I noticed that too, and was quite surprised. The film didn`t officially start in the US already, did it?

Contrary to arsaib, I am a huge fan of Zhang Yimou, and very fond of the road he has taken. Having only seen, his last three films before "Hero" (2002), it was definitely a carrying on with the same topics and concerns while improving on them (only in a different guise) I think "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers" are both masterpieces, and better than the films that came right before it. As I haven`t seen any of the older Yimou films from his "rebellios" period, but due to the praise they still receive, I would assume that Yimou might have run a bit out of steam with an always similar formula, and wanted some change. If some of the complains are about the pathos and melodrama, they were no less evident in "Not One Less" (199) and "The Road Home" (1999). 
I think Yimou succeeded so far with the way he has chosen, and I`m looking forward to his latest martial arts love story.

Chen Kaige is another story, though.