ABSTRACT
Hero is without a doubt one of the most contentious Chinese-language films in recent years, having stirred up extensive discussions both inside and outside China. Since its initial release at the end of 2002 in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), critical interest in this film has not faded away. For example, two articles in 2007 provide yet again new readings of Hero. Vivian Lee (October 2007) tries to identify a strategy of ambivalence and indeterminacy necessitated by the film in order to prevent “any easy closure to its meanings”. At the same time Jenny Kwok Wah Lau (Spring 2007) draws attention to the film’s cultural sophistication as manifested in various levels of “‘Chineseness’ and Chinese arts that it invokes”, a major accomplishment of the film which Lau believes has been largely ignored by critics. As a successful transnational hit, Hero has triggered diverse readings which indeed show its wide appeal to audiences around the world. However, this chapter has no intention to offer another interpretation of Hero but focuses rather on the reception of Hero in mainland China.
