name	Hero
traditional	英雄
simplified	英雄
pinyin	Yīngxióng
jyutping	Jing1 Hung4
director	Zhang Yimou
producer	Zhang Yimou
writer	Feng LiBin WangZhang Yimou
starring	Jet LiTony LeungMaggie CheungChen DaomingZhang ZiyiDonnie Yen
music	Tan Dun
cinematography	Christopher Doyle
editing	Angie Lam
studio	Sil-Metropole OrganisationChina Film Co-Production CorporationElite Group Enterprises Inc.Zhang Yimou StudioBeijing New Picture Film Co., Ltd.
distributor	Beijing New Picture Film Co. ChinaEDKO Film Hong Kong
released
runtime	99 minutes
country
language	Mandarin
budget	$31 million
gross	$177,394,432 }}

''Hero'' is a 2002 ''wuxia'' film directed by Zhang Yimou. Starring Jet Li as the nameless protagonist, the film is based on the story of Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin in 227 BC.

''Hero'' was first released in China on October 24, 2002. At that time, it was the most expensive project and the highest-grossing motion picture in Chinese film history. Miramax Films owned the American market distribution rights, but delayed the release of the film for nearly two years. It was finally presented by Quentin Tarantino to American theaters on August 27, 2004.

Plot

In ancient China during the Warring States Period, a nameless prefect of a small jurisdiction arrives at the Qin state's capital city to meet the king of Qin, who has survived an attempt on his life by the assassins Long Sky, Flying Snow, and Broken Sword, and therefore forbidden visitors closer than 100 paces to his throne. 'Nameless' claims that he had slain the three assassins and he displays their weapons before the king, who allows Nameless to sit closer to him and tell him his story.

Nameless recounts killing Long Sky at a weiqi parlor; later to meet Flying Snow and Broken Sword at a calligraphy school in the Zhao state, where he set them against each other until Snow killed Sword and was herself slain by Nameless. As the tale concludes, the king expresses disbelief and accuses Nameless of staging the duels with the assassins, who surrendered their lives to allow him to gain the king's trust and take the king's life.

Nameless admits that he is a native of the Zhao state and that his family was killed by Qin soldiers, and confesses that he defeated Sky without killing him and had proposed co-operation to Snow and Sword. After Snow's apparent death, Sword approached Nameless and told him that the only way to achieve peace was to unite the states under a common dynasty; namely that of Qin, which alone has the ability to do so, thus revealing why Sword gave up his earlier assassination attempt.

The king, affected by the tale and by Sword's understanding of his dream to unify China, ceases to fear Nameless. He then tosses his sword to Nameless and examines a scroll drawn by Sword, and understands that it explains the ideal warrior, who, paradoxically, should have no desire to kill. When Nameless realizes the wisdom of these words, he abandons his mission and spares the king.

Meanwhile, when Snow learns that Sword had convinced Nameless to forgo the assassination, she furiously challenges Sword to a fight and unintentionally kills him when he chooses not to defend himself so that she would understand his hopes for universal peace. Overwhelmed by guilt, Snow then commits suicide. At the Qin palace, the king reluctantly orders Nameless killed, being urged thereto by his officers. As the film ends, Nameless receives a hero's funeral and a closing text identifies the king as Qin Shi Huang.

Cast

Jet Li as Nameless (): An unknown prefect of a small province, orphaned at an early age. Forged into a master swordsman over years of training, Nameless possesses the singular technique "Death at Ten Paces" allowing him to strike precisely within that distance. He is the primary conspirator to assassinate the king, but ultimately decides that China's unification and peace are more important than vengeance. ''Hero'' also saw Jet Li's first appearance in a film produced by mainland China, after his debut in ''Shaolin Temple''.

Tony Leung as Broken Sword (): Broken Sword and Flying Snow are the only assassins to ever infiltrate the king's palace, killing hundreds of his personal guard and very nearly the king himself before halting at the last moment. Of all the assassins, Broken Sword is the only one whom Nameless considers his equal in swordsmanship.

Maggie Cheung as Flying Snow (): A skilled assassin, Flying Snow is Broken Sword's lover and his near-equal as a swordsman. Unlike Broken Sword, she harbors a grudge against the king. When Broken Sword convinces Nameless to abandon the assassination attempt on the king, Flying Snow kills him and later herself.

Chen Daoming as the King of Qin (): An ambitious leader who desires to become the first Emperor of China. Following an assassination attempt, he withdraws into his palace, which he vacates of all but his most trusted advisors, and always wears his battle armor. In speaking, he uses an ancient way of saying "I" (), which literally means "lonely person", but consists of the two Chinese characters "寡" which means less, or lacking, and "人" which means man, or person, in ancient Chinese. This has the meaning of "a man who lacks morals" (), and may resemble the Western "Royal 'We'" or ''Pluralis majestatis''.

Donnie Yen as Long Sky (): an accomplished spearman, Sky is the first to be "defeated" by Nameless, who takes Sky's broken spear as proof of his defeat to the king. He is the least-seen assassin in the film.

Zhang Ziyi as Moon (): Broken Sword's loyal apprentice, skilled in using twin swords.

Box office

When ''Hero'' opened in Hong Kong in December 2002, it grossed a massive HK $15,471,348 in its first week. Its final gross of HK $26 million made it one of the top films in Hong Kong that year. On August 27, 2004, after a long delay, ''Hero'' opened in 2,031 North American screens uncut and subtitled. It debuted at #1, grossing US $18,004,319 ($8,864 per screen) in its opening weekend. The total was the second highest opening weekend ever for a foreign language film; only ''The Passion of the Christ'' has opened to a better reception. }}

External links

''Hero'' at LoveHKFilm.com

Is HERO a Paean to Authoritarianism?

Cracking the Color Code of 'Hero'

A comparison of DVD releases

Zhang Ziyi CSC: Hero

Hero from Helloziyi.us

Hero's film review

Category:2002 films Category:Mandarin-language films Category:Chinese action films Category:Hong Kong action films Category:Epic films Category:Fiction with unreliable narrators Category:Miramax Films films Category:Wuxia films Category:Films directed by Zhang Yimou Category:Films set in the Warring States Period

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Name	Donnie Yen
Tradchinesename	甄子丹
Simpchinesename	甄子丹
Pinyinchinesename	Zhēn Zǐdān
Jyutpingchinesename	Jan1 Zi2daan1
Ancestry	Taishan, Guangdong, China
Origin	Hong Kong
Birth date	July 27, 1963
Birth place	Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Occupation	Actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer
Yearsactive	1983 – present
Spouse	Zing-Ci Leung (1993–1995) Cecilia Cissy Wang (2003 – present)
Goldenbauhiniaawards	Best Action Choreography2006 ''Dragon Tiger Gate''
Goldenhorseawards	Best Action Choreography2003 ''The Twins Effect''2007 ''Flash Point''2011 ''Wu Xia''
Hongkongfilmwards	Best Action Choreography2003 ''The Twins Effect''2005 ''SPL: Sha Po Lang''2008 ''Flash Point''
Awards	Iron Elephant AwardsBest Actor 2009 (''Ip Man) }}

Donnie Yen (born 27 July 1963) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist. Apart from being a well-known film and television actor in Hong Kong, Yen has also gained international recognition for appearing in many films together with other prominent and internationally-known actors such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh.

Yen is widely credited by many as the person responsible for popularizing the traditional martial arts style known as Wing Chun. He played the role of Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man in the 2008 film ''Ip Man'', which was a box office success. This has led to an increase in the number of people taking up Wing Chun, leading to hundreds of new Wing Chun schools to be opened up in mainland China and other parts of Asia. Ip Chun, the eldest son of Ip Man, even mentioned that he is grateful to Yen for making his family art popular and allowing his father's legacy to be remembered.

Yen is considered to be Hong Kong's top action star; director Peter Chan mentioned that he "is the 'it' action person right now" and "has built himself into a bona fide leading man, who happens to be an action star." Yen is widely credited for bringing mixed martial arts (MMA) into the mainstream of Chinese culture, by choreographing MMA in many of his recent films. Yen has displayed notable skills in MMA, being well-versed in boxing, kickboxing, taekwondo, Muay Thai, wrestling, karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Seen as one of the most popular film stars in Asia in recent years, Yen is currently one of the most highly paid actors in the whole of Asia.

Early life

Yen's mother, Bow-sim Mark (麥寶嬋), is a Fu Style Wudangquan (internal martial arts) grandmaster, while his father, Klyster Yen (甄雲龍), is a newspaper editor. Yen was born in Taishan, Guangdong, China. When he was two years old, his family moved to Hong Kong, and then to Boston, Massachusetts, United States when he was 11. His younger sister, Chris Yen, is also a martial artist and actress, and appeared in the 2007 film ''Adventures of Johnny Tao: Rock Around the Dragon''.

At a young age, under influence from his mother, Yen developed an interest in martial arts and began experimenting with various styles, including t'ai chi and other traditional Chinese martial arts. Yen focused on practicing wushu after dropping out of school. His parents were concerned that he was spending too much time in the Boston Combat Zone, so they sent him to Beijing on a two-year training program with the Beijing Wushu Team. When Yen decided to return to the United States, he made a side-trip to Hong Kong and met action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping there.

Yen also came from a family of musicians. His mother is a soprano, in addition to being a martial arts teacher in Boston, while his father is a violinist. From a young age, he was taught by his parents to play musical instruments, including the piano. He also knows hip-hop dancing and breakdancing.

Career

Yen was a stuntman in his earliest films, ''Shaolin Drunkard'' (1983) and ''Taoism Drunkard'' (1984). At the age of 20, he got his first acting role in the 1984 film ''Drunken Tai Chi'.'

After filming ''Drunken Tai Chi'' and ''Tiger Cage'' (1988), Yen made his breakthrough role as General Nap-lan in ''Once Upon a Time in China II'' (1992), which included a fight scene between his character and Wong Fei-hung (played by Jet Li). Yen had a starring role in the film ''Iron Monkey'' in 1993. Yen and Li appeared together again in the 2002 film ''Hero,'' where Yen played a spear (or qiang) fighter who fought with Li's character, an unnamed swordsman. The film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 2003 Academy Awards.

In 1995, Yen starred as Chen Zhen (Cantonese: Chan Zan) in the television series ''Fist of Fury'' produced by ATV, which is adapted from the 1972 film of the same title that starred Bruce Lee as Chen Zhen. Yen reprised his role as Chen Zhen in the 2010 film ''Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen''.

In 1997, Yen started the production company Bullet Films, and made his directorial debut in ''Legend of the Wolf'' (1997) and ''Ballistic Kiss'' (1998), in which he played the lead character. Yen went on to choreograph fight scenes and appeared in minor roles in some Hollywood films, such as ''Highlander: Endgame'' (2000) and ''Blade II'' (2002).

In 2003, Yen played the antagonist against Jackie Chan in ''Shanghai Knights.''

Yen choreographed most of the fight animation in the 2004 video game ''Onimusha 3'', which featured actors Takeshi Kaneshiro and Jean Reno. Yen continued to be active in the Hong Kong cinema in the 2000s, starring as Chu Zhaonan in Tsui Hark's wuxia epic film ''Seven Swords'', and as Ma Kwun in Wilson Yip's brutal crime drama film ''SPL: Sha Po Lang'' in 2005. Both films were featured at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. Later that year, Yen co-starred with Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue in Wilson Yip's ''Dragon Tiger Gate'', an adaptation of Wong Yuk-long's manhua series ''Oriental Heroes''. Yen also worked as action choreographer in ''Stormbreaker'', starring Alex Pettyfer. Yen's continued to work with Wilson Yip in ''Flash Point'' (2007) in which he starred as the lead character and served as producer and action choreographer for the film. He won the Best Action Choreography at the Golden Horse Film Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards for his performance in ''Flash Point''.

In 2008, Yen starred in ''Ip Man,'' a semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the Wing Chun master of Bruce Lee. ''Ip Man'' marked Yen's fourth collaboration with director Wilson Yip, reuniting him with his co-stars in ''SPL: Sha Po Lang'', Sammo Hung and Simon Yam. ''Ip Man'' became the biggest box office hit to date which featured Yen in the leading role, grossing HK$25 million in Hong Kong and 100 million yuan in China. In July 2011 it was announced that Yen and Cecilia Cheung would be cast in a Hong Kong remake of ''Mr. & Mrs. Smith,'' titled ''Assassin Couple.''

In August 2011, while Yen was on a vacation with his family in the United States, he reportedly received an invitation by producer Avi Lerner to star in ''The Expendables 2''. It was stated that Yen is considering the offer, and has many films at hand, and will not decide until he sees if the script appeals to him or not.

In September 2011, Yen revealed that he took two comedy roles in a row, ''All's Well, Ends Well 2012'' and ''Thunder Cop,'' and will be working with Sandra Ng in the first film.

Action choreography

Apart from being an acclaimed martial artist and actor, Yen is also a world class action choreographer, and his on-screen choreography has been recognized through the numerous awards he has attained.

In recent years, Yen was successful in including mixed martial arts (MMA) into his action choreography in various films, a feat most other action directors have been unsuccessful at accomplishing so far. ''Flash Point'', a film fully choreographed by Yen using MMA was a huge success. Another notable MMA film involving Yen is ''SPL: Sha Po Lang''.

In recent years, Yen's work as a choreographer won him "Best Action Choreography" awards at the 27th Hong Kong Film Awards and the 2008 and 2011 Golden Horse Film Awards.

Yen was the fight choreographer for the 2010 film ''Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen.'' For this film, Yen mentioned that he included Jeet Kune Do elements as a tribute to Bruce Lee, who played Chen Zhen in the 1972 film ''Fist of Fury.'' Furthermore he incorporated many MMA elements in the film, coupled with the utilization of Wing Chun. Yen also stated that the concept behind Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do is similar to that of MMA, hence the incorporation of many forms of martial arts is a necessity in this film.

Due to his success in action choreography, he is invited to choreograph his upcoming films such as ''The Lost Bladesman'', ''Wu Xia'' and ''The Monkey King''.

Martial arts history, style and philosophy

height
weight lb	165
style	Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, Parkour, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Wing Chun, Wrestling, Wushu
stance	Orthodox stance
rank	6th degree black belt in Taekwondo Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
website	}}

Yen describes himself as a mixed martial artist, and this is evident from his style. He learned wushu from a young age, under his mother's tutelage. He then wanted to learn taekwondo in his teenage years, but never did. When he was a teenager, he obtained a medal in a wushu competition held in the United States, known as Boston Combat Zone. At the time, the Beijing wushu team had a scout in the United States, and invited Yen over to Beijing, China, where he began training at the Beijing Sports Institute, the same facility where champion-turned actor Jet Li trained; this is where the two of them crossed paths for the first time.

Yen later went on to discover and to seek knowledge on other martial arts style, he would later obtain belts from judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and went on to study the art of parkour, wrestling, Muay Thai, kickboxing and boxing under various trainers. His exposure of mixed martial arts (MMA) was heightened when he went back to the United States from 2000 to 2003, while making his Hollywood debut, he also took time off to learn the various martial arts form. The progress was evident when he returned back to Asia, where he implemented his new found knowledge of MMA showcased in films such as ''SPL: Sha Po Lang'' (2005) and ''Flash Point'' (2007).

Near the end of 2007, Yen added a new martial arts system to his arsenal. He was offered the role of Wing Chun grandmaster and Bruce Lee's mentor, Ip Man, in a 2008 film named after the grandmaster. He worked hard and studied Wing Chun under Ip Man's eldest son, Ip Chun for 9 months before tackling the role. Ip Chun has since praised Yen for his effort, and complimented that Yen is a great martial artist and a fast learner, and has managed to grasp the full concept of Wing Chun much faster than anyone he has taught.

Yen believes in practical combat, and in his opinion, MMA is the most authentic type of practical combat. He has particular interest in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has obtained a purple belt. He has mentioned that he would have entered the Octagon, joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship if he did not have a recurring shoulder injury.

Yen believes that combining many martial arts together will produce the most effective and harmonious style. Yen has said, "When you watch my films, you're feeling my heart."

Personal life

In 1993, Yen married Zing-Ci Leung. Their son, Man-Zeok Yen, was born in 1995. From 1995 to 2000, Yen was involved in a relationship with actress Yee Man "Joey" Meng. Yen married Cecilia Cissy Wang in Toronto in 2003. Wang was the winner of the 2000 Miss Chinese Toronto Pageant, including the "Miss Vitality" and "Miss Perfect Figure" awards. They have a daughter, Jasmine, born in 2004, and a son, James, born in 2007. In April 2010 his wife reportedly had a miscarriage.

Yen has stated that he is a big fan of the MMA organization Ultimate Fighting Championship, and has watched almost every UFC event available.

See also

Donnie Yen filmography

Cinema of Hong Kong

Cinema of China

References

External links

Donnie Yen's Sina blog site

"An Action Star Moves to the Lead," New York Times article

Donnie Yen profile page at Hong Kong Cinemagic

Category:1963 births Category:People from Guangzhou Category:Chinese choreographers Category:Hong Kong actors Category:Hong Kong film directors Category:Hong Kong film producers Category:Hong Kong kung fu practitioners Category:Hong Kong taekwondo practitioners Category:Hong Kong wushu practitioners Category:Hong Kong practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Category:Hong Kong Muay Thai practitioners Category:Chinese practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Category:Chinese Muay Thai practitioners Category:Chinese taekwondo practitioners Category:Chinese wushu practitioners Category:Living people Category:Taishanese people Category:Cantonese people Category:Best Action Choreographer HKFA Category:American actors of Hong Kong descent Category:American film directors of Hong Kong descent Category:American people of Chinese descent Category:Hong Kong emigrants to the United States Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States

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name	Josey Scott
background	solo_singer
birth name	Joseph Scott Sappington
alias	Saliva Man
birth date	May 03, 1972
origin	Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
genre	Alternative MetalGrunge (Early Material)Hard RockNu Metal (Early Material)Post-GrungeRapcoreSouthern Rock
occupation	Musician
instrument	Vocals, Guitar, Drums, Bass Guitar
label	Island Records
associated acts	Saliva, BlackBone, Nickelback Three 6 Mafia, Lil Wyte
website	http://www.saliva.com }}

Josey Scott (born Joseph Scott Sappington May 3, 1972) is the former lead vocalist of Post-grunge/hard rock band Saliva. In addition to Saliva, Scott co-wrote and performed "Hero" (which was used as one of the theme songs to the 2002 film ''Spider-Man'') with Chad Kroeger of Nickelback.

Career

Prior to Saliva, Scott fronted a Memphis-area heavy metal band called BlackBone in the early 1990s. He also plays drums and guitar.

Scott made a cameo appearance on Jay-Z's "Takeover" from his 2001 album ''The Blueprint''. He has also recorded with Lil Wyte ("Homicidal, Suicidal" and "Crazy"), Three 6 Mafia ("Getting Fucked Up" and "Mosh Pit"), and The (Even) More Human Than Human").

Scott has had minor roles in television and film. He played Rodney Gronbeck, a LAPD computer expert, in the TNT crime drama ''Wanted''. He also has a cameo appearance in the film ''Hustle & Flow'' as Elroy, the corner-store employee who sells marijuana to D-Jay, the main character played by Terrance Howard.

Josey Scott sang the song "If You Wanna Get To Heaven" in the straight-to-DVD feature film ''The Dukes Of Hazzard: The Beginning'', the song features when the General Lee is pulled from the water.

Scott appeared as a hidden character in the video game "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003", which features three Saliva songs on the soundtrack: "Raise Up", "Superstar", and "Superstar II (EA Mix)", which is exclusive to the game.

Saliva guitarist, Wayne Swinny, said that Scott had decided to leave the band to pursue a solo Christian career.

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions
		! width="50"	! width="50"	! width="50"
		5	1	3

Awards and Nominations

Grammy Awards

!Year	!Nominated work	!Award	!Result
align=center	"Hero"	Best Rock Song
align=center	"Hero"	Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group
align=center	"Hero"	Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media

MTV Video Music Awards

!Year	!Nominated work	!Award	!Result
align=center	"Hero"	Best Video from a Film

References

External links

Official Saliva website

Josey Scott on TV.com

WMP March Artist of the Month - interview with Josey Scott, lead singer for Saliva, February 8, 2007

Category:Living people Category:1972 births Category:American Christians Category:American male singers Category:American rock guitarists Category:American rock singers Category:Nu metal singers Category:People from Memphis, Tennessee Category:Musicians from Tennessee Category:Article Feedback 5

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