Post by klep on Oct 25, 2021 15:37:12 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 10/25: Hero
A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW WEEK!
Like a lot young men at the time, I was already something of a Jet Li fan when marketing for Hero started, but in my budding cinephilia it was the bold colors in the trailer which instantly drew my attention. I hadn't - to that point - seen a film which had made such aggressive and deliberate use of color in that way. I was entranced, and when I finally got to watch the film it did not disappoint.
Hero consists of several sequences each dominated by a color: black, red, blue, green, and white. Some scenes are seen multiple times dominated by different colors with slight differences depending on who is retelling them and why. Supposedly director Zhang Yimou had no symbolic intentions with the colors, but it's hard not to feel the emotions that we frequently see come with them. The black of the framing sequences suggests the rigidity and ruthlessness of Qin, the red sequence is dominated by feelings of lust and anger, the blue by melancholy and regret, the green by a desire for a simpler and more natural life, and the white suggests the purity of the truth.
The colors and Christopher Doyle's cinematography elevate the balletic wire-fu and great performances from similarly beautiful people like Donnie Yen, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, and Zhang Ziyi alongside Jet Li and Chen Daoming. The film is a stunning visual treat that is a joy to just let wash over your eyeballs.
Hero is loosely based on the story of Jing Ke, a man who attempted to assassinate King Zheng of Qin, the man who would unify China, and is framed as stories told during a conversation between the two men. Nameless (Jet Li) is brought before the King of Qin (Chen Daoming) to be rewarded for having killed the assassins who have repeatedly tried to kill the king. In gratitude, Nameless is allowed to approach within 10 paces of the king to tell the story of how he accomplished these feats. The King realizes too late that Nameless is lying and really came to assassinate him but Nameless has had a change of heart and leaves the King to live, realizing that the King's goal of a unified China will ultimately cause less suffering than the endless wars of the divided kingdoms. It's a wonderfully poetic story - a warrior gives up his quest for revenge and for his nation's liberty knowing that while the violence will continue in the short term, in the longer term he is breaking the cycle of never-ending war.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 11/2: Where Is My Friend's House?
MENA FILM WEEK!
Next week we'll be traveling to Iran for Abbas Kiarostami's Where Is My Friend's House? (aka Where Is the Friend's House?). Be sure to join us next week for our discussion of this flim by one of the greatest filmmakers from Iran or anywhere else, currently unavailable for streaming.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 10/26: Lawrence of Arabia
Next week the podcast kicks off a pairing focusing on Dune and another film about a white man who went into the desert to foment a rebellion, David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia. Join us Wednesday for our discussion of Lawrence of Arabia, available for rent at the usual places.
A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW WEEK!
Like a lot young men at the time, I was already something of a Jet Li fan when marketing for Hero started, but in my budding cinephilia it was the bold colors in the trailer which instantly drew my attention. I hadn't - to that point - seen a film which had made such aggressive and deliberate use of color in that way. I was entranced, and when I finally got to watch the film it did not disappoint.
Hero consists of several sequences each dominated by a color: black, red, blue, green, and white. Some scenes are seen multiple times dominated by different colors with slight differences depending on who is retelling them and why. Supposedly director Zhang Yimou had no symbolic intentions with the colors, but it's hard not to feel the emotions that we frequently see come with them. The black of the framing sequences suggests the rigidity and ruthlessness of Qin, the red sequence is dominated by feelings of lust and anger, the blue by melancholy and regret, the green by a desire for a simpler and more natural life, and the white suggests the purity of the truth.
The colors and Christopher Doyle's cinematography elevate the balletic wire-fu and great performances from similarly beautiful people like Donnie Yen, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, and Zhang Ziyi alongside Jet Li and Chen Daoming. The film is a stunning visual treat that is a joy to just let wash over your eyeballs.
Hero is loosely based on the story of Jing Ke, a man who attempted to assassinate King Zheng of Qin, the man who would unify China, and is framed as stories told during a conversation between the two men. Nameless (Jet Li) is brought before the King of Qin (Chen Daoming) to be rewarded for having killed the assassins who have repeatedly tried to kill the king. In gratitude, Nameless is allowed to approach within 10 paces of the king to tell the story of how he accomplished these feats. The King realizes too late that Nameless is lying and really came to assassinate him but Nameless has had a change of heart and leaves the King to live, realizing that the King's goal of a unified China will ultimately cause less suffering than the endless wars of the divided kingdoms. It's a wonderfully poetic story - a warrior gives up his quest for revenge and for his nation's liberty knowing that while the violence will continue in the short term, in the longer term he is breaking the cycle of never-ending war.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 11/2: Where Is My Friend's House?
MENA FILM WEEK!
Next week we'll be traveling to Iran for Abbas Kiarostami's Where Is My Friend's House? (aka Where Is the Friend's House?). Be sure to join us next week for our discussion of this flim by one of the greatest filmmakers from Iran or anywhere else, currently unavailable for streaming.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 10/26: Lawrence of Arabia
Next week the podcast kicks off a pairing focusing on Dune and another film about a white man who went into the desert to foment a rebellion, David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia. Join us Wednesday for our discussion of Lawrence of Arabia, available for rent at the usual places.