The spatial perspective in "For ten years, within the great hall, none beyond a hundred paces" in "The Hall Inquiry Answered" also corresponds to the texture and tension of the film's close-up shots. Zhang Yimou excels at conveying rich information through details: the faint light of a candle, a suspended drop of water, an exchange of glances, can all carry deep dramatic tension. Together, these two poems demonstrate the aesthetic unity of Zhang Yimou's filmmaking from macro spectacle to micro detail, also revealing that his wuxia world is composed not only of grand ideas but also of specific bodily experiences.
It is worth noting that Zhang Yimou's color aesthetics are not only a formal innovation but also an important means of narrative and expression. Black represents authority and truth, red symbolizes passion and lies, blue implies tranquility and memory, white signifies purity and sacrifice, and green embodies peace and ideal. Although these two poems do not directly mention color, through images like "Torchlights" and "Within the hall, desolate and cold," they evoke similar visual associations, forming a cross-media resonance with the film's aesthetics.
4 Cultural Significance and Contemporary Reverberations of Hero
4.1 Historical Reconstruction and Contemporary Controversy
Through its reconstruction of the assassination story, Hero participates in the reshaping of contemporary Chinese historical narrative. In traditional historical accounts, although Qin Shi Huang unified the six states, he更多 appears as a tyrant, while assassins like Jing Ke are portrayed as heroes resisting tyranny. Zhang Yimou boldly subverts this narrative, reinterpretating the King of Qin as a hero promoting historical progress, while the assassins voluntarily abandon their mission upon understanding this.
This reconstruction finds poetic expression in "Seeks no reward or title, only the monarch's safety" from "The Hall Inquiry Answered" – individual sacrifice makes possible the unification of the world. However, this position also drew considerable criticism. Some critics believed this was a "beautification of tyranny," even pointing out that "there is a deep servility in Zhang Yimou's films." This critical voice reflects different stances and interpretations of historical narrative and highlights the controversy of Hero on the issue of historical representation.
Zhang Yimou himself explained his motivation for Hero as: "I wanted to see 'what happens to a hero who gives up, why he gives up, and whether he is still a hero after giving up.'" This indicates that his focus was not precise historical representation but a re-examination of the concept of heroism. Under this interpretation, the relationship between the King of Qin and Nameless is no longer simply oppressor and oppressed, but two individuals jointly facing a historical dilemma, reaching a transcendent consensus through mutual understanding.
4.2 Aesthetic Innovation and Ideological Limitations of the Wuxia Genre
The innovation of Hero in the wuxia genre is obvious. Film critic Zhang Baiqing once marveled: "This film is completely different from Hong Kong and Taiwan-style wuxia films. It is a work with Zhang Yimou's own artistic characteristics, possessing not only extremely high观赏性 but also profound historical and ideological connotations. It is bound to become a new classic of wuxia films." The court rituals and power dialogue captured in "Ritual Music: Striking the Fou" and "The Hall Inquiry Answered" are examples of this innovation – Zhang Yimou elevates the wuxia film from mere martial arts and revenge to philosophical contemplation of power, order, and individual choice.
However, this innovation also brought controversy. On the one hand, some believed that Hero was too focused on visual effects, causing the "story and characters to recede to the margins, with concepts and form becoming the center of the film." On the other hand, the deviation from the wuxia tradition also made some audiences uncomfortable. The spirit of "knights-errant challenging authority with martial arts" in traditional wuxia culture is replaced by the appeal for "peace under heaven"; the assassin is no longer a symbol of resistance against authority but instead becomes an understander or even collaborator with authority.
From a broader perspective, the controversy surrounding Hero also reflects the transformational dilemma of contemporary Chinese cultural values. In the context of globalization, complex tensions have arisen between traditional Chinese cultural values and the framework of the modern nation-state. The concept of "All Under Heaven" in the film originates from Chinese tradition yet aligns with the needs of constructing a modern social order; this duality makes Hero a typical text of the cultural transition period.
5 Conclusion
Guided by the two poems "Ritual Music: Striking the Fou" and "The Hall Inquiry Answered," we are able to explore more deeply the rich ideological connotations and artistic achievements of Zhang Yimou's Hero. Though brief, these two poems accurately capture the most tense scenes and deepest themes in the film.
"Ritual Music: Striking the Fou," depicting the court scene, reveals the grandeur and oppression of the power structure and the bodily discipline of the individual within it. "The Hall Inquiry Answered," through its description of the dialogue at the core of power, reveals the psychological game between power and the individual. Together, the two poems outline the core proposition of Hero: at critical historical moments, how does the individual face power, and how do they transcend personal vendetta to consider the larger issue of "All Under Heaven"?
Through Hero, Zhang Yimou boldly innovated upon the traditional wuxia genre, elevating the assassin story of settling scores freely to a philosophical reflection on history, power, and sacrifice. Although this innovation sparked controversy, it undoubtedly expanded the intellectual and artistic space of Chinese cinema. Hero "will开拓 new paths for the development of Chinese wuxia films."
Ultimately, Hero and these two poems remind us: true heroism may lie not in steadfast resistance or blind obedience, but in maintaining the ability to think independently and making difficult choices within complex historical contexts. Nameless's choice not to kill the King of Qin was not out of fear, but out of understanding; not an abandonment of resistance, but a choice of a more profound form of warning. This complexity and dialectical thinking are precisely the ideological value of Hero that transcends ordinary wuxia films, and are the profound启示 conveyed to us by the two poems.
In the contemporary context, Hero and these two poems continue to resonate. When we face complex social realities and personal choices, Nameless's dilemma and抉择 still inspire us to think: what is true heroic spirit? How can the individual maintain dignity and conscience within （接作者的话续）