. Treated as a hero, he is summoned for an audience with the king.

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Plot Keywords:

3rd century b.c. | assassin | ancient china | wuxia | warrioress | 

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Taglines:

Kono kuni wa mada, hontô no hero wo shiranai [Japan] (This land doesn't know a real hero. Yet.)

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for stylized martial arts violence and a scene of sensuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

All of the soldiers in the Qin army sequence as well as the palace sequences were performed by actual Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers, except the stunt performers. It's estimated that 18000 were used as extras in the film.

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Goofs

Obvious stunt double for The King in fighting scenes.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Nameless: [voiceover] I was orphaned at a young age and was never given a name. People simply called me Nameless. With no family name to live up to, I devoted myself to the sword. I spent ten years perfecting unique skills as a swordsman. The King of Qin has summoned me to court, for what I have accomplished has astonished the kingdom.

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Alternate Versions

The Director's Cut was 107:15 minutes, compared to the theatrical version at 96:23 minutes.

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Connections

Referenced in Sivaji (2007)

User Reviews

Some of the most astonishing cinematography I've ever seen.

Some reviewers have suggested that the storyline of this movie is a bit plodding and portentous, and I'd be willing to allow that. But even if this film had absolutely no plot to speak of, I would have considered the money I plunked down yesterday to see "Hero" to be money well-spent, because I have been witness to some of the most achingly beautiful film-making I've ever seen. As in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," the characters here fly through the air and dance across water, but "Crouching Tiger" surely could have benefited from the sublime camera eye of "Hero." One scene of swordplay in particular that takes place in a grove of trees amongst swirling yellow leaves almost stopped my heart in my chest: It was that gorgeous. And yes, there is a plot also, one that involves various assassins with names like Sky, and Broken Sword, and Flying Snow. I have to admit that the tales and counter-tales told were a bit confusing at first, but by the time the film is over, all the pieces have fallen into place, and this chapter of ancient Chinese history has assumed a truly mythical quality. At a time when movie theaters show a lot of utter dreck, we ought to be supporting movies like this.

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax [United States]

Country:

China Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

27 August 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Quentin Tarantino Presents Hero

Filming Locations:

Dunhuang, Gansu, China

Box Office

Budget:

$31,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,800,000, 29 August 2004

Gross USA:

$53,710,019

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$177,395,557

Company Credits

Production Co:

Beijing New Picture Film Co., China Film Co-Production Corporation, Elite Group Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 107 min (Director's Cut) 96 min (Theatrical Version) 94 min (Amazon Video)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1