Audiences haven't exactly bought Zhang's historical interpretations wholesale. Zhang was, however, prepared-even before he began shooting Hero-for the eventuality that his picture might have to contend with Crouching Tiger. "As Ang Lee himself has said, every Chinese male director aspires to make their own martial arts film.
張藝謀對史實的詮釋不見得全然被觀眾接受，但他對觀眾準會拿《英雄》和《臥虎藏龍》評比，早在開拍前就有心理準備。