I can definitively say that Director Zhang Yimou’s “Hero” is, by far, the most beautiful movie I have ever seen. I have never seen a film where nearly every single frame could be a work of art hanging on an art gallery wall. The colors, the framing, the sheer texture of each shot are truly amazing.

While I don’t want to sound like I’m gushing too much at this film, the one take-away from watching the film is the fact that it is subtitled. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does take your eyes and your concentration off of the renderings in appearing on the screen. Of course, if the film was instead dubbed with an English-speaking track, that would also certainly take away from the quality of the film (making it seem rather Saturday-afternoon Kung-fu-ish). In fact, it may be wise to view the film multiple times in the theater, once to follow the story and read the dialogue, and another time just to watch and enjoy the imagery.

Unfortunately, if you can only view it once, here’s most of the story in a nutshell, so you can focus all of your attention on the screen.

A Nameless hero (Jet Li) has defeated three leaders of seven warring states in pre-China. When Nameless brings this news to the King of the state of Qin, who has long been fearful of his own assassination, Nameless is granted a meeting. As he tells the King how he managed to defeat Broken Sword, Flying Snow, and Sky, Nameless is allowed to sit closer to the King with each passing story. When Nameless is within 10 feet of the King, the King begins to see that the story may in fact be a ruse, and that the warring states have banded together with Nameless to assassinate him.

As Nameless tells each of the stories, Yimou uses bright colors and backdrops to accentuate the story, and give each ‘version’ its own identity. The story is important, but not as important as the images and scenery they create. While the film no doubt has been compared to “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” because of it’s ballet-like martial arts, “Hero” is miles past that film’s introduction of the medium. Instead, the film relies on the images and the colors to help bleed life into each of the stories, and while there are poetic martial art scenes, they help to balance out the story and the flow of the film.

The characters are on equal footing with the scenery, and that equality is what gives “Hero” that feeling of grandiose. The fury of 5,000 arrows arching through the air towards a defenseless calligraphy school. The water color-like palate of bright yellow leaves cascading around two women battling over a murdered lover. The bareness of a desert landscape billowing through the white robes of two lovers blinded by jealousy. All of these moments bring to life the feeling of the story with such resonance and poise that it’s hard not to get swept up in each moment.

If there is one film this year that I would say must be seen in the theaters, “Hero” would be number one on my list. Just for the beauty of the film itself, even if you don’t pay attention to the story or the characters, you can thoroughly enjoy yourself. Adding those two elements on top of it will only add to the experience, and you will not be disappointed.