HERO ANALYSIS

Question 2: Camera work; mise en scene; sound and editing.

Camera Work:

Whilst watching this extract I noticed that slow motion was used often to capture shots of the two characters, Jet Li and Donnie Yen, in mid battle. These slow motion shots not only allowed us to see the intense and skilled action being performed but also made the fight scene more intense as the action was slowed down making the audience ‘hang on to their hats’ as they waited for the fight to resume. Furthermore, the slow motion shots often focused on the raindrops which brought round a sense of calmness to contrast against the aspect of battle as well as marries together with the oriental traditional music. At the beginning of the extract as Jet Li runs towards Donnie Yen the camera switches between tracking shots of Jet Li’s feet splashing in the puddles as he runs and zooming in shots of Donnie Yen’s face capturing his expression and increasing intensity. There are a variety of close ups showing the character’s facial expressions as they dodge their opponent’s blade and there are also many close ups of the swords swiping at the warriors as well as being still with the rain dripping onto the polished metal blade.

Mise en Scene:

One prop in the scenery that stood out to me was the location of the fight. The location is a traditionally ornamental, symmetrically architectural ion building which we learn is a chess courtyard. This setting allows us to recognise this location as a place with strong Chinese/Japanese influences; therefore this film is most likely to be set in Asia. You could say that the buildings and courtyard in which the battle takes place are beautiful as they are simplistic but intricate. These beautiful buildings contrast with the conflict and danger of the battle; however this really highlights how, in a sense, the battle is a work of art like the architecture, as both the building’s features and battle techniques require an enormous amount of skill and precision.

Sound:

There are metallic sounds from the swords when they slice against each other during the battle. As the character's movements are perfectly performed the only sounds we can hear are the swords, the raindrops and the background music which comes from the old man who is a reminder of the respect towards superiors which is important to acknowledge. The music played from the old man is from a stringed instrument which he strums delicately to produce a high pitched but gentle, oriental sound. The raindrops bring a sense of peace as the quiet droplets create a relaxing atmosphere as the mind is calmed by the quiet. The raindrops and string music bring relaxing elements whereas the sword's metallic sounds alert the audience. 

Editing: 

The main piece of editing I noticed was how they editors have made the characters defy the laws of gravity during their battle by standing upside down and flying through the air by a small jump. These effects make the warriors seem to possess super powers and makes to audience watch them in awe as they use their skills and techniques to try and defeat their opponent. These effects are also quite simplistic which keeps the scene easy but interesting to watch.