10 Best Examples Of Swordplay Cinema

By Dan Powell /

2. Hero (2002)

This sweeping epic followed Crouching Tiger as one of the most popular martial arts blockbusters of all time. Directed with the visual flair of another arthouse filmmaker, Zhang Yimou, a Chinese Emperor under constant threat of assassination is visited by a nameless hero, played by Jet Li, who tells the compelling story of how he conquered three of his greatest adversaries. Featuring dazzling cinematography and plentiful fight scenes, Hero is a great modern rendition of the classic wuxia film. After release delays from the US distributor, Quentin Tarantino, who helped secure an uncut English-subtitled release, also offered to lend his name to promotional material to attract box office attention for the film. His name was attached to the credits as 'Quentin Tarantino Presents'.