The Assassin

2015 105 min ★ 6.4 Action, Adventure, History

9th century China. Ten year old general’s daughter Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who initiates her into the martial arts, transforming her into an exceptional assassin charged with eliminating cruel and corrupt local governors. One day, having failed in a task, she is sent back by her mistress to the land of her birth, with orders to kill the man to whom she was promised – a cousin who now leads the largest military region in North China. After 13 years of exile, the young woman must confront her parents, her memories and her long-repressed feelings.

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Cast

Shu Qi

Nie Yinniang

Chang Chen

Tian Ji'an

Zhou Yun

Lady Tian Yuan / Jingjinger

Satoshi Tsumabuki

Mirror Polisher

Ni Dahong

Nie Feng

Yong Mei

Lady Nie Tian

Lei Zhenyu

Tian Xing

Nikki Hsieh

Huji

Ethan Juan

Xia Jing

Sheu Fang-Yi

Princess Jiacheng / Taoist Nun

Details

Director

Hou Hsiao-hsien

Screenplay

Chu Tien-Wen

Status

Released

Original Language

ZH

Budget

$15,000,000

Revenue

$11,991,669

Production

Sil-Metropole Organisation, Central Motion Picture Corporation, SpotFilms, Media Asia Films, China Dream Film Culture Industry, Huace Pictures, Wild Bunch

Reviews

R

Reno

June 14, 2016

★ 3/10

> The truth determines our actions. I found this film when it was listed in the BBC news' top 20 films of the 2015. This film topped the chart, then how can I just ignore which is my prime world news feed. The fun part was I saw a South Korean film called 'Assassination' believed to be this, but very I soon realised the mistake. Anyhow, I loved the Korean film that I reviewed a couple of moths ...