Beauty of ‘Hero’ goes beyond ages

Evan Marmol

In describing a film that is an unfathomable masterpiece, one finds

that it can be likened to capturing the indescribable delight of a

shooting star with a Polaroid picture.

“Hero” evokes those same stellar proportions of emotion. It is an

elegant ballet; an amalgam of unparalleled grace, brutality and

humanity. The film is an aesthetic feast for the eyes and a

thoughtful embrace for the heart. It possesses an eloquent poetic

majesty that wills all of the senses to succumb as if the entire film

is completely self-possessed and cathartic at any and all moments.

The premise stems from an ancient fable of how the Qin Dynasty

unified China facilitated by an inscrutable nameless hero (Jet Li).

This hero assassinates the most pernicious adversaries of the

dynasty. Upon hearing of this man’s unrivaled talents and acclaim, he

is summoned to the imperial palace to recount the specifics of his

quests and his successes where thousands had failed.

At this point the film uses impeccable finesse to seamlessly unite

the form and ambience in a manner that completely enthralls the

audience. The imagery of flowing gowns and glinting blades is

breathtaking. As the king and the nameless hero conduct a verbal

chess match, it only serves to segue into countless ineffably

phenomenal sequences of events.

As the film transpires, other emotion devices are utilized deftly.

Treachery, deceit, love and understanding are all embodied in the

nuances of the characters. In our modern age of filmmaking, the genre

is the painless manner in which films are described, produced and

directed. This is an uncomplicated tactic, but “Hero” proves that

something unclassifiable is not tethered to the ordinary rules.

Characters and narratives can be multidimensional. A film can be

violent, mesmerizing, intense and simultaneously thoughtful and

provocative.

“Hero” is more than just an unexpected delight, it is a film that

comes around about once every dynasty.

* EVAN MARMOL is Laguna Beach resident. He graduated from UC

Irvine with a degree in psychology and social behavior. He can be

reached at Evan_Marmol@hotmail.com.