Emperor and the Assassin (1999)

"...a grand, complex piece of populist cinema.  G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Examiner
"This is glorious moviemaking!  Richard Corliss, Time Magazine

Editor's Note 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.

	Gong Li
	Li Xuejian
	Sun Zhou
	Zhang Fengyi
	Chen Kaige - Director
	Zhao Fei - Director of Photography
	Zhao Jiping - Musical Score
	Chen Kaige, et al. - Producer
	Wang Peigong - Screenplay

Entertainment Weekly
"...Fast-paced, stunning, and deeply affecting..." -- Rating: A 06/16/2000 p.68

Sight and Sound
"...[A] sumptuous spectacle..." 08/01/2000 p.43-4

Box Office
"...The elaborate and meticulous reconstruction of the violent historical area gives the film a genuine epic sweep..." 07/01/1999 p.75

Los Angeles Times
"...Magnificent and contemplative....THE EMPEROR AND THE ASSASSIN is a stirring, thought-provoking feat of filmmaking, accomplished in every facet..." 12/17/1999 p.C24

Chicago Sun-Times
"...With THE EMPEROR AND THE ASSASSIN, Kaige emerges on an entirely new level as an epic filmmaker of the first order..." 12/17/1999 p.41

Uncut
"[The] battle scenes are immense and sensational, with every penny of the budget visible in lush panoramas and major BRAVEHEART-style skirmishes." 08/01/2000 p.121

Boxoffice Magazine 8 of 10
...The elaborate and meticulous reconstruction of the violent historical area gives the film a genuine epic sweep. The battle scenes are particularly well-staged, and there are several tense and gripping scenes as secrets are revealed and the King turns even more violent. But while the story is always engrossing, the screenplay lacks the emotional complexity that made Farewell My Concubine so memorable. More than making up for this is Gong Li, who creates another compelling characterization. Her delicate features show the conflicting emotions and fierce determination as her Lady Zhao reluctantly turns against the man she has loved since childhood. Ying Xuejian brings an authoritative screen presence to the role of the King, and the rest of the cast is also impressive. - Ed Scheid

Washington Post 9 of 10
Chen Kaige's The Emperor and the Assassin is a stunner--as big and messy as a war, as small and perfect as a diamond. It recalls the very best of the great Chinese director's two perfect masters, Akira Kurosawa and David Lean. It's a film filled with spectacle that is at its heart intimate, intelligent and unique... - Stephen Hunter