Watch The Emperor and the Assassin For Free

To me, this movie is perfection.

Pretty Good

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

The character of the Emperor of Qin does not resemble the historical butcher that really existed. Indeed, I wondered to what extent this film was just veiled propaganda. At one point the Emperor in this film says, "If I can only unify all of China under one benevolent ruler, everyone will prosper!" Uhhh...hmmmmm..is that leader supposed to also represent the leader of the Chinese Communist Party? Basically the 'real' Emperor worked people to death on the "Great Wall," he 'unified' China as part of his tribe's hegemonic land-grab ambitions and his rulership only lasted for 14 years because he was such a monster.

I'm at a loss how to write a review of this movie. On one hand the technical aspects of the film is quite good, excellent in fact, especially considering the budget (it was the most expensive Chinese film ever made in its time). On the other hand the film strikes one as being overlong, bloated, stuffed with its own importance and muddled in its examination of history. Not to mention the "mannerist" (to borrow an adjective from British critic Tony Rayns) acting and the demented portrayal of Qin Shi Huang by the lead actor, Li Xuejian. Sadly, Li seems not to know where his performance is heading. Every other actor, including Zhang Fengyi, Wang Zhiwen and the gorgeous Gong Li, seems to be like mannequins attached on a string and jerked about by director Chen Kaige.It astounded me 12 years ago to see this movie, because Chen had a very high reputation then (he won the Palme d'Or for "Farewell My Concubine" and helmed two of the best Chinese movies ever made, "Yellow Earth" and "King of Children"). I found it then boring and unconvincing, with no new slant to common historiography. In fact, most of the actors seem to be acting in a mannerist theater which makes some of the performances insufferable. I revisited the movie 10 years later, only to find my earlier assessment holds.I was only convinced I was right after watching Chen Kaige's "The Promise". It seems that Chen has come to a point he is merely making a movie for the sake of doing one - and that he no longer has anything important or refreshing to say. Looking back, I would say the downward trend really started in "The Emperor and the Assassin". My 5 stars is for the technical aspects only, not for the directing or the performances.

Chen Kaige's Emperor and the Assassin, if marketed correctly, could have been a massive hit in the States. But, it opened in limited release, and hardly anyone ended up watching it. What a shame, as this is a grand, lavish epic which recalls the epic spectacles of directors such as David Lean and King Vidor. Like these earlier directors, Kaige does a great job of balancing out an intimate, human story against the backgroup of grand, historic events.The climax of the film, when the emperor confronts the assassin, is a classic!

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