The director Yimou Zhang has done a lot of films with a gorgeous visual style but the cinematographer for Hero, Chris Doyle, was really doing his signature look and feel for that film. Yimou Zhang also directed House of the Flying Daggers which has a similar feel that still uses a lush visual style but is missing the Chris Doyle finesse.
I really like some of the director's older films like Raise the Red Lantern and Shanghai Triad. I saw his recent film which was a Chinese period remake of the Coen Brother's Blood Simple last week which was fun.
Doyle as Cinematographer has shot a lot of other gorgeous movies but the only one with a similar theme/time period is the Wong Kar Wai directed Ashes of Time. I love Ashes of time - it has some of the same actors as Hero too like Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung! Doyle also worked on Infernal Affairs which is another great film with Tony Leung - he is one of my favorite actors working in the world.
I think my favorite film of Doyle's was one of his Wong Kar Wai collaborations called In the Mood For Love. Though his Australian directed film called Rabbit Proof Fence is good too. He also shot Neil Jordan's most recent film Ondine.
Yep, I am a big fan of Hero.
