3. Hero
It is inevitable for every Chinese director to try their hand at a wu xia film. John Woo recently did the epic Red Cliff and Wong Kar-wai did Ashes of Time and The Grandmaster. But, the best of the auteur directors making wu xia films has to be the Jet Li vehicle, Hero. This film has the grandness of a Classic Hollywood epic, the colors and textures of an MGM Technicolor musical and the action that only Yuen Woo-Ping could bring. Zhang Yimou, mostly known for his dramas such as Raise the Red Lantern and The Red Shorgum, was able to get out of his comfort zone to make a masterpiece in Chinese filmmaking. Told in a Rashomon style format, it is another tale of revenge and love split into many parts with many allegories. That is the depth that Hero embarks with it ambitious story. And it is through the superb cast that the film is able to pull it off. Jet Li is an underrated dramatic actor with his western roles always limited because of language barriers but it is through this film that he is able to showcase the inner turmoil needed. The supporting cast is populated by familiar names and faces such as Donnie Yen, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung and Zhang Ziyi to give gravitas to each role, making for a complete visual and emotional masterpiece.