Short thoughts on The Assassin (2015)
Holy moly, did I love this film. We watched it Wednesday night on whim, having seen the trailer ages ago, and with virtually no expectations going in. I’m so glad we took a chance on it - I was floored and even now, I can’t stop thinking about it!
What it’s about
In 9th century China, at the end of the Tang dynasty, assassin Yinniang is ordered to kill a corrupt official. When Yinniang cannot bring herself to finish the job, her mentor assigns a new task to prove her dedication: kill the governor of Weibo province, Tian J’ian, who is Yinniang’s cousin and former betrothed. The story is loosely adapted from a tale known as “Nie Yinniang” by the Tang dynasty writer Pei Xing.
What I loved
The visual storytelling and filmmaking craftsmanship
Watch in 1080p, yo:
Where to begin? The cinematography, lighting, costumes, set design, filming locations, the ambience – all were impeccable. Not over-the-top, mind you, or dazzlingly epic like Zhang Yimou’s Hero, but self-contained and crafted with expert care. I’ve included only a couple of scenes that aren’t even the most remarkable, but you can get a sense of director Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s eye for visual composition. The Assassin is one of the best looking films I’ve seen in years.
The sense of mystery and layered historical references
Oh boy, is this movie light on dialogue and exposition haha. And I’m not complaining! Apart from the introductory title sequence and a few oblique lines here and there, The Assassin refuses to hold the viewer’s hand. This hit a great spot for me, though. Having gone into the film expecting nothing, I was amply rewarded by clues loaded into every corner of the film, in the sets, costumes, scenery, props, audio (the constant drumbeats of the soundtrack were an element of daily Tang era imperial life!), secondary and tertiary characters, seemingly inconsequential moments of idle, even the backs of people’s heads haha… My viewing of The Assassin reminded me so much of playing a Dark Souls game, where lore is embedded in unusual places, and I had a great time being surprised by each scene of the film.
The surprising simplicity of the narrative
On the surface, The Assassin is enigmatic, all atmosphere. But when you boil it down, the narrative is simple: it’s a coming-of-age story about a young woman who, after having lived a predetermined life for years, begins to understand who she is and finally decides to take her fate into her own hands. I loved that. From beginning to end, The Assassin feels stripped away of exposition and authorly indulgence. It was refreshing to me; this film wasn’t trying to take a stance about something or sell me an emotion. I watched and was swept away – and I dig that! So much!
What I disliked (spoiler: nothing!)
I didn’t dislike anything about The Assassin, but the marketing for it, especially in the West, did it no favors apparently. It seems a lot of folks were expecting this to be a straight-up martial arts flick? Haha let me tell you… despite a few action scenes, this is definitely not an action movie; it is a slow and subtle art film, full stop.
Another important point: The Assassin’s story can be obscure at first and its character relationships will be unclear if you’re not paying extra close attention. I totally sympathize with viewers who may have been frustrated by this. If you’re not in the slightest bit familiar with Chinese history, the wuxia genre, or really any kind of story about courtly affairs, this could be a real swamp to trudge through, as so much is left unsaid and so many character archetypes rely on a basic understanding of the kind of politics that serve as a backdrop for this film… which decidedly eschews making the politics a centerpiece haha.
So that can all be a real challenge. Luckily, this site offers a great (spoiler heavy) cheat sheet of the historical context and character relationships in The Assassin, which could be a great help to viewers after they’ve seen it: https://mikefahey.blogspot.com/2015/09/cheat-sheet-for-hou-hsiao-hsiens.html
After this, I’m going to track down director Hou Hsiao-hsien’s other films. Hopefully I’ll become a fan haha, but either way, I’m happy to count The Assassin as one of my favorite films I’ve watched in recent memory.