"A soft-spoken tale of a killer with a heart.”
Shu Qi plays the eponymous killer in The Assassin, Taiwanese master Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s first martial arts film and Taiwan’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards. Inspired from the Tang Dynasty writer Pei Xing’s story called “Nie Yinniang,” the film forgoes lengthy physical calisthenics to give more emphasis on character study of a trained executioner whose heart gets in the way of her missions.
The film is set in 9th century China where the Imperial Court and the Weibo military province co-exist in an uneasy balance of power. Here we meet the female protagonist, Nie Yinniang (Shu), an efficient killing machine who was abducted from her family at the age of 10 by “princess-nun” Jiaxin (Sheung Fang-yi) and trained in the various arts of murder, particularly targeting corrupt officials. In one sequence, Yinniang swiftly and cleanly performs the job of slitting the throat of a man on horseback. However, Yinniang has a soft heart and so when she is about to kill a governor, she backs down, moved by the presence of his young son. Disappointed, Jiaxin punishes Yinniang by sending her to her home town to assassinate Lord Tian (Chang Chen).
Meanwhile, things are not looking good in Weibo, one of the
country’s largest and strongest mainland provinces. Political landscape is
chaotic and after a heated discussion in an assembly, Lord Tian banishes from Weibo
the young outspoken councillor Xia Jing (Juan Ching-tian). His personal life is
as problematic because his favorite concubine, Huji (Hsieh Hsin-ying), is hiding her pregnancy which he later learns when
a white-bearded sorcerer threatens her life. Worse, Yinniang comes back as a
vision of a beautiful assassin in black who attempts on his life. Unknown to the
people of Weibo, Lord Tian and Yinniang were once betrothed, before Yinniang
was taken away and Tian was given to another girl, a marriage that would have
brought lasting peace between his court and the province.
The Assassin is
an art film, one with a straightforward and heart-warming narrative executed
with fluid dynamics, elaborate plot twists and impressive costume and
production designs. Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s approach is idiosyncratic as the story
revolves mainly around the titular “heroine.” The movie is slow-burning in a
distinctive and graceful manner. Instead of employing flashbacks and cramming
the narrative with subplots, the characters tell the story directly. It may
sound dull but the implementation, alternating between long pauses and
self-absorbing recounting, is strikingly mesmerizing. Ironically, the dialogues
are minimal, particularly by the lead figure but the emotions transmitted
through the eyes and gestures are clear and vivid. Aside from confusing names,
the entire plot and characters are also quite hard to follow. Hence, keen
senses and attention to details are needed to elucidate ambiguities and grasp
the poetic nature of the feature. The film also has a general air of
pensiveness and timidity and once again, patient viewing is a must.
For those who expect extensive breathtaking air-borne fight
sequences, the present film will disappoint you. It defies conventions of
martial arts film and instead, it presents its fight scenes in the briefest and
most matter-of-factly way like during Yinniang’s first kill in the movie. Like
a swooping eagle, she slashes the neck of a moving target and does it with
thorough precision and efficiency. Violence is not the film’s pleasure but its
thing of study. Such approach achieves terrific clarity that suggests syncing
of the protag’s methods and morals.
The movie is also visually pleasing. The period is captured
with impeccable lucidity, vibrancy and wonder. The royal Court is beautifully
designed with Oriental ornaments while the exterior landscapes are beaming with
forest greenness and sunset exquisiteness. The film is also captured in a
nearly square format, restricting the number of actors that can fit into the
frame while giving extra vertical space for added depth and for capturing the
natural backdrop. The camera barely moves in most frames, creating a hypnotic
painting akin to traditional watercolour Chinese artworks.
Despite having little to say, Shu effectively delivers the
aching gravity of the lead role. Her eyes tell everything and her screen
presence is commanding. Support roles from Sheung and Chang are also strong.
The Assassin is
not your typical martial arts film as it sacrifices unnecessary physical
combats to give way to the emotional swordplay of its characters. It is sluggish
and hard to follow but the final discernment is surprisingly uplifting and
moving.
Production
companies: Spot Films, Central Motion Picture Organization, Sil-Metropole
Cast: Shu Qi, Chang Chen,
Tsumabuki Satoshi, Zhou Yun, Juan Ching-tian, Hsieh Hsin-ying, Sheu Fang-yi
Director: Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Screenwriters: Chu
Tien-wen, Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Producers: Wen-Ying Huang,
Chen Yiqi, Stephen Lam, Stephen Shin
Director of photography:
Mark Lee Ping Bin
Production and costume
designer: Hwarng Wern-ying
Editors: Liao Ching-sung,
Pauline Huang Chih-chia
Music: Lim Giong
0 comments:
Post a Comment