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The Assassin (2015)
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The fights arrive in brief bursts; much more time belongs to watching, waiting and deciding whether to act. Hou Hsiao-hsien frames an assassin through moving curtains, distant foliage and carefully held interiors, letting political danger inhabit the scenery.
This is a route through texture and composition rather than a generous supply of story information. Court relationships can be difficult to untangle, so its appeal depends on enjoying the spaces between the action as much as the action itself.
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About The Assassin
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.