Hero by Zhang Yimou (2002)

ASAD SIDDIQUI
Color + Environment _ FILM ANALYSIS_M.4

FILM SUMMARY
Hero is about heroism, the ideal of a willingness to sacrifice oneself for the welfare of others. The story is about
four warriors who work together to assassinate the man who is trying to become the first emperor of China. The
movie unfolds as a story being told by a nameless prefect of the government who has defeated three of the
emperors fiercest enemies. Each enemy defeated has earned this hero of the empire a chance to be closer to his
king. He gets to within 10 paces, only for the emperor to reveal that he knows the story being told is a lie. This
would-be hero is part of the assassination plot. But the emperor also tells the hero about his motivation for
building an empire and crushing any rebels in his way. Upon realization of the wisdom of three words, All under
Heaven or universal brotherhood, he abandons the plot. The emperor has no choice but to execute him for his
attempted crime. Order must be preserved for the greater good, and the hero sacrifices himself courageously
without a fight. There are eight distinct scenes, each with its own theme and color scheme. Each is visual poetry.

SCENE 1 ANALYSIS
Main Characters: Nameless, Sky, Musician
Place: a Chess Hall
Time: a rainy afternoon, no shadows
The most prominent color is the robe worn by Sky.
The architectural setting were the battle between
the two takes place has warm grey tones. The water
on the floor adds a gloss to the scene. The scene has
no emotional need for bright colors. We only need
to know that one of the characters is important and
thus he is given a olive color to wear.

Grey tones the Chess Hall

Olive Green for Sky

Black for the Nameless prefect

COLOR PALETTE grey (warm)

SCENE 2 ANALYSIS
Main Characters: Flying Snow, Broken Sword, Soldiers
Place: Calligraphy School
Time: mid-day shadows and light from windows
The main characters wear red, the architectural setting
is made of a wood in red tones as if the main
characters are not meant to stand out from their
setting. Even the calligraphy that Broken sword writes
a 20th variation on the word sword is in red, symbolic
of passion and courage. The red hues are invaded by
the black arrows that shot by the emperors archers.

Red tones of calligraphy school

Red worn by main characters

Black arrows

COLOR PALETTE - red

SCENE 3 ANALYSIS
Main Characters: Flying Snow and Moon
Place: forest
Time: under a clear mid day sky
After Flying Snow kills Broken Sword, Moon fights to
avenge her master amidst the yellow leaves which
turn red after Moon is killed. The red they wear
stands out amidst the yellow, and the brown tree
trunks give the setting a depth and grandeur.

Yellow shades of leaves

Red worn by main characters

Brown Tree trunks for dimension

COLOR PALETTE - yellow

SCENE 4 ANALYSIS
Main Characters: All of the plotters
Place: Library
Time: Mid day sun light, no shadows
In this scene, all the main characters wear white and
the only color in the scene comes from the wooden
scrolls around the circle in which they fight.

Cool Grey tones of the stone floor

White clothes

Brown scrolls

COLOR PALETTE grey (cool)

SCENE 5 ANALYSIS
Main Characters: Broken Sword and Nameless
Place: Lake in the mountains
Time: late afternoon, no bright light
Broken Sword wears a calming and comfortable blue
as he mourns the loss of his lover in a moss covered
kiosk in the middle of a lake. He and Nameless then
fight in their imagination amidst the fog and gliding
over the calm water.

Soft Blue tones of the sky

Brighter blue worn by Broken Sword

Green moss in kiosk

COLOR PALETTE - blue

SCENE 6 ANALYSIS
Main Characters: Emperor and Broken Sword
Place: Emperors Palace
Time: no shadows
The relaxed comfortable feeling that comes from
green color is broken by the fluttering of the cloth
and the intense fight choreography. This is one of
the most important scenes of the film as it reveals
why Broken Sword did not kill the king. It is the King
who is made stands out in this scene as his black
clothing is clearer to see.

Grey floor

Green cloth and rebels robe

Black clothes of emperor

COLOR PALETTE - green

SCENE 7 ANALYSIS
Main Characters: Broken Sword and Flying Snow
Place: Desert Canyon
Time: high noon
The Final scene of the heroic sacrifice of Broken
Sword to prove himself to his lover, who also joins
him in sacrifice with the same sword. The two wear
white clothes symbolic of their pure intentions, in a
earth setting where the brown evokes the sadness
they feel knowing it is the end, while also evoking
the peace they feel knowing that they are together.

Brown shades for rock

White robes of the

Sandy earth

COLOR PALETTE - brown

SCENE 8 ANALYSIS
Main Characters: Emperor and Nameless
Place: Emperors palace
Time: late afternoon
All is black and grey except the red in the calligraphy,
feathers on helmets of the soldiers and red shroud
of the hero who sacrificed his life in the name of
unity and peace. Red symbolic of the blood shed to
preserve unity.

Black worn by all characters

Red of calligraphy, shroud, feathers

Grey pillars and stone

COLOR PALETTE - black