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The Emperor and the Assassin (1999)
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Reviews Counted: 34
Fresh: 30
Rotten:4
Average Rating: 7.5/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 41 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
Synopsis: In the third century B.C., Ying Zheng (Li Xuejian), the powerful king of Qin province, struggles to unify China and become the country's first emperor. In an effort to make himself seem... In the third century B.C., Ying Zheng (Li Xuejian), the powerful king of Qin province, struggles to unify China and become the country's first emperor. In an effort to make himself seem untouchable, he sends his lover, Lady Zhao (Gong Li), to her homeland, Han, to recruit a professional killer who will intentionally botch an assassination attempt on him. Once in Han, Zhao meets Jing Ke (Fengyi Zhang), an infamous assassin who has given up the sword. Zhao's plans change after Ying begins ruling with an increasingly brutal hand--and she starts to fall in love with Jing. Shakespearean in its riveting presentation of tragic power plays on the battlefield and behind the closed doors of royal chambers and featuring wondrous costume and set designs that breathe life into a magnificent chapter of China's rich history, Chen Kaige's film--at the time of its release the most expensive ever produced in his home country--is a sweeping, beautifully shot, visionary epic. [More]
Starring: Gong Li, Fengyi Zhang, Li Xuejian, Wang Zhiwen
Starring: Gong Li, Fengyi Zhang, Li Xuejian, Wang Zhiwen, Chen Kaige
Director: Chen Kaige
Director: Chen Kaige
Screenwriter: Wang Peigong, Chen Kaige
Producer: Feng Hsu, Satoru Iseki, Shirley Kao
Composer: Zhao Jiping
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Reviews for The Emperor and the Assassin
...full of sweeping battles and scenes of sometimes confusing palace intrigue
Chen mixes in rich details and politics to make it all come alive and seem relevant.
Latest News for The Emperor and the Assassin
March 30, 2005:
A Pair of Big Movies Get the Gong
Lovely Asian actress Gong Li ("The Emperor and the Assassin") looks to be the hot new import. Variety reports that Ms. Li has just signed up to play the villain in... More...
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