You won't be disappointed!

The Worst Film Ever

Great Film overall

An Exercise In Nonsense

I'm not much interested in the sweep of history and sagas of legend where we often see the exploits of ignorant men in the light of destiny and what not. Artifice that doesn't acknowledge itself stands in our way. But I let myself be taken in by anything that comes across my eyes, believing no thing to be better in itself than others and that they all have potential.Here the thread that takes me in is that it involves China in a defining period, the unification under the Qin. It was an important time, more pertinently for me as the time that gave rise to to different schools of thought, practices of seeing and making sense of the world, some of which I treasure and they ended up forging Chinese soul forever. In a significant way the China we know was first created in this time.None of that is particularly mined here so on that count I leave empty handed. I get the saga, the lavish scope, the camera that cleanly sweeps over crowds or across imperial rooms. Sporadic battles and the tangled knots of ironic fate. In pace, sweep and intricacy, it's fine work. Some viewers thought of Gladiator, what I saw here is a kinship to Kurosawa's Shakespearean work and Japanese jidaigeki. Zhang would portray the same period and king in Hero, this is the earthier version.The one thing I found particularly noteworthy is the plot that revolves around the lovely Gong Li. Simply seeing her is an occasion for me and the other reason I'm here, the way she holds herself with aloof grace. I have made it a point to see her in most things.The story around her tantalizes; she has been sent by her husband king to a rival kingdom, her actual mission is to find and inspire an assassin of her husband that will give him the pretext for invasion. The life she comes to share with the scarred assassin (in Japanese films he would have been a scruffy ronin), hinting at genuine romance, while we are aware of duplicity and illusion, the agency it carries from the machinations to forge a world. I would love to see that as its own film.

The pace of the film is ponderously slow in parts, but if you can tune into its languid speed and lengthy silences then it is a satisfying piece of courtly intrigue. The story of the first Emperor of China, his childhood sweetheart and the personal cost of power. The film is very atmospheric, the extremely mannered and polite courtly ceremony and ritual contrasted with sudden brutal violence. Filmed in a way that evokes shadows and cold spaces. Battle scenes are rare and short, the focus is on the battle within the individual on what is right to do and whether the ends justify the means. The emperor's journey from idealistic peacemaker to ruthless tyrant is aiming to be subtle, but gives little background or convincing insight into the motivation of the Emperor, indeed his actions and aims do not really change throughout, only Gong Li's attitudes to him are altered. The most interesting performances are Gong Li's and the titular Assassin as they reassess when to fight, when to retreat, when to kill. The most expensive film ever made in China at the time, the Emperor and the Assassin does not rely on hysteric emotion or big battles, but rather a brooding atmosphere of menace and inevitability. Gong Li fans will be unsurprised to hear she is as stunningly beautiful as ever, giving an understated performance.

This movie is beautiful in many ways: the plot, the depth of the characters, the stunning photography and acting, the kolossal-like scenes of battles (no computer graphics here, just thousands of people). Someone said the story has something to do with the Sheakespearian tragedies. I find some connections with the Greek tragedy tradition, too.The emperor, extraordinarily acted, struggles between power and love, but he is forced (for the greater good, for the will of his ancestors) to choose the power (and the loneliness, the hate of his subjects and kins) as his destiny. He, like Creon in Antigone, was a good guy before becoming emperor. Once gained power, he has to be merciless and cruel (with innocent children, his mother, his father, etc.) to defend and expand the empire. Entrapped by power he becomes a monster. Overall, The Qin emperor is a majestic Greek tragedy figure.The assassin evolves towards a different direction: from pure evil to heroism and morality. Even this character is forced towards his destiny by love and by his new ethics. This character is really unforgettable, too.Lady Zhao, a wonderful Gong Li, is the uncorrupted morality, nor by power or love or hate. She is morality against power, somehow like Antigone. Her conspiracies (for and against the emperor) have always a moral rationale.In conclusion, a wonderful movie. If you love cinema and you want to try Chinese movies you can start here.

May contain spoilersThis historical movie was so refreshing. Although it may be exagerating the actual events, it does show the heartless nature of emperor Qui, which he was later infamous for. And there wasn't a single computer generated person in it. I think it's great that China has produce such an epic film. The costumes and the settings were beautiful, the performances were also excellent. Dignity vs. death is a major theme in this movie and i think it reflects the Chinese history and culture. I also enjoyed a little allusion to the terracotta warriors, a 3d map carved of the conquest of China with individual soldiers. Emperor Qui of course later as entombed with his life size terracotta warriors.I also enjoyed the scene with the dwarf, he was a very interesting character, even if he only had a small scene.9/10