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MOVIES / ON DVD / THE EMPEROR AND THE ASSASSIN
The Emperor and the Assassin

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The Emperor and the Assassin (1999)

88%
N/A
77%
N/A
N/A
N/A
88 %
Reviews Counted: 34 Fresh: 30  Rotten:4 Average Rating: 7.5/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 41 mins
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 untouchable, he sends his lover, Lady Zhao (Gong Li), to her homeland, Han, to recruit a professional killer... [More]
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. [Less]

Genre: Foreign Films

Starring: Gong Li, Fengyi Zhang, Li Xuejian, Wang Zhiwen, Chen Kaige

Director: Chen Kaige
Screenwriter: Wang Peigong, Chen Kaige
Producer: Feng Hsu, Satoru Iseki, Shirley Kao
Composer: Zhao Jiping

DVD Info

Release:

Jun 13, 2000

[DVD Details]
  • DVD Features
  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
  • Single Side - Dual Layer
  • Audio:

    • Dolby Surround - Mandarin

    Additional Release Material:

    • Audio Commentary - 1. Chen Kaige - Director
    • Trailers - 1. Bonus Trailer - STORY OF QIU JU
    • 2. Bonus Trailer - THE LAST EMPEROR
    • 3. Bonus Trailer - THE KNIG OF MASKS

    Interactive Features:

    • Interactive Menus

    Text/Photo Galleries:

    • Biographies - Cast & Crew

    Additional Products:

    • Booklet

    Buy It On DVD

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    01/16/07 03:15 AM
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    01/26/06 03:15 AM
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    06/30/05 01:23 PM
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    04/09/05 03:24 AM
    Robin Clifford
    Reeling Reviews
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    ...full of sweeping battles and scenes of sometimes confusing palace intrigue

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    01/08/05 05:22 AM
    Philip Martin
    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
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    09/17/04 03:53 PM
    Jules Brenner
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    02/08/04 10:17 AM
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    Worcester Telegram & Gazette
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    01/02/04 10:49 PM
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    05/14/03 05:04 PM
    Jeanne Aufmuth
    Palo Alto Weekly
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    Chen mixes in rich details and politics to make it all come alive and seem relevant.

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    05/05/03 10:24 AM
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Combustible Celluloid
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    01/07/03 08:07 AM
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    12/08/02 08:09 AM
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    12/02/02 08:06 AM
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    08/15/02 08:04 AM
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    Los Angeles Times
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    08/02/02 08:05 AM
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    06/05/02 08:04 AM
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    News

    A Pair of Big Movies Get the Gong
    posted by Scott Weinberg March 30, 2005
    Lovely Asian actress Gong Li ("The Emperor and the Assassin") looks to be the hot new import. Variety...

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