Watching Dragon, Hidden Growler

Rawle Austin presents...

The Emperor and the Assassin

This is a classic piece of Chinese cinema directed by the legendary Chen Kaige. Originally released in 1999 and now available on DVD, you really need to see this film. Why? Let me tell you. Imagine a man with unlimited power on a quest to unify his country to achieve the will of his ancestors. Imagine that same man, decimated, as all the personal relationships he depends on, both family and friends, slowly fall apart around him as a result of his brutal one-man crusade. Intrigued yet? You will be.

Here you have a tragedy of epic proportions, supported by a stunning cast of the finest Chinese actors at the top of their game.

Basically, this is an adaptation of the true story of the first Emperor of China, King Ying Zheng and the plot to overthrow him in order to try and bring his rule to an end.

Thus sparing the destruction of several sovereign kingdoms and the thousands of lives contained therein.

The locations used just reinforce the majestic scope of this picture, from the various Chinese landscapes to the interiors of the Imperial palaces.

Set in 221BC, what makes this story even more fascinating is that the massive tomb of this Emperor is still intact to this day in the Chinese city of Xi’an (pronounced Shee-an) and can only be described as the eighth wonder of the world.

Containing thousands of life size statues of his army, all in intricate detail, these and other artifacts have preserved remarkably well and are used to design the costumes and on screen props. These costumes are reproduced faithfully on screen and serve to plunge you deep into that time period. This Emperor also started the building of the Great Wall and the country he eventually formed is the massive entity that we know as China today.

Chen Kaige’s vision is clear throughout and reveals itself in an engrossing narrative. Told in chapters, with a brief voiceover at the beginning of each one, gives this film an almost documentary-like feel.

The actor, Li Xuejian, who plays the Emperor displays a vulnerability and sensitivity that excite emotions of pity within the viewer.

This is the quality of his acting shining through which applies to all the cast.

Actress Gong Li ,who plays Lady Zhao, the Emperor's childhood sweetheart, just steals every scene she’s in with her delicate but strong portrayal of her character and breathtaking beauty.

Also, actor Zhang Fengyi who plays Jing Ke, the retired assassin who’s coaxed back for one last mission, delivers a sterling performance with a smouldering intensity.

The high quality production values, visibly present, make this film one of the true greats and a personal favourite of mine.

The dubbed English version loses little in translation as some films have a tendency to do and I urge you to check it out.

See more about this film here.

Running time: 161mins, Certificate: 12

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Check out Dianying.com for an extensive database of Chinese films.

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