Movie Reviews

The Emperor and the Assassin

6 Oct 2000

Despite the obvious cultural differences between third century China and the Western world of today, "The Emperor and the Assassin" tells a familiar and universal story, at times seeming like an Oriental version of "Unforgiven". The tragedy of Ying Zheng, the founder of the Chinese Empire, could easily be set in England in 800 AD, India in 1300, or almost anywhere in the 20th century. The difference is that, for all intents, it's a true story.

The film's focus is an assassination plot against Ying Zheng by Lady Zhao (the sublime Gong Li), his former girlfriend (the subtitles' word, not mine). Disgusted by his ruthlessness, she convinces the reformed assassin, Jing Ke (Zhang Fengyi), now a pacifist and her new love, to revert to his old ways for this one occasion.

Ying Zheng, played with the right touch of mania by Li Xuejian, is shown as an idealistic leader, who embarks on a sickening reign of terror to achieve his utopian goals, believing himself to be the chosen ruler to unify the states of China. Considering his similarities to an exalted Chinese leader of more recent history, it is a courageous film, and it is perhaps surprising that his story could be told from such a perspective.

Yes, it could easily be a modern story, though the historical element certainly adds to it stylistically. Sword battles, after all, are so much classier than gunfights. Besides, Chen Kaige (Yellow Earth, Raise the Red Lantern), the most bravely political of China's new wave of directors, gives rich attention to period detail, turning it into a visual treat. This is like the grand historical epics that used to be far more common in American and European cinema, but without the rose-tinted history that usually accompanied them.

The script (co-written, with Kaige, by playwright and Tiananmen Square dissident Wan Peigong), aided by some solid performances, not only sustains the 161-minute running time, but makes it move so fast as to be almost unnoticeable. In the end, Ying Zheng achieves his goals, but loses all that he loves. A tragedy in the classical sense.