Hero: So what did you think?

[hong]

Well, the US must remain as one doesn't include taking over other countries by claiming the "One US Policy."

Texas. Hawaii. The Philippines. Everything west of the Mississippi. Look up "manifest destiny" sometime.

Though, constitutionally...states can legally secede from the Union.

Heh.

Actually, Yes. This was subtle propaganda, wrapped up in a story and thus more easily ignored and forgiven.

Here's the thing. There is no doubt that the people who funded the movie have an agenda. That is by no means the only way you can read it, and given Zhang Yimou's history of conflict with the government, you can be damn sure that he didn't set out just to be their mouthpiece. So why don't you see if you can discern some of the other ways in which you can read the movie? It's worth it, really.

 

[Theron]

Actually, Yes. This was subtle propaganda, wrapped up in a story and thus more easily ignored and forgiven.

Perhaps, if you're unburdened by extensive knowledge of Chinese history or the current state of Asian politics. For me, the propaganda angle was very apparent and pointed. Were I Taiwanese, the message would be unmistakeable.

That having been said, I enjoyed the film thoroughly. Having a propaganda agenda is not enough to destroy the artistry of a film. Leni Riefenstahl's "The Triumph Of The Will" is an incredible piece of filmmaking praising some of the worst humanity of the twentieth century. Eisenstein's "Alexandr Nevsky" is as blatant a paean to Soviet social doctrine as you could ask for, but it's still a great, rollicking adventure flick with one hell of a climactic battle scene. And "Top Gun" is pure Reagan 80s "Go-get-'em-feel-good-by-blowin'-up-Commies-and-wave-the-flag" whackiness (never mind the fact that it's also the gayest film ever made, even gayer than gay porn ). And I still get...something in my eye...when I watch "The Sands of Iwo Jima".

Calling something propaganda isn't a knock, necessarily. It's just noting an aspect of the film. Whether the message ends up overpowering the art is another matter. For me, "Hero" wasn't overwhelmed. It was a near thing in a few moments, but filmmaking came out on top.

 

[hong]

Perhaps, if you're unburdened by extensive knowledge of Chinese history or the current state of Asian politics. For me, the propaganda angle was very apparent and pointed. Were I Taiwanese, the message would be unmistakeable.

That having been said, I enjoyed the film thoroughly. Having a propaganda agenda is not enough to destroy the artistry of a film. Leni Riefenstahl's "The Triumph Of The Will" is an incredible piece of filmmaking praising some of the worst humanity of the twentieth century. Eisenstein's "Alexandr Nevsky" is as blatant a paean to Soviet social doctrine as you could ask for, but it's still a great, rollicking adventure flick with one hell of a climactic battle scene.

IIRC there is nothing particularly Soviet or communist about Alexandr Nevsky, which is a Russian nationalist film. You may be thinking of Battleship Potemkin, by the same director. That one is all about the revolution, and revolutionary images abound.

There is also one difference between Hero, Top Gun, or whatnot, and Battleship Potemkin, Triumph of the Will or Birth of a Nation (another one that often gets mentioned wrt this topic). Triumph of the Will is _about_ a Nazi rally, and Birth of a Nation is _about_ the Klan. It's impossible, or at least very hard, to interpret these films in a way other than the obvious. Hero by contrast is deliberately abstract and stylised: in fact, it's the most stylised film I've seen for years, outdoing even a lot of arthouse flicks. As such, it's possible to apply its message to many times and places, and the party-approved interpretation is not the only one that can be taken away. Given Zhang Yimou's past work, I'd say that this is deliberate on his part.

 

[Theron]

Good points about the differences, Hong.

I was thinking specifically of "Nevsky", though. While it doesn't espouse Communism per se, what it does quite a bit is show Soviet "culture" in action. It advances Russian nationalism as part and parcel of international Soviet Socialism. You see women fighting alongside Prince Alexandr exhorting him with slogans straight out of Lenin to battle on for the Rodina against the evil Teutonic forces, a message that would not have been lost on the Russian people in light of the rise of Hitler and the remilitarization of Germany.

But it's certainly not the same brand of propaganda as "Potemkin" or "Strike".

 

[Aulayan]

Texas, last I knew, joined of their own free will. Hawaii...I'll grant to you, as will I the Phillipines. And as to the legality of seceding...hey it is legal. It just didn't quite work out.

It's not that I tried to look for hidden messages in Hero, but it just jumped at me. That's all

 

[Theron]

Texas, last I knew, joined of their own free will.

In 1846, yes. In 1865, not so much.

 

[The Other Librarian]

Texas, last I knew, joined of their own free will.

By Texas he means part of Mexico, agitated into revolution in no small way by the US.

 

[The Other Librarian]

!

And "Top Gun" is pure Reagan 80s "Go-get-'em-feel-good-by-blowin'-up-Commies-and-wave-the-flag" whackiness (never mind the fact that it's also the gayest film ever made, even gayer than gay porn ).

 

[Geoff Watson]

I saw the trailer for Hero today.

What a load of rubbish!
It misrepresented nearly everything in the movie.

Geoff.

 

[Arnwyn]

I saw the trailer for Hero today.

What a load of rubbish!
It misrepresented nearly everything in the movie.

Welcome to the world of "marketing".