Zhang Yimou's martial arts epic of two years ago, Hero, is finally getting its North American release. The movie is getting good reviews. But is anyone looking at its politics? North American audiences looking for kung-fu thrills may be walking into an elaborate justification for Tiananmen Square.

The North American release of Hero is a trimmed down version, losing at least 20 minutes from the original Chinese version, and it's been poorly re-subtitled by the distributor. In spite of this, the reviews have all been glowing. It is a visually stunning movie. The highly stylized kung-fu choreography is enhanced by digital effects trickery to create many memorable set pieces. It's definitely a movie worth looking at. But what's it about? I saw one television critic who complained that the story was almost incomprehensible. I've seen the original full-length version on DVD (with better sub-titles) and I can assure you the story is murky even with all the parts present. The story is a series of Rashomon style flashbacks recounting the fates of the same characters over and over with important details changing as the truth become apparent. Each flashback brings us closer to understanding a cryptic statement written in perfect calligraphy by Tony Leung's character, Broken Sword. He writes: All Under Heaven. In that statement lies the meaning of the movie and perhaps also a terrible political purpose.

SPOILER ALERT

Read no further if you do not want to know what "All Under Heaven" is finally revealed to mean at the end of the movie.

In the original sub-titling of the full length version, one that stayed closer to the original Chinese, a warrior called Broken Sword writes "All Under Heaven" in perfect calligraphy. He had previously sworn to kill the Emperor. The Emperor had been conducting a brutal campaign of conquest to unite the various parts of China under his single authority, and Broken Sword's family have all been killed in this campaign. Broken Sword comes very close to succeeding in a dramatic one on one battle with the Emperor. But after deep contemplation of the arts of swordsmanship and calligraphy, however, he distils a philosophy he has arrived at in one simple phrase: "All Under Heaven." He then gives up his mission to kill the Emperor. Another warrior, known only as Nameless and played by Jet Li, is also sworn to kill the Emperor for the same reasons. He comes within inches of killing the Emperor but when the Emperor himself sees the meaning of the phrase "All Under Heaven" and comprehends the true spirit of swordsmanship through the quality of Broken Sword's calligraphy, Nameless gives up his mission and submits to the Emperor.

Confused? You should be. The link between swordsmanship and calligraphy takes years of Ch'an Buddhist training to understand. Just take that part as read. The essential question is, why does Nameless quit and refuse to revenge himself on this tyrant? Because the Emperor, while contemplating the phrase "All Under Heaven" as written in perfect calligraphy by Broken Sword comes to understand that the essence of swordsmanship is not to use the sword at all. It's at this conclusion that the terrible political message behind this movie began to dawn on me.