Appearance
Ying Xiong (Hero)
Directed by Zhang Yimou, Hero (2002) is a visually ravishing Chinese martial arts epic told through a series of nested, color-coded flashbacks. Jet Li stars as a nameless warrior who arrives at the palace of the King of Qin (Chen Daoming) to report that he has defeated three legendary assassins — Broken Sword (Tony Leung), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), and Sky (Donnie Yen) — who had threatened the king's life. As each version of events unfolds in a different color scheme, the film slowly reveals its deeper meditations on sacrifice, loyalty, and the nature of heroism.
The film's breathtaking visuals were the result of an extraordinary collaboration between Zhang and cinematographer Christopher Doyle, shot across locations ranging from purpose-built studio sets to remote deserts and mountain lakes in China.
Location(s)
Hero was filmed at a combination of the enormous Hengdian World Studios complex in Zhejiang Province and dramatic real landscapes in remote northwestern China.
Hengdian World Studios, Hengdian, Zhejiang Province
The vast Qin palace — the largest film set in China at the time — where Nameless spins his tale for the King was built for Chen Kaige's The Emperor and the Assassin and reused for this film at Hengdian World Studios, an 800-acre complex in Hengdiang, Zhejiang. The rain-soaked chess house where Nameless fights Sky was also constructed at Hengdian. The studios have hosted productions including Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Map Location
Dangjin Mountain, Aksai, near Dunhuang, Gansu Province
The attack on the calligraphy school — and the extraordinary wind-blasted desert rock formations known locally as "Devil City" — were filmed at Dangjin Mountain near old Dunhuang City in China's remote northwest, near Mongolia. The area's dramatic yadan landforms were virtually inaccessible before roads were built for the production, and have since become a promoted tourist destination. Map Location
Jiuzhaigou Valley, Sichuan Province
The legendary lake sequence — the climactic chess match between Broken Sword and Sky, reflected in a perfectly still mountain lake — was filmed at one of China's most spectacular natural landscapes, with mountains mirrored in the water's surface. Map Location
Director
Zhang Yimou
Cast
Jet Li
Tony Leung Chiu-wai
Maggie Cheung
Chen Daoming
Donnie Yen
Zhang Ziyi
IMDB
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