| The Assassin |
  | Starring: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Chen Chang Directed: Hou Hsiao-Hsien Release Date: January 26, 2016 Run Time: 106 Minutes Format: Blu-Ray Color: Color Audio: Mandarin Subtitles: English Distributor: Well Go USA | |
| Synopsis |
Back with his first film in 8 years, legendary Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien wowed this year’s Cannes Film Festival (where he won Best Director) with his awe-inspiring THE ASSASSIN – a wondrous take on the traditional wuxia film. The story is simple, if elusive – in 9th-century China, Nie Yinniang is a young woman who was abducted in childhood from a decorated general and raised by a nun who trained her in the martial arts.
After 13 years of exile, she is returned to the land of her birth as an exceptional assassin, with orders to kill her betrothed husband-to-be. She must confront her parents, her memories, and her long-repressed feelings in a choice to sacrifice the man she loves or break forever with the sacred way of the righteous assassins. Rich with shimmering, breathing texture and punctuated by brief but unforgettable bursts of action, THE ASSASSIN is a martial arts film like none made before it. – Well Go USA
| Audio/Video |
Audio Audio Language: Mandarin The Sound Quality is good. Love all the nature sounds in the background which you don’t hear much. Dialogue is low as the actors are speaking low and more delicate or I should say soft. Rating: |
Picture Quality Disc Format: Blu-Ray The Picture Quality is Good but not a 5 star. The film brings its uniqueness out by the way its shot as its shot on 35 mm. I Love the way it looks as colors are not super popping and we get a good amount of grain. Not 5 star but I enjoyed How this film Looked. Sharpness is great on closeups. Rating: |
Note: Equipment used to watch the film can be found below
| Theatrical release Date: August 27, 2015 (China) |
| Disc release Date: January 26, 2016 (USA) |
| Extras |
- Behind the Scenes
- Trailer
| My Thoughts |
The Assassin Is a minimalist stylized action film with hints of Wuxa and cool cinematography. The Story is fine but wished it was told more in the earlier period of the film lie the whole training to be an assassin. When saying Minimalist I mean that the film is shot with not much dialogue with dialogue spoken softly.
The film can be 50/50 for its views. It will ether bore you or you will be entertained at the whole style of the film. I loved the style of the film, the way its shot, the visual of the film as its shot on 35 mm film. But i was also board at portions with scenes that are drawn out and a good portion of scenes with no dialogue. The bad spots of the film for me would be some of the editing as some action scenes will cut away in the middle of the action and some times we are giving weird cuts during the action itself.
The film has its ups and downs but I’m still loving the cinematography, the colors and details. I wish we have gotten more action, more story or Character build up. Action wise, yes its a small amount but fight scenes are still fun to watch and well choreographed.
Over all the film was slow but great to look at style wise. Action was fun but wished we had more and the story is the same way. Shorten the drawn out scenes and add more action and character build up and we have got a way better film. Not saying this a bad film but I can see why some one would say it is.
I Give The Assassin a 3 out of 5 stars for its style, its uniqueness and the action when it hits its fun. I say give it a shot if slower movies don’t bother you or if you would like to see a cool stylized cinematography film.
| Rating – 5 Star System |
Film: PQ: Sound: |  |
| Trailer |
| Buy Film |
| Blu-Ray | DVD |
| Prices are posted at time of review and most likely before release. Prices will or could have changed after this review. |
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This Film was Played on the listed Equipment below |
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