Qi Shu as The Assassin
Chinese “Assassin” in Lake Worth and Fort Lauderdale
By Skip Sheffield
In the mood for some exotic? How about an elaborate 8th
century Chinese costume drama?
“Assassin” is a beautiful, brutal and baffling martial arts
film that doubles as a drama about courage, family, loyalty and revenge. The
closest theaters to us are the Lake Worth Playhouse and Cinema Paradiso.
Based on a short story written during the Tang Dynasty,
“Assassin” tells the tale of Nie Yinniang (Qi Shu) who was kidnapped by a nun
as a 10year-old girl and trained in martial arts, swordsmanship and special
skills to use any item at hand as a weapon. It is the 8th century.
The Tang Dynasty (618-807), considered to be the high point in Chinese
civilization, is in decline. Weibo Province to the north has emerged the
strongest province. After 13 years in exile, Nie has been ordered by a
provincial General to assassinate his political rival, Lord Tian Ji’an (Chen
Chang).
The trip to Weibo is perilous. Nie is ambushed but she
fights back fiercely, killing rivals and displaying her balletic martial arts
skills. Instead of assassinating her target, Nie becomes so enamored with him
she decides to join forces. This evidently challenges the balance of power and
threatens the stability of the whole region.
This plot description may not be entirely correct, for
“Assassin” is indeed mystic and baffling to American eyes. What it is for sure is its amazing sensory
experience: exquisitely beautiful visually and aurally, with sumptuous
costumes, exotic dances and musical instruments, folk singing, hard-charging
horseback riding, majestic scenery and of course impressive, meticulously
choreographed fight scenes that are almost like dances. The dialogue is in
Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles.
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