Rating: 
Summary: The Emperor and The Assassin
Review: Save your money. Subtitles ruined what would otherwise be a "half" decent movie. With today's technology you would think they would have released an English version of this movie for North America.
Rating: 
Summary: A well acted and well filmed movie!
Review: Simply put, this is a very well put together movie. There are some who criticize it ONLY because it's not historically accurate, to those I say, what movie is completely historically accurate? Braveheart isn't completely accurate, but it is nevertheless a good film. Immortal Beloved took its fare share of liberties, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a beautiful movie. Apollo 13 strays from some of the facts, but that doesn't stop it from being an enjoyable movie that, for the most part, follows the events as they happened. Being an American, I know very little of Chinese culture or history, but I know a good movie when I see one. The story is solid and moving. It's not hard to follow, unless you can't read. The acting is top notch by the entire cast. The cinematography is unmatched even by Western epics. Criticizing a movie because it doesn't follow history is futile. It's like comparing a movie to a book or a prequel. Just look at the movie as a movie, and understand that the filmmakers have to take liberties for dramatic purposes. I love this DVD. The picture looks great (even in dark scenes), the Dolby Mandarin track is surprisingly lifelike. The rear channels get quite a workout during the battle scenes. You owe it to yourself to at least watch this movie and critique it purely as a film.
Rating: 
Summary: Exciting epic
Review: Sumptuous, stunning epic film by director Chen Kaige, who surpasses his worldwide acclaimed Farewell, My Concubine by creating a more evenly paced and densely textured film. Set in second century Asia, when seven separate kingdoms made up what is now China, it tells the story of Qin leader King Ying Zheng, whose goal it is to unify the seven kingdoms and become the first emperor of a unified China. Unfortunately, he can't help but let greed and powerlust get in the way of what starts off as civil and proper proceedings, and a Shakespearean tragedy akin to Kurosawa's Ran is born. It all starts off when the King's wife (the always captivating Gong Li) devises an expert plan: Since the Yan kingdom is one that is difficult to take over, why not release the captive Prince of Yan and send him home with the Queen as hostage so that when the Prince sends an assassin (played by Kaige himself) as retaliation for his imprisonment, King Ying Zheng will have an excuse to overtake the Yan kingdom? The Queen's wish is to avoid as much bloodshed as possible; the king makes this promise but doesn't quite keep it. Some might be a little upset by the violence in the film (there were constant groans in the theatre that I saw it in), but it is above all things a great tale of betrayal and revenge.
Rating:
Summary: An epic in the best sense of the word
Review: Taking place in what was once among the world's most advanced societies, "The Emperor and the Assassin" is a film of colossal ambition and outsized emotions, the kind of rare movie that manages that mix of grandiosity and intimacy that made the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy work so well. Despite some extremely cool battle scenes featuring stunning shots of massed armies and castle warfare, "The Emperor and the Assassin" is far more than just a big-budget epic a la "The Last Samurai." At its heart it's a story of ambition, intrigue, and double-dealing, which just goes to show you that politics hasn't changed all that much in the last two millenia or so. At the center of it all is Ying Zheng, king of Qin, who's coming perilously close to realizing his longtime goal of unifying China's remaining seven kingdoms. Ying Zheng is a magnetic personality who also happens to be a
brutal, murderous tyrant, qualities that prove all too useful in his visionary mission to build a unified Chinese empire. Like almost all government centralizers, from Lenin to Hitler to Abraham Lincoln, this guy is apparently convinced that his ends justify his means, even if the result is rivers of blood. By the middle of the movie he's having children executed and uttering the words "kill his entire family" way too much, making MacBeth seem like Bill Clinton by comparison. Oddly enough, the heroes of the movie turn out to be an absurdly gorgeous princess and an
ex-assassin who won't kill anybody, but their noble efforts aren't enough to stop the king on his mad quest. Ying Zheng does get a comeuppance of sorts late in the movie, when he realizes that his nation-building attempts have lost him the woman he loves while gaining him precisely nothing. Of course, by then it's a little too late for all the people that have lost their lives at the hands of his armies. But then, given the fact that human history has been one never-ending parade of hatred, bigotry, and violence, that's the sad story of our existence.
Rating:
Summary: Awe inspiring movie
Review: The costumes, the set, the battle scenes with cast of thousands, the production crew of this movie is first rate. A lot of viewers might think this movie as fictitious but for us who have read the Chinese history & for quick reference (please read Sterling Seagrave's offering about Overseas Chinese), you would appreciate that this movie is based on fact. The Emperor happened to be the one & the same ruthless emperor who burned all the books & killed scholars to avoid any challenges from intellects (reminding you about Hitler?), sending his servants overseas to find the elixir of eternal life, built the Great Wall of China (reminding you about the building of Thai-Burma railway line imposed by the Japanese during the WWII?). Of course, these issues weren't covered in the movie but mainly about three characters, Lady Zhao (played by Gong Li) & the two guys (naturally, the Emperor & the Assassin). Initially, she devised a plot to help the Emperor Ying Zheng coming up with an excuse to invade the Yan country (which would reunite China after 550 years of constant war & power struggle). Subsequently, she shifted her allegiance as she realised that the Emperor had changed for the worst & that her beloved Zhao country was destroyed by one & the same Emperor. And so, she backed the assassin who had since become her lover to kill the Emperor. The viewers would probably guess of the outcome as the Emperor died of old age rather than from assassination. There are subplots of the sacked Prime Minister who happened to be the father of the Qin Emperor who happened to have gifted his sexually promiscious but pregant Zhao consort to the previous Qin Emperor. The Prime Minister knew that should he planted the seed, his son would become the King of Heaven one day. So, in a way, Emperor Ying Zheng was half Zhao. His refusal to admit of his own pedigree was what provoked him to obliterate the Zhao country in a vengeance. The other subplot is about the Marquis who was having an affair with the Emperor mother & planning a coup to enthrone himself the Emperor of Heaven (also implying the Emperor of a Unified China). It all comes down to the battle of wits & only the strongest shall prevail. Needless to say, some scenes were disturbing such as countless of patriotic Zhao children jumped to their deaths from the tower carrying their toys during the onslaught of the Qin soldiers. Being a Chinese movie, it's a bit slow & for those that are unfamiliar with the history background, certain scenes might be confusing but after the viewers got the hang out of it, it shall be ok. This is really the next best thing after the terracotta soldiers of Xian, and eat your heart out, Gladiators! One point of correction though for this movie from the other reviewer is the actor who played Zing Ke, the assassion. He is Fen Yi Zhan (who also appeared in Farewell, My Concubine) rather than Chen Kaige, the director. The director played the character of the sacked Prime Minister in this movie. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Nice Movie
Review: The director of this movie, Chen Kaige, has done historical research to film this movie. He has done a great job restoring ancient China to 221 B.C., to the time of Ying Zheng, the first emperor of China. I love this movie.
As for the "R" rating, I think that it should be lower. Maybe a "PG-13." It may be a war movie, but it's not very violent per se.
Rating:
Summary: First rate Acting and Direction
Review: The Emperor and the ASSASIN INTERPRETS HISTORY THE WAY kIRISOWA DID IN THE THE 7TH SAMURAI, WHICH A JAPANESRE MINORITY HATED WHEN IT WAS FIRST RELEASED. THIS FILM, THE EMPEROR AND THE ASSASIN, DEPICTS THE DRAMATIC CONFLICT THAT POWER AND LOVE GENERATE, AND THE NECESSITY TO CHOOSE ONE OVER THE OTHER, NOT BOTH. IT SHOWS HOW FAR CHINA AND ANY MONARCHIAL SYSTEM HAD TO GO IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF THIS BIND OF MAKING ONE PERSON THE ABSOLUTE RULER, AND BY EXTENSION, THE SHAPER OF CULTURE. THE FILM IS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SOMETHING BETTER, WITHOUT THAT "BETTER" HAPPENING IN THIS INSTANCE, AND IT REACHES INTO TODAY'S CHINA, WHERE CLEARLY THE VESTIGES OF THE OLD DYNASTIES STILL RULE WITH APPALING VIOLENCE AND IGNORANCE OF THE REAL POWER...THAT OF THE IMAGINATION TO CREATE ITS OWN SPACE AND MAKE ITS OWN CHOICES OUT OF THE EXPERIENCES OF ART AND PHILOSOPHY.THE CHINESE REVIEWERS LOOK FOR LITERAL FACT TO BE SHOWN HERE, AND YET THERE ARE NO FACTS REALLY TO BE KNOWN, EXCEPT WRITTEN AND ORAL HISTORIES COLORED BY MANY FACTORS, THE GREATEST OF WHICH WOULD BE CHINA'S PROFOUND SENSIBILITY FOR THE LYRIC IN EVERYTHING,WHICH HAS INDEED FOUND ITS WAY INTO THIS FILM. AND THIS LYRIC SENSIBILITY IS VERY REAL; IT HAS SUSTAINED CHINA FOR CENTURIES DESPITE CULTURAL REVOLUTIONS AND MAO. A MUST SEE FILM FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE WAYS MONARCHIES ULTIMATELY SHATTER THE PEOPLE WHO RUN THEM AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RULED BY THEM.
Rating:
Summary: Brings back memories of Kurosawa and Lean
Review: The Emperor and the Assassin is a sweeping epic from the director of "Farewell My Concubine" and "Temptress Moon." This film is undeniably one of the best 5 of the year and is strongly reminiscent of a Kurosawa or Lean film, whether in terms of lush photography or deep character studies. Though not ranking at the films of those directors, this film stands on its own as one of the best epics I've seen in a long time. The story follows a ruthless, cold-blooded emperor who will do anything to reach up to the highest level of rulership, a reformed and moral assassin, and the emperor's wife, who bring those two forces together. Though running at a length of 161 minutes, this film cruises by very fast, with realistic battle scenes, almost exactly like Ran and long, sprawling, unforgettable shots like Lawrence of Arabia. There are extremely good performances all around, and a complexed, but fully revealing storyline, which makes this a fascinating, highly ambitous masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: A powerful epic
Review: The Emperor and the Assassin is an underrated masterpiece from Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine). Set in the third century B.C., the film tells the story of Ying Zheng (played by Li Xuejian, who also starred in The Blue Kite and Shanghai Triad), the ruler of the Qin kingdom, who seeks to unite China by force and become its first emperor. At first his goals are lofty, but in pursuit of what he considers a heavenly mandate and his historical destiny, he ends up killing thousands of people. Ultimately, he is confronted by an assassin named Jing Ke (Zhang Fengyi) who is bent on ending his grand but misguided plans. Like the heroes of many Westerns, the assassin is a supremely reluctant one, but it is this very reluctance that gives him the moral right to proceed. In the role of Ying's conflicted mistress Lady Zhao is the always luminous Gong Li, the leading lady of Chinese cinema. What I found most enjoyable about the film was its character portrayals within the context of a historical deconstruction. From the assassin, Jing Ke, who's ice cold killing streak comes to a shattering end, to the power-hungry Ying Zheng, who was determined to unite China at any cost, the emotions and reactions are surprisingly humanistic, and I could easily relate, even though the plot takes place two thousand years ago, and is part of a civilization totally different than our own. Lady Zhao is a woman who, in her naiveté, believed that a benevolent leadership under a united emperor would stop the bloodshed that the people of China had faced for hundreds of years. These endearing characters, most of which are fictional, blend in perfectly with the historical setting and add the much-needed element of passion into the dramatic mix of the story. It easily ranks with Western epics such as Braveheart and Gladiator, perhaps going beyond them. Everything about its scale is epic. Exquisitely mounted compositions populated by literal 'armies' of extras stir the eye while intimate human dramas and horrors fill the foregrounds. Behaviors so mandarin that they fascinate our imaginations with their pomp and ritual alternately contrast with graphic brutalities. The movie can be so compellingly baroque (at least to Western senses) and medieval, but then switches to dramatically operatic and in-your-face visceral. The mise-en-scène goes from distilled lighting to bloody battlefield document to stunning depth of focus to mannered contextual fields as frequently as it goes from blazing action drama to court intrigue. The epic swept me under its spell, parceling out judicious bits of background on a purely need-to-know basis. It's a spellbinding tale, and it's also a love story, a dramatized history, and a saga about the reality of morality. There is always the sense about this film that it is possessed of greatness and one of the proofs of that is because of its multiple intriguing paths of entry. Pick any one and you're likely to find yourself on a very good path. The DVD: The Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround mix is very good. I have to admit, I was surprised that it took solid advantage of surround channels (the opening battle scene is packed with thundering chariots, shouting voices, and clanging metal, and all of it is clearly "laid out" in the soundscape in various directions) and actually exhibited a lot of attention and care with its audio presentation. This really could've been near-perfect in picture quality. With the exception of some very minor dirt that was present, the image was always very sharp and well-defined. Chen Kaige (who's all over this movie, as its director, co-producer, co-writer, and co-star) provides a solidly enjoyable and informative commentary. I was actually expecting it to be pretty tepid (and just in case you're wondering, Chen does speak fluent English) but there are very, very few moments of dead air, and most of the information that comes across (both historical and personal) is extremely interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent cinematography
Review: The first thing that hit me about this movie was the excellent cinematography, all visual aspects of this movie was completely stunning. The costumes and sets were mind-blowingly detailed, such a visual feast is, in my mind, worth a movie goer's money. I understand there were glaring historical inaccuracies, but hey, it's a movie! The griping and so-and-so indignities expressed by so many people bothers me, since i've never seen a movie which so glorifies the grandeur of ancient China. All such historical things aside, I thought the characters were played very well by their prespective actors, and the character development was very good. The only things that bothered me was the spoken language, being strangely modern and very awkward, and the sometimes jumpy and ill-done editing and cutting of scenes.
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