Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10738 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-02-11
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: Mandarin Chinese
• Subtitled in: English
• Dubbed in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 161 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Set in 221 BC, The Emperor and the Assassin tells of Ying Zheng (Li Xuejian) and his obsession to unite seven Chinese kingdoms and become the first Emperor of China. The film mixes spectacular battle scenes with court intrigue, counterpointed by the King's complex relationship with the only woman he has truly loved, the Lady Zhao (Gong Li). From protocol-ridden palaces to wide open grasslands, this is a visually striking film, both beautiful and at the same time burdened with the horrors of the period.

Though this was the most expensive film ever made in China, director Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine) nevertheless retains a tight reign on character and psychology, recalling Kurosawa's Ran (1985) and Kagemusha (1980). The cast, particularly the two leads, are magnificent and both production design and score are first rate. While the unfolding story has similar appeal to Gladiator and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, it can be as confusing and jarringly edited as the original (pre-director's cut) version of The Last Emperor (1987), and for the same reason--despite its 154 minutes--the film was cut by approximately 30 minutes prior to release. The full version may eventually reveal a masterpiece, though in its present form it is still an exceptionally powerful and compelling drama.

On the DVD: The Emperor and the Assassin’s original 1.85:1 image is transferred anamorphically, and while not up with the finest DVDs is still sharp and detailed. Strangely, despite the film being presented in DTS theatrically, the DVD offers mere three-channel Dolby Pro-Logic. No more than adequate, this is a serious disappointment when at least Dolby Digital 5.1 would be the accepted norm. The film can be watched with the original Mandarin soundtrack, with or without English subtitles, or dubbed into English. The extras are a 4:3 trailer and a serious, comprehensive commentary by director Chen Kaige. For anyone wanting to know how to mount such a large-scale production, there can be few better guides than Kaige.--Gary S. Dalkin

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

Director's Commentary
Filmographies
Trailer
Languages in Dolby Digital Surround: Mandarin, English
Subtitles: English
1.85:1 Aspect Ratio

Synopsis
In the third century B.C., Ying Zheng (Li Xuejian), the powerful king of Qin province, struggles to unify China and become the country's first emperor. In an effort to make himself seem untouchable, he sends his lover, Lady Zhao (Gong Li), to her homeland, Han, to recruit a professional killer who will intentionally botch an assassination attempt on him. Once in Han, Zhao meets Jing Ke (Fengyi Zhang), an infamous assassin who has given up the sword. Zhao's plans change after Ying begins ruling with an increasingly brutal hand--and she starts to fall in love with Jing. Shakespearean in its riveting presentation of tragic power plays on the battlefield and behind the closed doors of royal chambers and featuring wondrous costume and set designs that breathe life into a magnificent chapter of China's rich history, Chen Kaige's film--at the time of its release the most expensive ever produced in his home country--is a sweeping, beautifully shot, visionary epic.

Customer Reviews

A thought provoking, bombastic, historical epic.
This film is not only a thought provoking historical epic on a grand scale, but also an extremely engaging political thriller.

It tells the story af a king in ancient China and his struggle to unite the country into one unified kingdom. As well as epic battles the film focuses on his personal relationships, with other rulers and members of his own household, and how they are worked out in true Macchiavellian style. If you have read and appreciated Sun Tzu's "the art of war" then watch this film.

In the finest traditions of "Ben Hur" it literally has a "cast of thousands," a welcome relief in the age of computer graphics. The (infrequent) battle scenes are truly awesome.

I do not think it would be too inappropriate to compare the story to the finest shakespeare plays in terms of subtlety and depth. Although it can at times be an effort to watch, it is a film which will stay with you long after it has ended. Your appreciation will grow as the complex and highly emotive story strands work themselves out in your brain hours and even days after you have watched it.

Highly recommended, the best film I have ever seen.

Visually remarkable, dramatically absorbing
This is a very absorbing and beautifully made film. It recreates China 2,200 years ago, in the time of the great Emperor Q'in (pron. 'Sheen'), who unified the country, was responsible for the linking of the Chinese defensive walls into the Great Wall of China and ordered the manufacture of the famous terracotta warriors to guard the gates of his tomb. A retired, remorseful assassin is persuaded to make an attempt on his life, which in the end he does. Everything about it visually is impressive, indeed breath-taking. The acting is good - lots of intense close-ups. However, if this does not sound a silly comment, it is a very 'Chinese' film in terms of character behaviour and motivation, and it is sometimes difficult for a Western perception to make out why a character thinks as she/he does or apparently changes viewpoint without any clear reason. I do not say this as a criticism - I had a similar reaction to watching traditional Chinese opera a while back, but that did not spoil my enjoyment of it. No-one should hesitate from watching this film if the subject appeals.

Chinese Epic - like Hero through a different lens
Directed by Chen Kaige (Farewell my concubine), this film shares much of its basic story with Hero in that it deals with the end of the Chinese Warring States period, the creation of a unified 'chinese' empire and a plot to kill the King of Qin, but the treatment is different in terms of cinematic style and the meaning behind the story.
The plot revolves around Ying Zheng (King of Qin) and his 'quest' to unify the other six kingdoms under his rule.
The film begins with the conquest of the Han and the main plot involves Ying Zhengs lover, Lady Zhao (played by Gong Li) going off on a clandestine mission to provide a pretext for him to attack another state Yan.
While she is away, there are complications at court and Ying Zheng, who is portrayed as a peace-loving unifier, gradually becomes (or is revealed to be) a ruthless tyrant.
The central question is whether personal desire for love and happiness can coincide with political ambition and a desire to save the world (or at least ancient China) through absolutist rule.
Or to put it another way, "What profit a man if he gains the world and loses his soul" ?

The cast of characters includes some convincing supporting performances particularly from Fengyi Zhang as the assassin Jing Ke.
Jing Ke is a very interesting character and he and Ying Zheng Ke are portrayed as living opposite lives in many respects .

The courtly intrigues are handled with depth and they are driven by the characters rather than to satisfy the need for plot twists.

This is a film which will reveal more with each watching and I suspect there are other subtle clues that I will never get due to my lack of knowledge about the culture.

In terms of cinematography, it couldn't be less like Hero. No beautiful painted scenes of ochre leaves, no wire fighting. The palette is subdued and the fights are generally short and brutally functional.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Definitely a historical drama (rather than an action film), but one with well developed characters and many scenes of real emotional depth as well as a grand sweeping backdrop of epic proportions.