Hero (2002)

After seeing the previous film, I decided to watch again Hero of Zhang Yimou. There are so many things that play brought back in memory. But the way memory works as well as the things tied up with this film, are a subject of another blog to say the least.So, I’ll stick  to the film.

It is a rare thing to find so many breath-taking aspects in one movie. To start with, the script is a story that its surprises, cleverness and the way flash-backs are blended in the present do keep the spectator on its toes.

Photography looks like a succession of paintings evolving in time, frame after frame. The colors chosen and special effects intensify the feeling. Finally the music chosen, builds the emotions one has in an epic, thrilling movie.

Above all, that movie has so many things to tell, that leaves one stunned. “Everything is under the same sky”. A phrase to be remembered, but understood by few.Despite its few melodramatic moments, this is one of the most complete films ever made. One of my favorites 🙂

My rating: 10/10

A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop (2009)

Chinese have a culture that is difficult to be understood by Westerners. So, one has only to judge by what is presented. Why would Zhang Yimou choose to make a film based on “Blood Simple” of  Ethan and Joel Coen?  An answer may be found here.

Apart from that, although it is not one of his best films (I prefer Hero and House of Flying Daggers a lot more) it is a film with good qualities. It is funny and makes one laugh in several points during the play. The photography is really amazing. The chosen landscapes bring an extraordinary flavor to the film, the angle and distance from where the shots are taken are impressive, but the most impressive of them all is the way the change between day and night takes place, the rate the change is presented and the colours displayed. On top of that, the scene where the noodle dough is created is really amazing, especially for someone who likes to … cook 🙂

In A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop (or A Simple Noodle Story) the six main characters are well-played and presented. Most of all, the movie is a sarcastic comment on the human motives, the jealousy, revenge, greed, hopes and the way these interact to spread death and create hell in no time, in such a small human circle.

My rating: 07/10