Hero (2002), a Chinese movie about a guy who realizes that peasants are scum and need the iron fist of a just and kind ruler to keep them civilized. He initially planned on murdering the benevolent monarch because peasants are nothing more than barbaric, uneducated fools, but he shows that rare trait after so long of finally realizing that obviously a monarch would know better, and they basically work together to fight the system, but the monarch is forced, reluctantly and painfully, to give the idiot peasants what they want and have the guy executed.
I kind of enjoyed it when I watched it (the ending was the best part), but I got kind of annoyed watching the same story get retold with minor differences multiple times (I think it’s a famous technique named after Digimon’s gate?), with the major differences being few and far between.
been a while since I’ve seen it but I don’t remember it being particularly anti-peasant? IIRC it was still pretty dubious politically but more about the hero becoming pragmatic that it was less important which warring state came out on top than it was to end the cycle of war.
Admittedly I’m being a little cheeky but honestly it was probably a movie that simply took pride in China’s history and not intended to make any kind of elitist messaging.
Hero (2002), a Chinese movie about a guy who realizes that peasants are scum and need the iron fist of a just and kind ruler to keep them civilized. He initially planned on murdering the benevolent monarch because peasants are nothing more than barbaric, uneducated fools, but he shows that rare trait after so long of finally realizing that obviously a monarch would know better, and they basically work together to fight the system, but the monarch is forced, reluctantly and painfully, to give the idiot peasants what they want and have the guy executed.
I can’t remember the plot very well but iirc that was one of the most beautiful movies I’d ever seen.
I kind of enjoyed it when I watched it (the ending was the best part), but I got kind of annoyed watching the same story get retold with minor differences multiple times (I think it’s a famous technique named after Digimon’s gate?), with the major differences being few and far between.
I’ll have to rewatch it again one of these days. It’s been like 20 years.
been a while since I’ve seen it but I don’t remember it being particularly anti-peasant? IIRC it was still pretty dubious politically but more about the hero becoming pragmatic that it was less important which warring state came out on top than it was to end the cycle of war.
Admittedly I’m being a little cheeky but honestly it was probably a movie that simply took pride in China’s history and not intended to make any kind of elitist messaging.