Grade: B+

Verdict: Emotionally distanced, but still a beauty.

By ELEANOR RINGEL GILLESPIE
Cox News Service

One of the most sheerly beautiful films in recent memory, "Hero" should be a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination in the best foreign language category.

One problem: It was already nominated in that category two years ago. And lost.

For whatever reason, Zhang Yimou's stunning film took a long time getting a commercial release. But it's here now, under the helpful auspices of Quentin Tarantino and his all-things-Asian enthusiasm.

Set in the 3rd century B.C., "Hero" takes a fable-like view of ancient Chinese history. It's the tale of the King of Qin (Chen Daoming), whose ambition is to unite the seven warring states of China under one rule. His rule.

Naturally, not everyone -- say, the other six emperors -- is thrilled with the idea. Thus, he's been the target of numerous assassination attempts.

In the opening scene, a lowly county official known as Nameless (Jet Li) is welcomed to the palace with great -- make that, eye-boggling -- pomp and circumstance.

Apparently, Nameless is worth all the fuss. He has managed to kill off three of China's most feared assassins: Sky (Donnie Yen) and the deadly, contentious lovers Broken Sword (Tony Leung) and Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung).

Each tale of his exploitstakes Nameless closer to the ever-wary Qin, who's imposed a 100-paces perimeter on visitors, no matter how honored. We begin to wonder if the ruler is right to do so when the stories become a Chinese puzzle box of contradictory information, a la "Rashomon."

Zhang has used color boldly before, in movies like "Red Sorghum" and "Ju Dou," but never with such audacity as he does here. His swordfights are ballets of death, staged against splendid, primary-color-drenched backdrops, augmented by the sort of aerial duels that so awed audiences in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." In the film's most astonishing sequence, Broken Sword's loyal and lovestruck apprentice (Zhang Ziyi, from "Crouching Tiger") impulsively challenges the far more experienced Flying Snow to a duel that takes place in a brilliant yellow grove, the color of the fake autumn leaves in "Far From Heaven." As scarlet blood splashes and streaks the golden perfection, the setting transforms into an equally breathtaking crimson forest of death.

The movie's scale and uniquely Asian design suggests a "The Lord of the Rings" entry directed by Akira Kurosawa. It's almost too much to take in, as variations of the story take on their own color scheme. (When Qin offers his version of events, everything goes blue, ranging from a sparkling turquoise to a Carolina blue.)

Ultimately, "Hero" is a film of images, not emotions. We remain distanced from the characters -- even the tragic, sword-crossed lovers, Broken Sword and Flying Snow, whose final fate (maybe) is conveyed in a tableau of unbearable heartbreak.