Review of A Hero

A Hero (I) (2021)
9/10
Powerfully personal
12 May 2022
A Hero carefully contemplates morality. The film deepens a simple story with shifting perspectives and evolving context, building friction between well-meaning people. Nobody is villainous, nobody is pure. Each character is imperfect with understandable motivations, which makes A Hero highly relatable. Touching on debt, ownership, and publicity, A Hero's thematic core centers around the meaning of justice. Ultimately, the bittersweet ending delivers insight into what really matters when discussing ethics. Right and wrong can be incredibly difficult to categorize, but there will always be moments of beauty that are universally agreed upon.

Technically, A Hero is naturalistic. Its visuals emphasize people and their conflicting emotions. Every shot subtly underscores drama through lighting, framing, and composition. The sound is rich with city life, the music is exclusively diegetic, and the reserved editing allows actors to anchor scenes. Plus, the production is realistically impoverished and lived-in, reinforcing themes of humanity and scarcity. No technique is obvious, but each supports the authentic atmosphere. Finally, the tone is delicately constructed, slowly building tension until its cathartic release. Overall, A Hero is powerfully personal and genuinely thought-provoking. It requires patience, but that will be rewarded.

Writing: 10/10 Direction: 9/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Acting: 10/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack: 9/10 Production Design: 8/10 Casting: 8/10 Effects: 7/10

Overall Score: 8.7/10.
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