Film Analysis. An Analysis of the use of Color in the Film, Hero

An Analysis of the use of Color in the Film, Hero
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The Use of Color in the Film, Hero
Hero is a Chinese film directed by Zhang Yimou and released in 2002. The film stars the legendary Asian actor, Jet Li, as a protagonist without a name. The story of the film is agreeably simple as it is based on an actual historical event that occurred in 227 BC when a swordsman called Jing Ke planned for and orchestrated the assassination of the King of Qin for ten years. Although the narrative of the movie is straightforward, Zhang has utilized colour to tell the story in various angles for the audience to understand it better and the knowledge of the events and situations in the film through the characters. This essay serves to analyze how colour has been used in Hero to tell the story.
The Color Narratives in the Film
In the film, five distinct colours have been used as narrative elements to split and tell the story. These colours are Black, White, Green, Red and Blue. They constitute specific roles of actors; define their parts and the various circumstances in the environment. Equally important, the colours are the most significant logical hints in the film. When the colour changes, it means that the gradient of the narrative is shifted. This aids the audience understand the individual storylines and avoid being confused from the detailed form of narration. To better analyze the film and bring out the use of colour in the film, this essay will be divided into five different sections explaining the five colours, their specific characters, the situations and the symbolization of the colours among others comprehensions.
1 The Black World.
The main chacratcter in this situation is Nameless. This is the assassin who has planned to kill the King of Qin for ten years. He is crowned as the king at the end of the film when he kills the King of Qin. The setting at which the activities in the Black World take place is in the Palace of Qin. The narrative presented by the events in the Black World is the primary narrative in the film. The story begins with Nameless gaining access into the king's residence to confront the King of Qin. Their conversation is as mundane as any other activities as they are talking and debating about the outside world, the other dynasties around the palace and the state and security of the people within the territory. However, Nameless starts to enact his killing of the king before he surrenders and tells him that he will quit from killing him for the better of the world and to bring peace to it.[Zhang, Yimou, Jet Li, Tony Chiu Wai Leung, and Manyu Zhang. 2002. Ying xiong = Hero. Guangdong: Guangdong wei jia yin xiang zhi pin you xian gong si.]
The visual technique used in the Black World particularly relates to the situation of the scenes in the film. In the palace, the color of the garb of Nameless and the armored suits of the king's guards and the rest of the soldiers are all black. Additionally, in most of the black scenes, Nameless is placed at the exact center of the shot with the camera being kept in a still position. Furthermore, in the fighting scene between the leading swordsman of Zhao, Long Sky, and the swordsman of Qin, the action is made clear and robust by a sequence of motionless shots. Therefore, in the film, the Black World is discerned as a firm rock.[Ebert, Roger. Roger Eberts Movie Yearbook. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel, 2012.]
The symbolic meaning of the colour in the film is evident from the uniforms of the soldiers in the palace, their garbs and the cold building materials used in designing most of the buildings in the environment. This has been used to symbolize the bloody nature of the palace and its coldness and the majestic leadership of the king. Also, the black composition in the clothing of the characters, combined with their performance manifests and the stillness of the camera shots, manifests their loneliness and the calmness of the atmosphere around them. The black colour discloses the darkness and the cold-bloodedness of Nameless and the King since even if a cruel death characterizes this segment of the story, the two are calm, composed and at peace.[Farquhar, Mary. "Jet Li: ‘Wushu Master’ in Sport and Film." In Celebrity in China, edited by]
2 The Red World.
The main characters of the world represented by the red colour are Broken Sword, the second swordsman of Zhao, Flying Snow, the third swordsman of Zhao and Moon, the student of Broken Sword. The setting of the events taking place in the environment is in a college. Moreover, the original story of the Red World is that there is a steady string of jealousy between Broken Sword, Flying Snow and Moon. The three assassins had vowed to kill Nameless, but they were doubtful of their confidence and ability to execute the conspirator. Therefore, Nameless utilizes the jealousy to kill them, one by one.[Farquhar, Mary. "Jet Li: ‘Wushu Master’ in Sport and Film." In Celebrity in China, edited by Edwards Louise and Jeffreys Elaine, 103-24. Hong Kong University Press, 2010. /stable/j.ctt1xwfdw.11.] [Zhang, Yimou, Jet Li, Tony Chiu Wai Leung, and Manyu Zhang. 2002. Ying xiong = Hero. Guangdong: Guangdong wei jia yin xiang zhi pin you xian gong si.]
The visual technique used to divulge the red colour and shift the narrative from the Black World is that the garbs of the characters are red and the soft silk and lithe used to model and knit their clothes are red. Besides, the fallen leaves are red. The manner of clothing has been incorporated with minimal but fine camera movements to create and depict a theatrical inner world filled with emotions, instead of an actual world. Additionally, in the Red World, the ideas and activities of the characters are concealed in the brisk wind and red-coloured airborne soil. Further, the use of hard and bright lighting in most of the scenes of the environment in this section of the story has been used to manifest the narrowness of the situation at which the three characters are living in. Finally, the fighting scenes of the Red World are opposite of those of the Black World. The shots have been captured by flying cameras to show how the characters can fight softly regardless of the harsh conditions. Therefore, the Red World in the movie is considered as a wind of blazing sensation.[Stafford, Roy. “Hero (China/Hong Kong 2002) – Narrative Analysis.” The Case for Global Film, September 15, 2008. https://itpworld.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/hero-chinahong-kong-2002-–-narrative-analysis/.]
The symbolic annotation of the use of the color is that red has been used to signify jealousy. The color symbolizes the fire burning within Broken Sword, Flying Snow and Moon. Furthermore, the flying shots show the strength of the wind and how their jealousy grows to be stronger and stronger to the point that it kills them. Also, the color red has been used to represent love. There is an intense love among the three assassins, and that is what causes them to envy each other. Thereupon, jealousy and love initiate the Red World.[Mackey, Robert. “Cracking the Color Code of 'Hero'.” The New York Times. The New York Times, August 15, 2004. /2004/08/15/movies/film-cracking-the-color-code-of-hero.html.]
3 The Blue World.
The main characters in the Blue World in the film are Broken Sword, Flying Snow and Nameless. The three are renowned swordsmen, two from Zhao and Nameless as the main character in the movie. The setting of the events of this section of the story is in a library. With Moon out of the picture, the colour has been used to reveal additional veracity between Broken Sword and Flying Snow.
The visual technique of the colour used in the environment constitutes the colour and its meanings. This world has numerous features in common with the Red World, except for the sense that the general environment of the Blue World is significantly more extensive than t...