Years in the making, this martial-arts epic by Taiwanese master Hou Hsiao-hsien (Flight of the Red Balloon) is a breathtaking work of art that combines elements of classical Chinese literature and landscape painting with the director’s own distinctive aesthetic sensibility. Set during the tail end of the Tang dynasty in the ninth century, The Assassin focuses on professional killer Yinniang (the ethereal Shu Qi), whose lethal effectiveness has become compromised by her troubled conscience. That internal struggle becomes even more fraught when she is ordered to assassinate a powerful provincial governor (Chang Chen) to whom she was once betrothed. Navigating an intricate web of court intrigue as she pursues her murderous goal, Yinniang is haunted by phantom visions of what her life could have been.
Want to find out whether The Assassin is for you? Listen to Jason Wood and Andy Willis discuss it on our podcast (tune in from 3 minutes 54 seconds).