The Emperor and the Assassin (1998)

Gong Li’s Lady Zhou was the linchpin between the man who would become China’s first emperor and the assassin who would try to exterminate him.

The Emperor and the Assassin is a nearly three hour epic tale of Ying Zheng’s tribulations, some self-created, as he faced the last two states of Zhou and Yan in his bid to unite the states by virtue of annihilating them in battle. He also faced coup attempts from within.

The film was divided into chapters, some more captivating than others. There were times the story meandered and slowed to a lull, others dealt with deadly secrets, battles, and changing loyalties. Even though there were emotional performances by the main actors I found I never cared enough about them as they faced dire consequences.

Gong Li was ethereal as Lady Zhou, the childhood friend and stabilizing force on the emperor who had to come to grips with his increasingly murderous and unstable behavior. Li Xue Jian‘s performance as the emperor came across as more emotionally unhinged than conflicted. Zhang Feng Yi‘s nuanced performance as the stoic assassin had just the right amount of gravitas. Some of the side characters, like Xue Jian’s Ying came across as overwrought.

The sets were high caliber and grand. The costumes tended more toward rustic materials for the majority of characters befitting the ancient times. Numerous extras and war equipment gave the battles a realistic look. The only complaints I have about the cinematography were the harsh yellow casts for most of the film with only a few scenes using strong blue filters to break it up. Lots of smoky backgrounds with the yellow filters tended to wash everything and one out. The editing could be choppy as well in places.

I will leave it up to others to judge the historical correctness the film portrayed. As a work of art it was entertaining for the most part even though I never connected emotionally with any of the characters. The story felt stronger when Gong Li was on screen and weaker when the emperor was weeping and gnashing his teeth. There was enough treachery, angst, and mass deaths to keep it interesting if not emotionally compelling.

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