"First Opening of the Sword Box"
Gently open the sword box,retrieve two weapons,
Lift them before him,scrutinizing closely and with care.
The order is given to approach the dais within twenty paces,
Bestowed a thousand taels as reward.
Enfeoffed with ten thousand households,yet he seems to decline;
Several ministers place a wooden table central in the hall.
Golden goblets and fine wine are hurriedly presented,
Glittering gold bars are uniformly offered up.
"Famed, Yet Questioned for the Truth"
The hall inquires:Is the visitor a man of Qin?
He replies:A village chief from Langmeng.
No grand title,unnamed, in charge of arrests,
Merely a minor official,that is all.
Asked how he managed to eliminate the threat,
Replies:By defeating them one by one.
Wishing to know more,he is bid to listen and hear,
This battle must be told from the very beginning.
Source: DeepSeek
Analysis as follows:
Zhang Yimou's film Hero is not only a groundbreaking work that ushered in the blockbuster era of Chinese-language cinema, but it also redefined the expressive boundaries of the wuxia genre through its profound philosophical contemplation and极致 formal aesthetics. The scene of the confrontation between Nameless and the King of Qin in the main hall of the Qin palace constitutes the core arena of ideological clash in the entire film. The newly discovered poems, "First Opening of the Sword Box" and "Famed, Yet Questioned for the Truth," aptly capture the complex relationships between objects and bodies, identity and discourse in this scene through refined poetic language, offering us a new perspective for interpreting Hero through material culture.
🏛️ "First Opening of the Sword Box": The Politics of Objects and the Discipline of Power
The poem "First Opening of the Sword Box" takes the display of objects as its core imagery, revealing the micro-mechanisms of the King of Qin's power operations through the exposition of material elements like the sword box, gold and silver, and wine vessels.
The Coding of Objects Under the Power Gaze
The lines "Gently open the sword box, retrieve two weapons, / Lift them before him, scrutinizing closely and with care" depict the scene where Nameless displays the weapons before the King of Qin. Here, "scrutinizing closely and with care" refers not only to Nameless's inspection of the weapons but also hints at the King's intense gaze upon Nameless's every movement. In the film Hero, this scene is portrayed as a solemn ritual – Nameless slowly opens the sword box,取出 the weapons of Broken Sword and Flying Snow, while the King of Qin sits high on his throne, exercising invisible power surveillance through spatial distance.
Objects are endowed with special political significance within the specific space of the Qin palace. The phrase "within twenty paces" in "The order is given to approach the dais within twenty paces, / Bestowed a thousand taels as reward" is particularly crucial. In the film, distance is a core parameter of power security; each time Nameless receives a reward, he is permitted to advance closer. This strategy of exchanging material rewards for spatial proximity is an important means for the King to materialize abstract power.
"Enfeoffed with ten thousand households, yet he seems to decline; / Several ministers place a wooden table central in the hall" creates a contrast between the abundance of material rewards and Nameless's seemingly indifferent "yet he seems to decline," revealing the complex psychological game between the exertion and reception of power. In the film, Nameless's transcendent attitude towards the rewards precisely shakes the value system based on material incentives established by the King, foreshadowing the subsequent ideological confrontation.
The Essential Nature of the Reward Ritual
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The lines "Golden goblets and fine wine are hurriedly presented, / Glittering gold bars are uniformly offered up," through action descriptions like "hurriedly presented" and "uniformly offered up," showcase the efficient operation of the King of Qin's power apparatus. These material rewards are not merely compensation; they are tools for the reproduction of power – through generous giving, the King demonstrates the state's wealth while reinforcing the dependency relationship between ruler and subject.
However, within the narrative of Hero, this reward scene carries a deep irony. The weapons Nameless carries ostensibly prove he has slain the three great assassins, but they actually conceal his true intent to assassinate the King. At this moment, the objects become double signifiers – both proof of loyalty and tools of rebellion; they both submit to the King's power order and potentially subvert it.
Zhang Yimou further intensifies the seriousness of object politics through the black color scheme of the Qin palace scenes. The black palace, black court robes, and black weapons collectively constitute a visual representation of the inviolability of power. Meanwhile, the gold of the "Golden goblets and fine wine" and the glow of the "Glittering gold bars" become bright spots against this black background, symbolizing power's temptation and co-option of the individual.
🗣️ "Famed, Yet Questioned for the Truth": Discursive Confrontation and Identity Deconstruction
The poem "Famed, Yet Questioned for the Truth" takes the dialogue between the King of Qin and Nameless as its main thread, showcasing the tension between power discourse and individual speech through a question-and-answer format.
Identity Interrogation and Discursive Game
" The hall inquires: Is the visitor a man of Qin? / He replies: A village chief from Langmeng" initiates a dialogue about identity. The King's first question concerns geographical belonging (a man of Qin), while Nameless's response emphasizes his official capacity (village chief). In the film Hero, this exchange is significant – Nameless, as a village chief of Qin, should inherently be a维护者 of the power system, yet he becomes its potential颠覆者.
" No grand title, unnamed, in charge of arrests, / Merely a minor official, that is all" further deconstructs the mystique of the assassin. Nameless describes himself as an ordinary official, using a strategy of self-diminishment to lower the King's guard. This discursive strategy is highly consistent with Nameless's behavior in the film – he gradually gains the King's trust through a meticulously woven narrative.
" Asked how he managed to eliminate the threat, / Replies: By defeating them one by one" embodies the collision of two modes of thinking. The King's "how he managed" seeks a methodological answer, reflecting his pragmatic rationality as a ruler; whereas Nameless's "defeating them one by one" offers a simple yet effective strategy, fitting his identity as a martial artist while concealing his true motives.