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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Kaige Chen (writer)
Peigong Wang (writer)
Release Date:
14 November 1998 (Hong Kong) more
Plot:
In pre-unified China, the King of Qin sends his concubine to a rival kingdom to produce an assassin for a political plot, but as the king's cruelty mounts she finds her loyalty faltering. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
2 wins & 8 nominations more
NewsDesk:
Chen Kaige and Jang Dong-Gun Team Up Again for 趙氏孤兒 (The Orphan of Zhao)?
(From Twitch. 11 August 2008, 9:59 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Historic Epic that blows away "Patriot" or "Gladiator" more (56 total)
Cast
(Credited cast)| Li Gong | ... | Lady Zhao | |
| Fengyi Zhang | ... | Jing Ke | |
| Zhou Sun | ... | Dan, Prince of Yan | |
| Xiaohe Lü | ... | General Fan Yuqi | |
| Zhiwen Wang | ... | Marquis Changxin | |
| Kaige Chen | ... | Lu Buwei | |
| Yongfei Gu | ... | Queen Mother | |
| Benshan Zhao | ... | Gao Jianli | |
| Haifeng Ding | ... | Qin Wuyang | |
| Changjiang Pan | ... | Prison Official | |
| Xun Zhou | ... | Blind Girl | |
| Xuejian Li | ... | Ying Zheng |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
L'empereur et l'assassin (France)
Shikôtei ansatsu (Japan)
The Assassin
The Emperor and the Assassin (Europe: English title)
The First Emperor (Singapore: English title)
more
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
162 min
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18SG (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-18 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | New Zealand:R16 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:R
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The Xianyang palace was reconstructed in its entirety in the city of Dongyang in Zhenjiang province. Much of the film, including the final scene, was shot there. It is now being preserved as a theme park drawing large numbers of tourists. In addition, the capital cities of the other kingdoms featured in the film, Yan Zhao and Han, were constructed as several sights across China. All have been meticulously built to scale with special attention paid to their historical accuracy. more
Movie Connections:
References Kumonosu-jou (1957) more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (56 total)
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| Ying xiong | Chi bi | Alexander | Elizabeth: The Golden Age | Wu ji |
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After seeing dressed up action films, like the two mentioned above, Emperor and the Assassin was a godsend. This film was such a marvelous blend of action, intrigue, and personality, and I'm sure I'll see it again and again in years to come.
Some of the complaints about the movie have been the golden/brown tint and the quick, disorienting editing. However, I loved both of these qualities in the movie, though the editing did take some time to get used to. A great example of it, is when we're introduced to Jing Ke, the assassin. He is offered an assignment for five thousand, and we see a close up of his face as he demands ten thousand. The next shot shows him with sword drawn, in the house of his victims. That whole introduction to the assassin was marvelously edited, in my opinion. You have to realize that in order to fit the epic plot into just under three hours, a lot of tiny details needed to be cut out. The quick editing also makes the movie seem much shorter than it really is.
Someone said that the swordfighting in the movie (what little of it there was) seemed like high school drama, but I strongly disagree. Most of the action is captured in a few shots, making it seem much more realistic. In so many american films, we see a a flash of a dozen close ups, without getting a feel for what is even happening! Also, the constant use of slow motion in many movies gets so old. By having the fighting in this movie fast and furious, it is much more affecting.
I won't give away the ending, but it was really suspenseful and surprising. I had no idea what would happen (being unfamiliar with Chinese history helped), and was on the edge of my seat! So, to conclude, if you like sweeping historical epics, make sure to see this! I really like the films of Kurosawa, and saw some similarities here, so also if you like his movies, see this!!