Hanako’s Movie Recommendation

The invisible battle, when the fight takes place in the mind

There is a film I often recommend, not as simple entertainment, but as a gateway to a deeper understanding of our inner reality.

It is Hero, a Chinese film from 2002 directed by Zhang Yimou, which reached the West thanks to Quentin Tarantino, who described it as one of the most important Chinese films ever made.

Set during the period of the Warring States, around two hundred years before Christ, the film tells the story of an emperor’s dream, to unite China under a single vision. In this context, warriors and martial artists play a fundamental role, not as mere fighters, but as guardians of an inner discipline.

One of the most powerful scenes in the film shows a duel that does not actually take place. Two men remain completely still, seated facing one another. The battle unfolds entirely in the mind. Every strike is imagined, every movement lived inwardly, with absolute precision.
The body does not move, yet everything happens.

This scene reminds us of something we have often forgotten: the most important battle is not the external one, but the one that takes place within us. It is in the space of thought, intention, and mental clarity that the outcome of every action is decided.

Being still does not mean being passive. It means being present.
It means having already crossed the conflict before the gesture takes form.

This understanding lies at the heart of many Eastern practices and, in particular, of what we call inner training. A training that does not aim at performance, but at awareness.

The true warrior is not the one who strikes the hardest, but the one who knows when it is not necessary to strike.

And it is from here that we can begin to speak of a very ancient practice, born not to fight, but to cultivate life.