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The Butterfly
This review may contain spoilers
The Assassin breaks out of the standard martial arts mold. If you are looking for a fast paced, bloody, high flying wuxia film, this is not that film. Every shot is a breathtaking painting, lovingly lingered over to give you time to sink into it.
Crickets and birds provide most of the natural soundtrack. The strength of this movie lies in the stunning cinematography and the slow, deliberate pacing.
While the times are complex, the main story arc is deceptively simple. Duty or morality? To kill or not to kill?
Nie Yin Niang (Shu Qi-So Close) has been trained for thirteen years as an assassin and is unmatchable. After refusing to kill an official in front of his son her teacher sends Yin Niang to her home province to kill Tian Ji’an (Chang Chen-Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), the military governor, who also happens to be the man she had once been betrothed to before fate and politics changed her plan.
Yin Niang spends much of her time observing from rafters and in dark corners. Is she watching the life that once might have been hers? Or taking the measure of the man and situation to decide whether she can and should kill him?
Dialogue is sparse which can make this movie frustratingly enigmatic for those of us who are not familiar with this ancient tale. Yet I was never bored. Shu Qi gives an understated performance that is complex and compelling in its resolute silence. Yin Niang is no one’s victim and takes history into her own hands.
Fight scenes are often short with no complicated wire work. One scene in particular is beautifully shot among the trees. Yin Niang wields her curved blade confidently and dispassionately against her female opponent before walking off in the forest.
The costumes and sets are lush and a pleasure for the eye. Panoramic scenes of mountains and fields often take center stage. The attention to detail in every frame is captivating.
Yin Niang’s teacher says her heart lacks resolve because the way of the sword is pitiless. This assassin has plenty of resolve, she simply chooses what she wishes to fight for.
Crickets and birds provide most of the natural soundtrack. The strength of this movie lies in the stunning cinematography and the slow, deliberate pacing.
While the times are complex, the main story arc is deceptively simple. Duty or morality? To kill or not to kill?
Nie Yin Niang (Shu Qi-So Close) has been trained for thirteen years as an assassin and is unmatchable. After refusing to kill an official in front of his son her teacher sends Yin Niang to her home province to kill Tian Ji’an (Chang Chen-Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), the military governor, who also happens to be the man she had once been betrothed to before fate and politics changed her plan.
Yin Niang spends much of her time observing from rafters and in dark corners. Is she watching the life that once might have been hers? Or taking the measure of the man and situation to decide whether she can and should kill him?
Dialogue is sparse which can make this movie frustratingly enigmatic for those of us who are not familiar with this ancient tale. Yet I was never bored. Shu Qi gives an understated performance that is complex and compelling in its resolute silence. Yin Niang is no one’s victim and takes history into her own hands.
Fight scenes are often short with no complicated wire work. One scene in particular is beautifully shot among the trees. Yin Niang wields her curved blade confidently and dispassionately against her female opponent before walking off in the forest.
The costumes and sets are lush and a pleasure for the eye. Panoramic scenes of mountains and fields often take center stage. The attention to detail in every frame is captivating.
Yin Niang’s teacher says her heart lacks resolve because the way of the sword is pitiless. This assassin has plenty of resolve, she simply chooses what she wishes to fight for.
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