HERO

Date/Time
Date(s) - 22/02/2022
19:30 - 22:30

China 2004; Director Zhang Yimou; Cast: Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi

For February’s fringe, we will show the one proposed for January: ‘Hero’. The film is based around a confrontational dialogue between a king and a soldier – a potential assassin, and vaguely on a true story from 200 BC. The soldier is allowed to approach the king because he has already killed the king’s three main potential assassins; he tells how he did this. But the king does not believe him and thinks it is a plot; he tells a different version of the story. The soldier then tells the truth – in a third version of the story. The different versions are all told as flash backs and are beautifully colour coded to indicate the different stories.

It is vaguely Bondish (but set 2,000 years earlier) in terms of having some set pieces of stylised fighting – although they are more balletic than Bond and with swords and spears, rather than guns – and no visible blood! The photography and the colours are absolutely stunning. It was the first Chinese film to reach number 1 at the US box office – and was nominated for an Oscar.

You can either book here or just turn up. The usual donation applies; masks are still recommended, and we will seat you gently socially distanced.

Doors open: 19:30 for screening at 20.00. More information is available in the (January’s) Sheepscombe News

Bookings