One of the most amazing scenes in all cinema is a sword fight in the rain against the strains of a guzheng — Chinese plucked zither — seen through a curtain of individual raindrops each in a bizarre closeup. That's just one of the hundreds of scenes in Christopher Doyle's stunning cinematography that help make Zhang Yimou's 2001 Hero a masterpiece.
Hero is about the first Chinese emperor (Qin Shi Huang, 259-210 BC) and the warrior (Jet Lee) who may or may not assassinate him. It is one of the great films of recent times — complex, gripping, with a fabulous cast, and an unforgettable soundtrack. As Yo-Yo Ma's cello solo resounds over the resplendent court, all elements come together in one overwhelming whole.
This entire epic wu xia (martial arts) story is a kind of visual music. Set on a huge scale, with incredible vistas, immense, operatic crowd scenes, and brilliant colors, Hero is grand musical theater of history and passion. It also has a depth of emotional, philosophical, and political substance, the conclusion representing a dramatic change in Zhang's stand on the vital issue of the individual versus the state.
The all-star cast (Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, Donnie Yen and Chen Dao Ming as the Emperor) is seen against the background of grand palaces in Hangzhou, the natural reserve of Jiuzhaigou (with the Nuorilang water falls), Xian, Luoyang, and others, with visuals reminiscent of pointillism, abstract expressionism, and photomicrography.
Personally, I am not a great fan of Tan Dun's other works, such as Water Passion After St. Matthew, nor even of his and Zhang's collaboration on The First Emperor, an opera on the same subject as Hero, produced at the Metropolitan Opera. The best of Tan Dun is in his film scores: Hero, Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; and Feng Xiaogang’s The Banquet.
Damian Iorio, artistic director of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Murmansk, will conduct the San Francisco Symphony on April 25, accompanying excerpts screened from those three films with the music of Tan Dun.
The SFS Film Series will also feature:
- Sept. 27, The Wizard of Oz (Harold Arlen and Herbert Stothart)
- Oct. 31, Organ accompaniment by Todd Wilson to silent classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- Dec. 12 and 13, Home Alone (John Williams)
- Jan. 9 and 10, The Godfather (Nino Rota)
- March 28, "Great Moments of Dance in Film" — scenes from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Brigadoon, Madame Bovary, An American in Paris, others