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Barthes Action Codes in Hero (2002) *Spoiler alert*

An action code is a device in which action is used to produce a resolution. Hero is an interesting film to apply this theory to not merely because it has many well choreographed fight scenes but because several of the fight scenes are completely imagined and symbolic and the resolution at the end of the film involves the triumph of non-action over action. Here I will attempt to decode 3 of the film's fight scenes.

Nameless vs. Sky

In the first major action sequence we see the protagonist nameless battle against the assassin Sky. According to Nameless, who narrates the sequence, much of the fight occurred only in the minds of the participants. The black and white sequence symbolises this mental battle of wills. However later on in the film we learn that Sky willingly let Nameless win in order for him to get close to the King of Qin. The fight was staged to convince the King's guards that Nameless was his ally when in truth he is his enemy.

Nameless vs. Broken Sword

The King believes that after Nameless defeated Flying Snow he fought another mental battle. To complicate matters further we learn that this fight never took place because Flying Snow is in fact still alive. Therefore this fight exists only in the imagination of the King.  In the documentary Hero Defined director Zhang Yimou describes it as "Two men using their swords to convey their sorrow." The King was impressed by Broken Sword and Flying Snow's valour and dignity. He imagines this fight took place not because of a mutual hatred but because of a mutual respect between the two men and also out of respect for Flying Snow. The fight resolves without a winner.

Nameless vs. King of Qin

The King comes to the realisation that the ultimate ideal for a warrior is to feel hatred or the need to use a sword. He then throws his own sword towards Nameless and turns his back, willing the assassin to kill him. However Nameless chooses not to kill the King despite knowing that this means he will die. He asks the King not to forget the ultimate ideal. The resolution in this scene is one of peace brought about by non-violence. 

Editing - Hero vs. Bourne

An interesting comparison of the use of editing. A fight scene from both Hero and The Bourne Identity are contrasted, comparing number and length of shots. Personally I like the editing in Hero better as you are able to appreciate and understand the action more. However the trend in Hollywood seems to be for faster editing because it is more immersive and frenetic.

Cinematography in Hero (2002)

Narrative Theory - Hero (2002) Opening

Barthes

Enigma Code: At the beginning of the film we are introduced to the protagonist. Orphaned at an early age his background is a mystery. He had no name so people started calling him Nameless. He tells us that after ten years of training with swords he has acquired a unique skill and that his deeds have amazed the Kingdom. What skill has he acquired and what deeds has he performed? He has apparently killed three of the King's deadliest foes Sky, Flying Snow and Broken Sword. The King of Qin is surprised that Nameless just a lowly official managed to defeat three highly skilled assassins. This mystery becomes the basis of the film as we are given three different versions of events.

Cultural: The film begins with an opening scrawl which gives the audience some historical context for the film. Set two thousand years ago during the warring states period we are told that it is a time of death and suffering for the populace. The score begins with Japanese drums and traditional Chinese stringed instruments. The first images we see are of horse's hooves reminding us of a more primitive time before modern technology. We see mountain tops and soldiers in ancient armour carrying banners. From the very beginning we are shown the military might of the King of Qin.


Levi-Strauss

Binary Opposition: Levi-Strauss believed that our understanding of certain concepts relied on our understanding of it in relation to it's opposite. Binary opposites are commonly used in films, good guys vs bad guys, cowboys vs Indians, aliens vs humans. In Hero (2002) the character's relationships between each other are complicated by the fact that we are given three different versions of the same story and the characters in each version have different relationships with each other. Nevertheless looking at the opening I could still discern a number of binary opposites

Outside - Inside
Light - Dark
Individual - Group
King - Servant
Powerful - Weak
Clothed - Naked
Near - Far
Armed - Unarmed
Informed - Uniformed
High - Low

In Chinese philosophy the concept of yin and yang teaches that everything contains dualities, light - dark, young - old, feminine - masculine etc. Together these forces are greater than when separated and one is incomplete without the other.

How to attract an audience - Hero (2002)

Hero (2002) is an epic Chinese martial arts film directed by Zhang Yimou. The film was a huge success in Asia but took two years to reach the Western market. I will be looking at who the audience for the film was and how the film was marketed to attract that audience.

A martial arts fantasy film was a surprising choice from critically acclaimed director Zhang Yimou but perhaps less so after the huge worldwide success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Zhang Yimou part of the so called fifth generation of film makers from China had previously been known for smaller scale art house films (such as Raise the Red Lantern) which had enjoyed only limited theatrical. His earlier work had enjoyed critical success in the West with most grossing around $2,000,000 (successful by foreign language standards.) Hero however went on to break August opening weekend records in the States, somewhat a surprise considering it was a two year old, subtitled, period piece.

The film had already been circulating in America on imported DVDs and the release date had been shuffled several times despite the fact it was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2003 Oscars. Despite this the film went on to break August Opening Weekend records in America. According to studio exit polling the film's audience were 60% male with majority being aged between 20-30. Looking at the film's trailer we can see how Miramax used the power of association to entice filmgoers.

The film belongs to a long tradition of martial arts films known in China as Wu Xia or often in the west as wire-fu due to the extensive use of wire work in the fight scenes. According to Box Office Mojo the top 10 grossing wire-fu movies are -

1. The Matrix Reloaded
2. Mission Impossible 2
3. The Matrix
4. The Matrix Revolutions
5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
6. Charlie's Angels
7. Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
8. Kill Bill Vol.1
9. Kill Bill Vol.2
10. Romeo Must Die

Hero sneaks onto the list at number 11.

The film's US trailer mentions its award winning director and associates itself with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by way of it's producer. Jet Li star of Romeo Must Die is the only actor mentioned in the trailer. His last five films prior to Hero averaged around $17,000,000 out of the gate and he was the most familiar face in the film to Western audiences. Perhaps most surprising of all is the inclusion of Quentin Tarantino who, we are told at the beginning of the trailer, 'presents' the film. Though not involved in making the film in any way Tarantino was instrumental in helping to bring the film to a wider audience. The trailer for Hero was shown before both Kill Bill 1 & 2 and Miramax's head of worldwide public relations stated that "You couldn't get a better marketing tool for Hero than to attach the trailer to Kill Bill." Thus we see through shrewd advertising the film being connected to 4 out of the top 10 highest grossing Wire-Fu films.

In conclusion I believe a combination of clever marketing, a bankable star, word of mouth and a smattering of critical acclaim managed turned into a recipe for success with Hero grossing $177,394,432 at the worldwide box office.

Narrative Structure - The Ending of Hero (2002) *Spoiler Alert*

Todorov

By the end of the film three of the main characters are dead, having sacrificed their lives and former desires for a greater good.
The character of Nameless starts off with a plan to avenge his family by killing the King of Qin but by the end of the film he has done a 180 and decides to let the King live. His old equilibrium, his desire for vengeance is replaced by a new equilibrium, his desire for peace. This dramatic change was influenced by the character Broken Sword who goes through a similar change himself.
Broken sword and Flying Snow start off wanting to kill the King. This shared goal bonds them and they become lovers. However after practising swordplay and calligraphy for some time Broken Sword comes to a realisation. He decides that the King should not be killed because he is the only person who can bring peace to the land. His new equilibrium forces a rift between him and Flying Snow.
After Flying Snow discovers that Nameless has failed in his quest and been executed she blames Broken Sword. She believes it is his influence that has caused Nameless to waste his opportunity to assassinate the King. Broken Sword's failure to assassinate the King and his influence over Nameless causes a disequilibrium for Flying Snow. In a state of rage she attacks her former lover, knowing however that he is a more capable fighter than she is. Broken Sword however drops his weapon mid fight and is mortally wounded by Flying Snow. She immediately feels remorse at what she has done and asks him why he did not defend himself. He replies that he wanted to prove his love for her. Overwhelmed by grief and no longer angry, Flying Snow kills herself.
All three characters start off vengeful but after a period of disequilibrium they each decide to give up their own life. Their noble deaths become their new equilibrium.


Propp

The problem with applying Propp's theory of character roles on the film Hero (2002) is deciding who the hero of the film is, especially when we are presented with three different versions of the same story. In an interview on the film's DVD the cinematographer Christopher Doyle mentions that there was a discussion about whether the film should be called Hero or Heroes as each character is heroic in their own way. As the story progresses the points of view of the characters change so that the line between hero and villain becomes blurred.
Nameless is the main protagonist so we might view him as the hero of the film's title. The villain therefore would be the King who he plans to kill but by the end of the film Nameless gives up his desire to assassinate the King and is himself killed.
The main story is told in three different versions and character roles change with each version. For example in the red version of the story Nameless fights against Flying Snow as her enemy but in the blue version she willingly sacrifices herself to help Nameless achieve his ultimate goal. Therefore in one version she is a villain but in another she is a helper.
Sky, Flying Snow and Broken Sword might all be seen as donors as it is by gaining their weapons that Nameless gains an audience with the King.