It is worth noting that historically, "striking the fou" was not an elegant form of temple music. According to "Mozi: Three Arguments": "In the past, when the feudal lords were weary of governance, they rested with the music of bells and drums; when the scholar-officials were weary of governance, they rested with the music of yu and se; when the farmers were engaged in spring ploughing and summer weeding, autumn harvesting and winter storing, they rested with the music of the fou." This indicates that in the ancient ritual music system, "striking the fou" was merely entertainment for the lower strata of society, while the feudal lords and nobles enjoyed the music of bells and drums, and the scholar-officials preferred the music of yu and se. Zhang Yimou's use of "singing while striking the fou" in the 2008 Olympics opening ceremony sparked questions in academic circles about his knowledge of traditional Chinese culture, but in this poem, "striking the fou" should be seen more as a metaphor for power ritual than an accurate historical representation.
1.3 The Gaze Between Individual and Power, and Bodily Discipline
The lines "The warrior halts his step, proceeds with rite, / Kowtows with utmost respect, bowing in his sight" vividly depict Nameless's physical posture before power. In Hero, this scene is presented visually – Nameless advances with standard ritual gait, each step conforming to court norms, finally performing the ketow (a bow with the head to the ground) before the King of Qin. This bodily discipline is not merely superficial obedience but a way in which power permeates the individual.
However, within this seemingly completely submissive bodily posture lies immense tension. The sharp contradiction between Nameless's external "kowtow" and his internal intent to assassinate. In the film, Zhang Yimou conveys this tension through close-ups of Nameless's face – under lowered eyelids lies a determined gaze. Just as described in the poem as "halts his step, proceeds with rite," Nameless's every step is both an acknowledgment of power and a challenge to it; within the framework of court ritual, he secretly practices resistance.
"Ritual Music: Striking the Fou," through its depiction of the court scene, perfectly condenses the complex relationship between the individual and the power structure in Hero. Nameless is both a challenger of power and, to some extent, an understander of it – he ultimately recognizes the historical significance of the King of Qin's unification project. This complexity is precisely where Zhang Yimou attempted to innovate beyond the traditional wuxia film model; he transforms the assassin from merely a rebel into a visionary capable of considering the fate of 'All Under Heaven' from a higher perspective.
2 "The Hall Inquiry Answered": Dialogue and Choice at the Core of Power
2.1 The King of Qin's Loneliness and the Predicament of Power
"The Hall Inquiry Answered" opens with "For ten years, within the great hall, none beyond a hundred paces, / No one has drawn near to speak with me, the solitary one," instantly revealing the profound loneliness at the core of power. These few words accurately capture the psychological state of the King of Qin in Hero – perched atop the pinnacle of power, yet isolated from human intimacy by countless security measures. In the film, the King of Qin calls himself "孤" (solitary one), "寡人" (the morally deficient one – another royal 'I'); these appellations are not only institutional forms of address but also portrayals of his state of existence. The King of Qin is amidst the multitude, yet lonely outside all beings; this state of alienation is the eternal paradox of power.
The lines "Assassins run rampant, wished gone yet they return, / Armor unbuckled, sleep is hard to come by at night" further reveal the security anxiety and perpetual vigilance brought by power. In Hero, the King of Qin states, "For three years, assassins have run rampant. I cannot sleep peacefully," even finding it hard to sleep at night, never removing his armor. This state is reminiscent of the historical Qin Shi Huang; the "Records of the Grand Historian"记载 he "when traveling to places he favored, if anyone revealed his location, the crime was death," even "did not stay in a constant place" to guard against assassins. While power gives the monarch absolute control, it also deprives him of the most basic sense of security; this is another paradox of power – the most powerful is also the most vulnerable.
The King's soliloquy in the poem presents a multidimensional image of the monarch: he is both the powerful exerciser of power and its prisoner; both the creator of fear and its bearer. In Hero, Chen Daoming, through nuanced acting, reveals the King's complex psychological changes from vigilance, and doubt, to comprehension, and感动, breaking the stereotypical image of the tyrant in traditional wuxia films. This complexity is precisely Zhang Yimou's modern interpretation of historical figures and a key reason for the film's controversy.
2.2 The Transformation and Transcendence of the Assassin's Identity
The lines "You have rid me of this scourge, for Qin slain the foe, / What reward do you wish? Speak, for eliminating this blight" reveal the King of Qin's fundamental misjudgment of Nameless's identity. In the narrative of Hero, the King always believes Nameless is a Zhao commoner who has killed three great assassins and come to claim a reward, not knowing that Nameless himself is the most dangerous assassin. This cognitive dislocation creates the film's dramatic tension and foreshadows the subsequent identity reversal and ideological confrontation.
Facing the King's promise of reward, the response "The warrior hears the words, bows with courtesy and might, / Seeks no reward or title, only the monarch's safety, his plight" is both a temporary continuation of the King's misjudgment and a concealed expression of Nameless's true mission. In the film, Nameless's reply "The people of Zhao have suffered deeply from it" fits his disguised identity while implicitly containing his assassin's mission to eliminate a scourge for the people. This double-edged language constitutes the rich layers of the dialogue and reflects Nameless's wisdom and restraint within the power field.
The most dramatic tension lies in Nameless's ultimate identity transformation – from assassin to understander, from the King's opposite to, in a sense, a fellow traveler. At the film's climax, Nameless abandons the assassination not because he is conquered by power but because he understands the concept of "All Under Heaven" that Broken Sword spoke of. This choice is already foreshadowed in "The Hall Inquiry Answered" – "Seeks no reward or title, only the monarch's safety" can be both the loyalty of a subject and the assassin's pursuit of a higher ideal. Nameless ultimately chooses not to kill as a form of killing, using self-sacrifice to contribute to "All Under Heaven.