The following are brief movie reviews of "Hero," "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid," and "Uncovered: The War on Iraq." Hero
An enigmatic swordsman must defeat three rivals in order to bring lasting peace to a war-torn land in the visually stunning "Hero."
Combining spectacular martial arts action sequences with multi-layered storytelling, director Zhang Yimou has crafted a piece of epic filmmaking as dramatically involving as it is aesthetically arresting.
Set in ancient China during an age known as the "Warring States Period" -- when the country was divided into a patchwork-quilt of seven feudal kingdoms -- the fable centers on the far-reaching ambitions of a determined warlord (Chen Dao Ming) obsessed with conquering the other six states and uniting them under his hegemony.
The ongoing power struggle has left the land devastated by unending bloodshed; it has also made the king a constant target of assassins, in particular a notorious trio of three legendary killers: Sky (Donnie Yen) and the famed duo-of-death, Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) and his lover, Snow (Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk).
To anyone who can best the three would-be-assassins in mortal combat, the king has promised wealth, titles and a private audience. As it turns out, the man who finds himself sitting within spitting -- or stabbing -- distance from the grateful, but suspicious, soon-to-be first Emperor of China is an anonymous country sheriff known only as Nameless (Jet Li).
Part romance, part revenge tale, "Hero" is actually told in reverse, with Nameless recounting his victories over the treacherous triad through flashbacks. Ripping a page from Akira Kurosawa's 1950 black-and-white classic, "Rashomon," the film then retraces its narrative footprints, retelling the same events from different perspectives -- each shot using a different dominant color scheme -- though until the end viewers are not sure which version is true. Coloring the truth -- literally -- "Hero" is a sumptuous symphony for the eyes, with crimson crescendos and diminuendos in hushed hues of ice blue.
Yimou has already proven skillful in mastering human drama and emotional intimacy, having directed such quietly alluring films as "Raise the Red Lantern" (1992) and "To Live" (1994). But here he demonstrates that he is equally adept at action sequences, imbuing the gravity-defying sword duels with a visual elegance akin to Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000). The film boasts several breathtakingly beautiful martial-arts centerpieces, each more intoxicating than the last, including blade ballets in a golden grove of trees erupting in peak autumnal splendor, above a placid mountain lake and in a palace chamber amid flowing emerald banners.
Beyond its cinematic bravura, "Hero" is buttressed by timeless themes of love and honor, inspired by a mix of history and myth. Despite its stylistic swordplay, the film, in extolling dovish self-sacrifice over hawkish aggression, becomes a poetic polemic against the obscenity -- and futility -- of war. Late in the film, a most unlikely pacifist asks, "Is the sword the only answer?" In posing the question, Yimou echoes the Christian call for peace, challenging viewers to reject violence.
In one scene, the king studies a scroll of Broken Sword's calligraphy, hoping to turn insight into his would-be-assassin's artistry into an advantage on the battlefield. Hopefully viewers contemplating this film will, in turn, walk away similarly enlightened that the heart is mightier than the sword -- a most valuable lesson in these turbulent times.
Subtitles.
Due to recurring stylized martial arts violence, an implied sexual encounter and a ritual suicide, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid
"Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid" (Screen Gems) is an atrocious action thriller about a scientific expedition (including Johnny Messner and Kadee Strickland) sent to Borneo by a pharmaceutical company to search for a rare flower with fountain-of-youth medicinal qualities, but winds up lost deep in a jungle slithering with giant man-eating snakes.
Made sillier by the fact that anacondas are not indigenous to Borneo, director Dwight Little's sequel manages to squeeze out a few cheap screams but, for the most part, the cheesy dialogue is scarier than the hokey computer-animated constrictors and the best acting is done by a rhesus monkey.
Because of recurring action violence, some scary images, a crude gesture, an instance of rough language and scattered crass expressions and sexual innuendo, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Uncovered: The War on Iraq
"Uncovered: The War in Iraq" (Cinema Libre) is a candidly critical documentary which both chronicles and deconstructs the Bush administration's grounds for going to war with Iraq following the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. It alleges that the president misled and deceived the American public in order to rally support through misinformation which exaggerated the threat Saddam Hussein's regime posed to national security.
Filmed with detached passion by Robert Greenwald, the film is, by turns, insightful and incendiary -- though ultimately one-sided -- in methodically making its case, relying on straightforward talking-head interviews with intelligence experts, former CIA operatives and weapons analysts which are juxtaposed with contrapuntal news footage.
Because of some war images, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.
David DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
David DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. |